Written by: Larry Goodfellow
Many things have been online for a while, but now everything is online. Weekly marketing meetings? Online. Classrooms for children? Online. Happy hour? Online. First dates? Online. Of course, some things are much better in person and virtual versions could never replace them. But don’t we owe it to ourselves to admit that some things really are simplified, streamlined, and made better when done from our own homes, digitally?
Think about this, a large number of us are working from home, and it’s going alright for the most part. Kids are learning remotely, and it is going …okay. But think about the things in our lives that take way longer than they should, events where you wished you could be at home on your couch instead of sitting on an uncomfortable chair for three hours.
Think about things like AGMs or town halls, where holding such meetings and getting input from everyone is extremely important, but a bit painful nonetheless (the rushing, the parking, the duration, the discomfort, the too-hot/too-cold rooms, the waiting, etc).
Now, take those need-to-have conversations, and conduct them or participate in them from the comfort of your home. Couch vs. plastic folding chair. Staying at home vs. commuting. Sweatpants vs. anything else. The winner is obvious.
We can still have important and necessary discussions, informed decisions can be made, and steps can be taken to move forward. But we can also simplify these tasks, make them more physically comfortable to participate in, and accommodate them to the lives of the people who need to be involved.
Utilizing a market research online community is one such digital option. Conduct polls to gather quick opinions, have people enter their comments into an online discussion, and segment people using a survey with qualifying questions, among other things.
Given the recent observation that individuals are more likely to participate in online research during these times, it is a safe assumption that they would also be more likely to participate in online versions of previously-in-person meetings for groups that they are a part of.
Board members, club presidents, and civic employees would be able to monitor activity, launch questions as they see fit, and disperse the findings to others involved in the organization, and the participants themselves.
These days of quarantine have highlighted the things that truly matter, and those are the things that we have been striving to maintain. But they have also shed light on the facets of our lives that we are happy to leave behind- the stressors, pain points, annoyances, and frustrations of life pre-quarantine. While some of those less-desirables can be completely removed, others are still valid and important. Let’s do ourselves a favour and embrace the aspects of quarantine that are working for us and making life easier!
If you would like to learn more about how an online community can work for you or your business/organization, please contact us.