YouTube Focus Groups

I just finished a segment on Tea Party Patriots Live, a free-flying talk radio show hosted by Phil Russo and Jason Hoyt of the Orlando, Florida Tea Party Movement.

I was asked a question about how candidates can use social media to run more effective campaigns and there was something I wanted to mention before we ran out of time… but I just couldn’t beat the buzzer. Then, I realized that the great thing about having a blog is that I never really run out of time!

What I wanted to highlight is the use of private invites on video hosting services such as YouTube to run very effective focus groups. Traditionally, focus group research has been expensive and might only be warranted for an advertisement that will trigger a major media buy or a message that will become a central part of a campaign.

However, private invites allow your campaign to conduct informal focus group discussions of videos you plan to eventually release to the public in order to tinker or perhaps start over on the video concept altogether if the reaction you get is not what you intended. I have a procedure for systematically selecting participants, but it might work just as well to develop a core cadre of people you trust and have a solid relationship with first. This should probably include a couple of people who don’t always agree with the candidate and represent key demographics in the community.

Even if you narrow your invites to your inner circle, you should never post anything online that you really wouldn’t want the public to see (even if you choose to upload it as a private video). That should go without saying. However, the comments you’ll receive on videos you thought were uncontroversial will often startle you and will sometimes make you consider your video in an entirely different light. People will be offended in ways you never predicted or completely misunderstand what you are trying to communicate. It’s not only a great way to avoid offending people, but a great way to refocus your message and clarify your communication. Given the low budgets and fast production times involved with putting together online videos, candidates should seriously consider a focus group setup before deciding to make them public.

BTW, Marco Rubio’s campaign has been doing a great job of using YouTube and viral video techniques. I’m not sure whether he uses focus groups or not, but I thought I’d share a link to his YouTube channel… if only because it demonstrates that amateur style “grassroots” videos can be used effectively to attract national attention and fundraising strength. Rubio’s YouTube presence can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/user/MarcoRubio

There are many great video hosting solutions. Most are free (although not always for private invite hosting) and some have better technology than YouTube. However, YouTube has the traffic and, as a candidate, you’ll probably want to have a public presence there, anyway. If you are one of the few people who haven’t already signed up a free YouTube account, you can do so by following the link below:

Also: Special thanks to Amy of California and Don of Indiana for their kind words on the program.