A lot has been written about the value Communispace brings to its clients . I, however, tend to selfishly focus on the benefits that Communispace brings to me…as a researcher and formerly frustrated focus group moderator.
Here are my top three focus group frustrations all alleviated by Communispace.
1. The “That’s All Folks” Frustration: Many of us have been there. A focus group has come to an end, the audio/video tape has stopped recording and the clients in the back room are packing up their laptops when…it happens: the respondents engage EACH OTHER in a conversation that is critical to the client’s business needs. As a moderator you try to nose your way back into the conversation, you write down notes, you look directly into the two-way mirror and start flapping your arms to get the clients’ attention, but you know the truth: Your next group starts in five minutes and these folks need to get going. Opportunity lost.
In the community, these members would start their own activities and/or we’d be able to get back to them (and the whole community, if applicable) directly and probe further.
2. The “That’s Very Helpful” Frustration: More often than not, you can’t confidently tell focus group respondents how their feedback will be used. Despite rumors that respondents are only there for a sandwich and a quick buck, I found respondents desperate to hear that their time has been worthwhile, their opinions respected and actionable. (In fact, some even requested a hug. It’s true.) It’s not surprising, respondents want connection and they want to feel (not hear) that their input is valued.
Communities show members why and how they are valued. By building long-term relationships, members and clients are often put in conversation with one another. Part of creating a robust community is providing feedback on how member input is driving client business decisions.
3. The “Are We There Yet” Frustration: Travel.
Communities are online. Enough said. 
Certainly, there are more than three ways that online communities alleviate focus group pain points. Stay tuned for an upcoming Vlog by yours truly and fellow blogger, Rocky Prozeller.
Thanks Karen! Here are a few more: 1) More than 10 people — Hooray!; 2) If someone in the community is adding no value or being obnoxious, you can (nicely) kick them out; 3) You can circle back and ask follow-up questions; 4) THEY can circle back and add additional thoughts that occurred to them after the “event”; 5) It’s easy to search the community for content; 6) Cost-effectiveness — one month of a community, with 8-12 separate projects, is less expensive than 2 focus groups. I’ll stop now.
Happy employees working for great companies deliver better results. Online communities are the way to go. Congratulations!