Why Facebook really can’t be your online research community
When we talk about using social media for research one question that often comes up is “Why can’t we just do this research in Facebook?”. The answer is simple: “You can find out something from Facebook, but as an actual research tool it’s quite limited.”
So if the answer really is that simple, why is the question asked at all, and why not use Facebook?
Facebook is a great tool and it’s a site I’m a huge fan of. You can keep up with friends, meet new friends and talk about similar interests and issues, organise events, post photos, play games, flirt… The list is almost endless. ‘Almost’, because there are some things you really can’t do on Facebook. We’ve talk a lot about the difference between social networks and online communities, about how the former are ‘me’ places where I talk to my friends about things that interest me; and about how the latter are ‘we’ places where I work with people towards a common goal or end point. Social networks are difficult places to engage people and difficult places to build a group that is contributing towards a shared goal or end-point. Because of this, they’re difficult places for marketers, and difficult places for researchers.
It is true that there are are huge amount of things that a brand can learn from seeing how it is discussed on Facebook. Take a brand like Starbucks and their are 34 groups in London alone (more than 500 globally) discussing the brand. In each of these there are things that the brand could learn – from ideas for advertising, to discussion on free Wi-Fi in store, to discussions about whether their drinks are kosher. These are all great discussions, but from a research perspective they are like listening to people’s conversations at a bus stop or in a restaurant (or indeed in a coffee shop!) But you cannot get the kind of detailed research and insight that you need from these discussions, from that you do need an online research community.
It’s only in a research community that you can really make sure you get the most out of the discussions and debates – both those that organically happen in the community, and those prompted by a specific activity. Only in an online research community do you have right or response and an ability to enter into an equal discussion with other members. Only in an online research community can you build and analyse the profiling data you get from the members and the vast backlog of their contributions and opinions. Only in an online research community do you have a set of members who are their to engage and interact directly with the brand and there to support you.
The benefits are huge, but more than anything, Facebook and other social networks don’t offer an ability for you to research and get meaningful insight. You can observe not research.
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Some more reading
- Polling, Opinion and Q&A; Sites are Redefining Social Networking
- Incentives In Online Social Communities
- Communities = more than the sum of their social media parts
- Four Pitfalls Associated with any Social Media Marketing Campaign
David Wallace:
Bravo Matt. Oonce again you’ve precisely described the gulf separating sites where people go to promote themselves/evangelize and how they differ from sites where people get/share information. These are platforms or channels with different purposes (and the content sometimes morphs as users decide the best role among marketplace, shouting gallery, Q&A with trusted advisors or shameless hucksterizing. Sometimes it’s E) all of the above.
11 November 2008, 7:02 pm» Why Facebook really can’t be your online research community:
[...] In each of these there are things that the brand could learn – from ideas for advertising , to discussion on free Wi-Fi in store, to discussions about whether their drinks are kosher. These are all great discussions, but from a research .. More [...]
11 November 2008, 7:34 pmBen Werzinger:
Great post Matt. While keeping an ear to the ground through these larger social networks may help you spot ideas or opportunities, a research community will really help you drill down on the specifics. Many times true research insights emerge after a series of activities or focused exercises/conversations. You learn so much through this process. We blogged about a similar topic as well (http://www.pluggedinco.com/2008/11/03/why-not-use-facebook-for-an-online-research-community). We are noticing that a lot of clients are considering trying to bundle their research (among other efforts) inside of larger social networks.
11 November 2008, 9:33 pmSimon:
Matt – I agree with you, but don’t you think that Facebook groups have an air of unprompted spontaneity and lack of self-consciousness that structured research communities lack?
Though even with that advantage, the drawbacks are so huge for me to give Facebook a wide berth for strategic tips
12 November 2008, 12:31 amMatt:
Simon – you’re right about the air of unprompted spontaneity in Facebook groups, but I think you can get a real element of this in online communities too. Rather than a panel, online focus group of other online research tools, a community will see a lot of organic and spontaneous comments. In ones that we have run at FreshNetworks it is often in these comments that you get the most use for brands.
Of course there is a real benefit of watching what people say in Facebook (and LinkedIn, MySpace, forums and other places online) and I’d recommend an approach that includes monitoring of this. It can be great to pick up the odd piece of information, a bit like overhearing somebody talk about your brand at a bus stop.
Matt
12 November 2008, 10:59 amFreshNetworks Blog » Blog Archive » Facebook’s monetisation plan? Market research.:
[...] written before on this blog about why Facebook really can’t be your online research community. Facebook, and indeed other social networks, isn’t suited to getting the depth of qualitative [...]
2 February 2009, 11:40 pm