How tech can help reduce respondent fatigue

Respondent fatigue is a very real, and a growing problem in the market research world. In fact, 39% of researchers actually expect sample qualities to worsen over the next three years. Why? Well there’s a number of reasons, from changing consumer attitudes and behaviours to overburdened participants who are tired of receiving yet another request to take part in market research.

Whatever the reasons behind respondent fatigue, the fact is that it’s having a significant impact on the quality of market research - but new technology in market research is helping to tackle the problem. From social media to video and online communities to mobile ethnography, technology is launching a two-pronged attack on respondent fatigue by helping researchers access a new pool of high-quality respondents who are excited, engaged and eager to take part.

Read on to find out how…

Reach new respondents

New technology in market research is making the world a smaller place. Thanks to today’s technology, it’s easier than ever before to access new participants from around the globe, which means companies can now engage with previously hard-to-reach demographics. 1.47 billion people across the world log on to Facebook every day, Instagram has 1 billion monthly users, whilst the world’s largest professional platform LinkedIn has 546 million users. The average Facebook user has 338 friends, so if information about your research is shared online, that's 338 more people reached which allows you to access fresh, new respondents that would have otherwise been unreachable. And not only that, but if someone sees something shared by a friend they are more likely to view it as genuine, which will make them more motivated to take part. Basically, whatever you are researching and however unique your criteria, new technology such as social media can help reduce respondent fatigue by enabling you to reach a bigger audience than ever before.

Appeal to younger audiences

Thanks to platforms such as Snapchat, YouTube and Instagram, young people today are living - and sharing - their lives on the go. They like things to happen instantly, and they are used to bite-sized pieces of information that they can process right away. This generation is also the first true group of digital natives, with over 98% owning a smartphone. As the consumers and influencers of tomorrow, it’s important to reach out to young people as a new target audience who can keep your brand relevant - and what better way to engage with this new audience than mobile technology? Young people today aren’t interested in traditional focus groups or telephone interviews, which is why new technology in market research such as short, snappy audiovisual content and digital methods like video market research or mobile ethnography can help you access and engage with the fresh new respondents of tomorrow.

Make research fun

As well as helping you to target new audiences, technology also helps reduce respondent fatigue by making market research fun and keeping your participants engaged. It’s fun to record a short video explaining what you think about a product and why, or to snap photos of clothes you like whilst you indulge in a bit of retail therapy - especially when the alternatives are online surveys or long face-to-face interviews. Not only that, but because digital methods can be used anytime, anywhere, your respondents can take part in research on the go. From diary studies to selfie-style content that can be uploaded from home or at an event, they can take part in market research pretty much whenever and wherever they choose. Basically, all of these emerging research methods can offer a huge range of fun and engaging ways for respondents to take part in research, helping to reduce respondent fatigue.

Make research fast

People today live in a fast-paced world of continuous updates - they want information, and they want it now, especially younger generations who have grown up with technology and high-speed internet, and as a result expect things to work right away. Can you even remember the last thing you did for 30-minutes on your phone? We thought not - and that’s exactly why new technology in market research is so great: it offers a quick and easy way for people to express themselves and share their opinions beyond the confines of their keyboard. And if that wasn’t enough, because it fits in around busy lives and allows respondents to take part in research anytime, anywhere, from their preferred digital device, it really helps to reduce the problem of respondent fatigue.

Empower your respondents

Another benefit of new technology in market research is that it empowers your respondents and allows them to express themselves clearly. Your participants need to believe their feedback is making a difference - otherwise, why would they want to take part? By allowing them to portray emotion and express themselves properly via new technologies such as video recordings or online diaries, you can make your respondents more engaged, empowered, and willing to express themselves. All of this means not only will they want to take part in your market research, but they’ll also share deeper insights than they would in a face-to-face interview or perhaps even a focus group because they will comfortable be in their own environment. Reducing respondent fatigue and all the while accessing rich results? It sounds good to us!

There’s no doubt about it: technology is transforming the research world. Not only is it granting researchers access to more respondents than ever before, but it also gives those respondents a quick, easy and fun way to express themselves - which really helps to fight back against respondent fatigue. Want to find out more about how to get better results in your fieldwork? Download this guide for more expert advice!