Communications practitioners are always
looking for an effective way to prove to clients and
bosses that communications practices are
not only valid, but absolutely necessary to the success and
growth of business. The most common method of proving ROI is
good research,
but the expense is often prohibitive.
Requesting more funds to prove your communications worth is not
what a client or manager wants to hear. However today's
technology (and tempestuous economy) have made it possible and
necessary to utilize in-house research methods that may help
answer that age-old question: "Well, is it working?"
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Secondary Analysis: Between the library, the
web and various publications, you can receive or search for
everything from opinion polls to indepth research studies from
reputable organizations for free. For example: the U.S.
Census Bureau (www.census.gov) for instant demographics, the National Center of
Health Statistics (www.cdc.gov)
for health related stats or visit the Survey Research Lab at
the University of Illinois (www.srl.uis.edu) or read their newsletter, Survey Research, which
summarizes a variety of public opinion studies carried out by
academicians and non-profits.
Quicktab Polls: If you need a fast way to gauge an audience
reaction to something, try a quicktab poll. Using about 100-250
respondents, ask only six to eight simple, closed-ended
questions. Then carry out the fieldwork yourself via telephone
or Internet. This is a great way to gauge a general reaction,
but not the most reliable source for exacting data analysis.
Client-Fielded: The most expensive part of more indepth research
activities often can be the fielding of the study. Hire a
professional to design your study and help with the
questionnaire. Conduct interviews yourself, with your staff or
your volunteer base. In many cases, you can save thousands of
dollars by doing that portion of the work yourself. Turn the
completed interviews back in to your specialist for analysis
and data tabulation.
Intercept Studies: This is a great option for those who do not need
absolutely precise research. Use a small number of
questions and instead of a preexisting "list" as a
sample, you "intercept" folks, usually in a public
setting. Your sample will be as appropriate as your
background research of the location you choose. For example, if
you have opened a restaurant in a neighborhood, and want to
gauge the community reaction to your business, conduct the
study at a neighborhood festival or other public event.
Online Surveys: There are a million resources to help you conduct
easy, fast and inexpensive surveys via the Web. You can choose
a template, enter your own questions, and they offer you
statistical results in charts and graphs. You provide a
list of participants for your survey or if you are targeting a
public audience, you can purchase a list. WebSM's website
(www.websm.org) offers reviews and links to more information
and vendors who offer these type of services.
Know what you're trying to find out: More often than not the hardest part of a
research project is figuring out what you want to find out.
A solid research professional will challenge you to focus
and crystallize your research objectives, and to answer one key
question in particular: What do you want to be able to do once
you complete the research? If you, as the research
client, can answer those two critical questions -- What data do
you need? and How do you plan to use it? -- a research
professional can help you figure out the best way to go
about conducting your research.
