Rososhik+K.+Focus+Group+Report

Rososhik K.

TO: Social Networking Team FROM: Karina Rososhik SUBJECT: Social Networking Focus Group Report DATE: March 20, 2010

Here is my report on a focus group I ran with five college and non college friends on their attitudes towards Facebook. I was able to cover all five questions developed by our team. Most participants reported they use Facebook mainly for staying in touch with friends, and easier access to future costumers.


 * Focus Group Rationale**

Facebook is currently the largest and most popular social networking site and therefore the most attractive place for businesses to connect with Gen-Y users. The social networking landscape, however, is volatile because users can easily switch from one site to another. Our focus groups seek to determine if Gen-Y still favors Facebook, how they primarily use the site, and what developments would cause this demographic to switch to another site. This information will allows to advise Proximity clients about how to create an effective presence on Facebook.


 * Setting and Participants**

The 60 minute session was held in my my friends apartment in New York on Friday, March 19, 2010. The participants were:


 * Elinor, 21, a Pace Univ. Junior Pre-Med, math major;
 * Idan, 24, a medical supply factory employee;
 * Mendy, 26, a Realtor in NYC;
 * Danny, 21, a Towson Univ. Junior sports management major
 * Orly, 25, a professional babysitter.

We covered the following three topics during the session:
 * Session Topics**

__Do you use Facebook?__ All of my participants use Facebook. Each uses it for different purposes, for example Idan said:"I mainly use it for poker games". They all agreed that Facebook is very comfortable to use,and they do not necessary understand why would people refuse not to have an account.

__Why do you use Facebook__ Every single participant said they use Facebook for different purposes. Idan uses it mainly for games, Danny, Elinor, and Orly said that it is a great mean of communication with their families all over the world, and Mendy uses it mainly to find prospective costumers and be available for costumers and companies.

__Facebook Mobile__ Only one participant (Mendy) said he uses Facebook Mobile. His main reasoning is the fact that many costumers send him messages on Facebook to set up meetings, therefore he needs to be available twenty four seven.

__Business on Facebook__ The participants' opinion was split on this topic. While Mendy and Orly think that Businesses on Facebook is great free and affective publicity, Elinor Idan and Danny say that while it might be free and affective publicity it brings out the style of the business. They said:" If i see a business on Facebook, i think that they are not a very exclusive or serious business. However it depends on the business, retail stores, designers, actors, ect... is fine, but big business corporation or companies should not have a Facebook page."

__Friends leaving Facebook, would you leave with them?__ All of the participants except one (Idan) agreed that if their friends leave to another network they would leave with them. Idan said that he haven't found a networking site that provides both games (like poker) and keeping in touch with friends. If all his friends move he said: "i will defiantly keep Facebook for the games, but also move to the other network to keep in touch with my friends."

The session revealed that the participants
 * Findings**
 * All have Facebook, and positive attitude towards it.
 * You Facebook for both Business, and staying in touch with friends.
 * Would leave Facebook, if all their friends left.

The session should be evaluated with other focus group sessions involving students and self employed participants.

Even though the participants in this focus group session tend to agree that Facebook is the leading and most popular social networking website among their friends, if their friends would leave Facebook they would leave with them. Facebook needs to think about their competitive advantage, and how to keep Facebook on top, because as i found out if people start leaving Facebook, it wouldn't be the number one social networking website it is now.

Even though almost most participants agreed that businesses on Facebook is good free advertising, few participants brought up the fact that it really depends on the business style, structure, and goals, whether or not they should be on Facebook. We should consider doing a few more focus groups to see if Proximity is the type of business that will advertise itself on Facebook, or it will need to find a different method or reaching potential costumers.