Using Social Networks As Research Networks Kathy E Gill 1 May 2008

Outline Some definitions GaTech WWW Survey Social Network Sites Online Focus Groups

Some definitions

GaTech WWW Survey

Social Network Sites

Online Focus Groups

Technical Networks Computer Network: a system of composed of hardware and software that allows computers to communicate with one another Internet: a worldwide system of computer networks that communicate using TCP/IP The Web: a subset of the Internet that communicates using HTTP

Computer Network: a system of composed of hardware and software that allows computers to communicate with one another

Internet: a worldwide system of computer networks that communicate using TCP/IP

The Web: a subset of the Internet that communicates using HTTP

Social Networks An association of people drawn together by family, work or hobby; coined by professor J. A. Barnes in the 1950s. He described the social network as a group of about 100 to 150 people. ( source )

An association of people drawn together by family, work or hobby; coined by professor J. A. Barnes in the 1950s. He described the social network as a group of about 100 to 150 people. ( source )

The GrandDaddy: GVU What: Technical Networks + Social Networks Who: Georgia Tech Graphics, Visualization & Usability Center (GVU) When: Jan 1994 – Oct 1998 How: 10 “ user surveys ” that documented “ developing Web demographics, culture, user attitudes, and usage patterns”

What: Technical Networks + Social Networks

Who: Georgia Tech Graphics, Visualization & Usability Center (GVU)

When: Jan 1994 – Oct 1998

How: 10 “ user surveys ” that documented “ developing Web demographics, culture, user attitudes, and usage patterns”

GVU Methodology Non-probabilistic sampling based on social networks and other promotion Announcements on Internet related newsgroups Announcements made to the www-surveying mailing list Banners on high-exposure web sites (e.g. Yahoo, CNN, Excite, Webcrawler, etc.) and through advertising networks (e.g. DoubleClick) Publicity via popular offline media (e.g., newspapers, trade magazines, etc.)

Non-probabilistic sampling based on social networks and other promotion

Announcements on Internet related newsgroups

Announcements made to the www-surveying mailing list

Banners on high-exposure web sites (e.g. Yahoo, CNN, Excite, Webcrawler, etc.) and through advertising networks (e.g. DoubleClick)

Publicity via popular offline media (e.g., newspapers, trade magazines, etc.)

GVU Survey 1 When: January 1994 The first publicly accessible Web-based survey; composed of five parts Estimated N=20 million Internet users. 4,853 responses to all surveys combined Demographics: 6% female

When: January 1994

The first publicly accessible Web-based survey; composed of five parts

Estimated N=20 million Internet users. 4,853 responses to all surveys combined

Demographics: 6% female

GVU Survey 7 When: 10 April 10 1997 through 10 May 1997 Estimated N=30 million. 19,970 unique respondents (~1-in-1,500) Demographics: 31.30% female

When: 10 April 10 1997 through 10 May 1997

Estimated N=30 million. 19,970 unique respondents (~1-in-1,500)

Demographics: 31.30% female

Social Network Websites Web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system ( source )

Web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system ( source )

Key Characteristic Makes social networks visible – to self and others

Makes social networks visible – to self and others

Brief History SixDegrees.com (1997) LiveJournal (1999) LinkedIn (2002) MySpace (2003) Facebook (2004, 2006) YouTube (2005) Twitter (2006)

SixDegrees.com (1997)

LiveJournal (1999)

LinkedIn (2002)

MySpace (2003)

Facebook (2004, 2006)

YouTube (2005)

Twitter (2006)

“Survey” Research Facebook Polls LinkedIn Answers Twitter Polls “ Focus Groups”

Facebook Polls

LinkedIn Answers

Twitter Polls

“ Focus Groups”

Facebook Polls

FB Poll Not Free From TechCrunch “Facebook charges you a variable amount based on how quickly you want results…The more you offer, the more quickly results are returned to you… Facebook will estimate the completion time for the poll based on how much you bid.”

