Focus groups are a moderate discussion with 6-12 people who share something in common, usually lasting around 60 minutes. They are used to learn views and opinions to help improve marketing plans and find out what customers want. Organizing effective focus groups requires choosing participants at random and from different audience segments. Moderators with backgrounds in psychology or communication should guide open-ended, neutrally presented questions and keep the conversation flowing. Analyzing focus groups involves a minimum of three people categorizing themes and conclusions drawn from participants' answers.

1. Focus Groups By: Ryan Phillips

2. Written by Paul Berger Lets Hold a Focus Group!

3. Defining: Focus Groups A moderate discussion held by 6-12 people who share something in common. Used to learn views and opinions of different individuals. Usually run around 60 minutes.

4. Purpose of Focus Groups To learn from the organizations Constituents. Find out what the customer wants and how they think. Help Improve Marketing plans

5. Organizing a Focus Group To eliminate bias, focus groups should have an equal or proportional amount of people chosen at random and from different segments of the audience. Vitamins-by-mail (heavy users vs. light users)

6. How To find Participants Use a database of current and former customers as well as potential customers and work the phones.

7. Types of Questions Interview Protocol List of questions grouped by category Guides the Moderator Questions should be open-ended, neutrally presented, clear and concise.

8. Questions not to ask! Financial questions Personal questions Questions in a “Quiz” format Could be reluctant to sharing their views

9. Moderators Focus Groups should be ran by a Moderator Usually have backgrounds in psychology or communication Should be conversational, genial, and dispassionate about the material being covered. Help keep conversation flowing.

10. Analyzing Focus Groups Minimum of three people go through the data and make a list of themes. Go through answers and put them into the different themes From these themes the analysts can draw conclusions about what is important and categorize the info.

11. Conclusion Good way to get resourceful info Time Consuming but effective in the long run.