What are the best ways to find participants for customer research studies?

1 Define your criteria

Before you start looking for participants, you need to define your criteria for who you want to talk to and why. This will help you narrow down your search and avoid wasting time and resources on irrelevant or unqualified people. Your criteria should be based on your research goals, your product features, and your customer segments. For example, if you want to test a new app for dog owners, you might want to look for people who own a dog, use a smartphone, and have a problem with finding reliable dog sitters.

2 Use existing channels

One of the easiest and cheapest ways to find participants is to use your existing channels, such as your website, your email list, your social media, or your customer database. These are people who already know your brand, have shown interest in your product, or have used your service. You can invite them to join your research studies by offering incentives, such as discounts, free trials, gift cards, or early access. You can also ask them to refer their friends or family who might fit your criteria, and reward them for doing so.

3 Explore online platforms

Another way to find participants is to explore online platforms that connect researchers with potential users, such as UserTesting, Respondent, User Interviews, or UserZoom. These platforms allow you to post your research project, set your criteria, and select from a pool of candidates who match your profile. You can also filter and screen them further by using surveys, quizzes, or tasks. The advantage of using these platforms is that they handle the recruitment, scheduling, payment, and quality assurance for you, saving you time and hassle.

4 Reach out to communities

A third way to find participants is to reach out to communities where your target audience hangs out, such as forums, blogs, groups, or events. These are places where you can find people who share similar interests, needs, or problems that relate to your product. You can join these communities, participate in discussions, and build rapport with the members. Then, you can ask them politely if they would be interested in joining your research studies, and explain the benefits and expectations. You can also look for influencers, moderators, or experts who can help you spread the word or introduce you to potential participants.

5 Optimize your process

Optimizing your process to ensure that you find enough reliable and engaged participants, who provide valuable feedback, is an essential part of your customer research studies. You can do this by creating a landing page or form that explains the criteria, incentives, and time commitment of your research project. Additionally, it is important to send reminders and confirmations before the session and thank them after the session. Furthermore, providing clear instructions with a friendly and professional tone, being flexible with their time and preferences, and tracking recruitment metrics such as response rate, completion rate, dropout rate, and satisfaction rate are all important steps. Ultimately, finding participants for your customer research studies can be challenging but is worth the effort. By following these tips you can find the right people who can help you improve your product and achieve your goals.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?