Why do social media surveys enable the collection of authentic responses?
July 18, 2023
01. The Relevance of Recruited Profiles
By recruiting only qualified users, leveraging social media targeting criteria, this methodology ensures the consistency of profiles with the target population. This respondent relevance will, in turn, ensure optimal quality of the insights gathered. These respondents are typical consumers or professionals who, for the most part, are not registered in panels and are therefore neither over-solicited nor incentivized.
Verifying Respondent Qualification through Hairdressers' Expertise
One might believe it impossible to control respondent identity and that the presence of unqualified individuals would skew social media survey results. Here is the test we conducted to verify the reliability of our respondents: during a survey targeting hairdressers, we inserted a trick question about the products these professionals used. Two of the products mentioned in the list were, in fact, products sold exclusively to the general public, not used by professionals. We recorded less than 1% of total responses for these two items, proving that the recruited profiles were indeed real hairdressers.
02. Respondent Engagement
At Episto, we're convinced that it is an absolute precondition for collecting quality answers and true-to-life insights. Respondents express their opinions with care and authenticity, they (almost) forget they're actually taking part in a survey. Respondents' engagement is ensured thanks to the playful side of the questionnaire, making the experience unique and enjoyable, empowering respondents who are not used to being asked for their opinion. In addition to guaranteeing the reliability of the profiles recruited, the granular targeting enabled by social networks helps us engage with audiences that are truly motivated by theme of the study.
Discover how kitchen waste sorting is organised via video
To get a better understanding of how people living in the Ile-de-France region organise waste sorting, we interviewed 300 respondents and collected videos of them filming the latter in their own kitchens. These valuable, authentic insights enabled us to really immerse ourselves in the homes of people living in the Parisian suburbs.
03. The authenticity of responses
One of the main advantages of social network research is that it allows us to collect authentic answers. Meaning? Authentic means sincere and spontaneous answers that truly reflect the opinions of the individuals surveyed, without the intervention of external disturbing factors.
Surveys on social media offer guarantees of authenticity that are linked to:
The respondents
- Not used to answering surveys, they are not research "professionals".
- Unpaid and therefore not motivated by the lure of gain
The use of smartphones
- A personal tool they feel comfortable using
- And which they utilize when available
The questionnaire
- Designed from the outset for mobile use
- Self-administered, at their own pace, under terms that suit them
- Engaging and conversational
Thanks to this methodology, respondents no longer feel they are answering a questionnaire, and more like they are taking part of a conversation.
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