The SUBSCRIBERS, FANS, & FOLLOWERS study was inspired by the three simple tenets of ExactTarget's SUBSCRIBERS RULE! philosophy:
In order to live by this philosophy, you have to understand who your customers are, what they're doing, and why they're doing those things. Social media is rapidly changing the ways consumers can engage with brands online. And although a lot of research has been conducted on what consumers are doing with social media, why they're doing those things has largely been a matter of speculation.
The SUBSCRIBERS, FANS, & FOLLOWERS study is an in-depth look at how consumers engage with brands through three of the most talked about online channels - Email, Facebook, and Twitter. The study addresses three core questions related to these channels:
To do this, we start with the premise that consumers should have the first say about which questions are most appropriate on a survey. Our studies consist of two distinct phases - a qualitative study in Phase I followed by a quantitative study in Phase II.
Phase I (conducted in May 2011) included 45 individuals who participated in a 3-day moderated online discussion boards regarding various aspects of cross-channel marketing interactions. These sessions built on the focus groups conducted in March 2010 and October 2010. Focus group results gave direction to the nationwide survey by identifying the broad concepts that merit additional exploration. They also helped to eliminate any pre-existing biases or assumptions we might have as media-savvy marketing professionals, and instead focus our attention on the broader consumer experience.
Phase II consisted of an online survey conducted in June 2011. The survey addressed key themes heard during the focus groups in order to drill down and quantify the sentiments expressed. A total of 1,427 respondents completed the survey, including 207 teens (age 15-17). Responses were weighted by age and gender according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates and Pew Internet Project's online activity data to reflect the online U.S. consumer population.
Phase I was conducted in March 2010, and we invited 44 people to participate in three different types of focus groups - a moderated 3-day online discussion board, 90-minute real-time chat room discussions, and 90-minute video focus groups using webcams. These sessions focused on the motivations consumers have for engaging with companies via Email, Facebook, and Twitter as well as the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Phase II consisted of a survey fielded from April 9, 2010 through April 13, 2010. The survey addressed key themes heard during the focus groups in order to quantify the sentiments expressed therein. The survey was fielded through a MarketTools TrueSample™ online panel and completed by 1,506 U.S. respondents, aged 15 and older, and stratified by age so that each age bracket contained no less than 200 responses. Responses are weighted by age and gender according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates and Pew Internet Project's online activity data to reflect the online U.S. consumer population.
Phase I was conducted in October 2010 and we included 27 people to participate in two separate 3-day moderated online discussion boards. These sessions built on the focus groups conducted in March 2010 by again asking what motivates consumers to engaging with companies via Email, Facebook, and Twitter, and then focusing on the circumstances surrounding their decision to disengage with brands through each of these three channels. Focus group transcripts were then coded to identify key themes and representative quotes were selected to be included in the whitepaper.
Phase II consisted of a survey fielded from December 17 to January 10, 2011. The survey addressed key themes heard during the focus groups in order to quantify the sentiments expressed therein. Responses from 1,561 U.S. online consumers were collected using MarketTools TrueSample™ online panel. Respondents were 15 and older, and stratified by age. Responses are weighted by age and gender according to U.S. Census Bureau population estimates and Pew Internet Project's online activity data to reflect the online U.S. consumer population.
If you have additional questions about this study's methodology, email research@exacttarget.com.
