A focus group is one of several effective tools one can use when analysing a market. Here are 5 important considerations to plan for when conducting a focus group..

1. Physical vs online – while a physical meeting can give a better connection and feeling for the participants, online allows for more cost-effective focus groups, and allow you to source people from a wider audience.

2. Collecting the insights – consider if you want to collect the insights as you go or if you want to record the focus group meeting for later analysis. If you chose to collect as you go, be sure to have a separate person for this, other than the moderator. Also, If you chose to record the meeting, make sure to inform the participants of this when recruiting them.

3. Managing incentives – most focus group participants will want some kind of incentive to participate. Consider both the size and how to administrate the incentive to the participants. The size of the incentive will vary based upon the profile of the people attending. For instance, a doctor would require a higher incentive than a student.

4. Moderating – will you be moderating yourself or using an external moderator? Using an external moderator can be a great way to reduce bias. If you plan on moderating the group yourself, make sure to maintain neutrality to avoid introducing social pressure. Also, make sure to prepare yourself beforehand.

5. Managing participation – book a few weeks ahead, and always book a few extra people since people might cancel as the date of the group approaches. So if you want to have 8 people participate, consider booking at least 10. However, do not book too many extra spots, since if they all show up, you will still need to compensate them all.

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