From TechCrunch “Facebook charges you a variable amount based on how quickly you want results…The more you offer, the more quickly results are returned to you… Facebook will estimate the completion time for the poll based on how much you bid.”

Useful? One Marketer’s Experience (Dec2007): “Currently you can only ask 100 people, with the possibility of each individual only being profiled on one variable (i.e. age OR gender, etc.)…the 24hour turn around time is a definite bonus. I see this service being used in small businesses and startups where the market research resources are very low.”

One Marketer’s Experience (Dec2007): “Currently you can only ask 100 people, with the possibility of each individual only being profiled on one variable (i.e. age OR gender, etc.)…the 24hour turn around time is a definite bonus. I see this service being used in small businesses and startups where the market research resources are very low.”

Linked In Answers

LinkedIn A “professional” network Follow the blog for examples Featured Q this week: Pros and Cons of Re-financing Success story : “after 12 hours... [1] from my blog post and the rest … from my 200-ish LinkedIN contacts.”

A “professional” network

Follow the blog for examples

Featured Q this week: Pros and Cons of Re-financing

Success story : “after 12 hours... [1] from my blog post and the rest … from my 200-ish LinkedIN contacts.”

Twitter Quotably.com Summize.com/about #poll Obama or Hillary or Clinton TweetClouds.com and TwitterVerse.com and PicoBuzz.com TweetScan.com Twitter.Alltop.com

Quotably.com

Summize.com/about

#poll

Obama or Hillary or Clinton

TweetClouds.com and TwitterVerse.com and PicoBuzz.com

TweetScan.com

Twitter.Alltop.com

Real-Time Feedback Twitter in conferences (“back channel”) #forrmarketing08 Twitter as “research diary” Search @ginsoak or @learningspaces twitter.com/learningspaces/with_friends

Twitter in conferences (“back channel”)

#forrmarketing08

Twitter as “research diary”

Search @ginsoak or @learningspaces

twitter.com/learningspaces/with_friends

For Journos From OnlineJournalismBlog (UK) News of UK earthquake broke on Twitter Monitor groups with CrowdStatus.com BreakingNews Wire Feed ( TwitterFeed + TweetBurner ) TwittUrly – top 100 URLs (think Memeorandum or TechMeme) Live Book Review News Organizations Using Twitter

From OnlineJournalismBlog (UK)

News of UK earthquake broke on Twitter

Monitor groups with CrowdStatus.com

BreakingNews

Wire Feed ( TwitterFeed + TweetBurner )

TwittUrly – top 100 URLs (think Memeorandum or TechMeme)

Live Book Review

News Organizations Using Twitter

Twitter Misc. Web, IM, Phone gridjit.com Twhirl or Snitter The User-Created PBWiki

Web, IM, Phone

gridjit.com

Twhirl or Snitter

The User-Created PBWiki

Organization-Specific Social Network Sites Del Monte Foods “ I Love My Dog” 400 members; handpicked Introduced Snausages Breakfast Bites in six months; normal time 12+ months Sylvan Learning With MarketTools, surveyed a group of mothers with children in 1 st -12 th grades Sent possible ad storyboards; feedback helped shaped new ad campaign Wall Street Journal, 14 Jan 2008

Del Monte Foods

“ I Love My Dog”

400 members; handpicked

Introduced Snausages Breakfast Bites in six months; normal time 12+ months

Sylvan Learning

With MarketTools, surveyed a group of mothers with children in 1 st -12 th grades

Sent possible ad storyboards; feedback helped shaped new ad campaign

Wall Street Journal, 14 Jan 2008

In Summary … This is “non-scientific” research; don’t extrapolate to larger audiences! This is early adopter research; don’t extrapolate to late adoption audiences! Low transaction cost makes it possible to get opinions, case study material quickly, cheaply Online focus groups may combine best of off- and online qualitative survey methods

This is “non-scientific” research; don’t extrapolate to larger audiences!

This is early adopter research; don’t extrapolate to late adoption audiences!

Low transaction cost makes it possible to get opinions, case study material quickly, cheaply

Online focus groups may combine best of off- and online qualitative survey methods