Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc. (RMS) understands the significance of research panels. RMS created ViewPoint, its proprietary research panel, in order to have quick and easy access to research participants. Through the responses gained from ViewPoint, RMS helps clients respond to business opportunities. For information about joining, and the benefits to joining the RMS ViewPoint Research Panel, click here.

Use these 5 steps to set up a customer panel:

  1. Recruiting

Recruiting participants can be tough, especially when prospective participants question what is in it for them. One way to overcome this barrier is to offer an upfront incentive such as a coupon, discount, or gift card raffle. Also, make sure prospective participants understand the benefits of joining, such as more lucrative market research opportunities like focus groups, interviews, and mystery shopping (where the reward for participation tends to be higher than the reward for joining).

  1. Registration

This process should be quick and simple for an example check out the RMS ViewPoint sign up page here.  Make sure there is a frequently asked questions (FAQ) page easily available. Consumers may not know or understand what a research panel is, or the benefits of joining. For an example of an FAQ page, check out what RMS uses for its ViewPoint Research Panel.

  1. Welcoming Members

Once members join, personally welcome and thank them for agreeing to participate in future research opportunities. This will also give you the opportunity to respond to any questions or concerns new members may have. Not only does RMS send new ViewPoint members a welcome email, but we also call each member to show our appreciation for new sign ups. It is important establish two-way communication when members sign up in order to continually give resources for more information should they have any additional questions.

  1. Getting Engaged

Members like to feel engaged right from the start. One way RMS accomplishes this is by requesting further demographic information after the initial signup. To show our appreciation for completing this step, each month RMS offers a $10 raffle entry to new members who complete the follow up survey. In addition to engaging our members, this gives RMS further insight into who is on our panel, which ultimately provides us with the ability to supply the demographic makeup of the panel to our prospective clients. After all, it is better to gain responses from the right audience – instead of just getting completes.

  1. Keeping Attention

It is important to keep the attention of your research panel members. Don’t let 60 days pass before reaching out to members or you will run the risk of having inactive members on your panel, or experience a drop-off (when people opt out of the panel). In both cases this ultimately leads to a lower response rate. Don’t lose sight of the end goal, which is good data!

If you are interested in discussing market research or how a client panel can benefit your company, contact Research & Marketing Strategies (RMS) in Upstate NY.  You can reach us by calling 1-866-567-5422 or by emailing SandyB@RMSresults.com.