Preaching to the drunks #mrx

Anytime I write a blog about keeping surveys as short as possible, I get a lot of comments from people who whole-heartedly agree with me. Most of us know that shorter is better – shorter questions, shorter answers, shorter surveys.

There are many intricacies related to writing surveys that most of us are very familiar with and when we read blog posts reinforcing these intricacies, it speaks directly to us. “Yes, damn it, people SHOULD write surveys like that!”

Speaking to the choir, baby!

Pause for just a moment and think about who you are. You are online. You are reading a blog. You probably found the blog through a facebook link or a twitter link or a google link. You personally expressed an interest in reading something about research. This blog post was likely not shoved in your face at the threat of death. You self-selected to read it.

Now, take a moment to consider your colleagues. How many of them actively use twitter? How many of them “like” research companies on facebook? How many of them go to google and search for interesting blogs about market research? Well, unless you’re specifically in the social media industry, I know the answer – hardly any. I’ve done my best to follow as many non-spamming researchers as I can on twitter and facebook (please let me know if I’ve missed you!) And I know that at least 95% of the researchers I’ve worked with are not active with market research in the social media space.

What is my point you ask? Well, it’s time to start preaching, not to the choir, but to the drunks. Make a determined effort to carry your onling blogging opinions into the paper and pencil world. – Choose a favorite blog post and discuss it in your team meeting each week
– Discover a new tweeter every week and discuss their type of work in your meeting – Find a new research company on facebook for your colleagues to “like”
– Encourage your quiet and bashful colleagues to make their first online contribution as a guest blogger on your site

Whatever options you choose, make your online and offline worlds collide. Preach to me in the choir and then preach to the masses, the complacent, the social media phobics, and the drunks. Preach to the entire Venn diagram.

Annie

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