10 Most Common Focus Group Topics
Though you’re probably used to seeing focus groups on TV or in the movies that just talk about a prototype of a product, there are actually tons of different topics that focus groups can be about.
It really does include just about anything you can think of. If there’s a product or service out there, there’s probably a focus group for it. The same can be said for politics and even courtroom arguments.
When you sign up to be in a focus group database and then apply to different focus groups, you give them a huge range of demographic and psychographic data. This helps them to see if you’d be a good fit for an upcoming study.
While there are literally dozens and dozens of focus group topics, here are the 10 most common focus group topics that you’re likely to come across.
Politics
Politics is a huge issue right now — not just in America, but across the world. Political opinions have become extremely polarized, and many more people than ever before have found themselves thinking about (and acting on) their political beliefs than ever before.
So it’s no surprise that researchers now have a deep interest in politics and political opinions, especially because they can shape not only elections but how people respond to products and services.
Many political groups will run focus groups to test political messages on people of various political backgrounds and with various political opinions. This helps them to sharpen their messaging for upcoming elections.
Video Games
Video games, once a fringe hobby, have become a massive industry worth over $170 billion and is projected to double that value in the next 6 years.
With so much money invested in video games and so much riding on the release of AAA games, it’s no wonder that video game companies are extremely interested in the opinions of gamers.
Unfortunately, there are also a lot of gamers out there these days. Because finding them for studies isn’t hard, those studies don’t pay as well as some other studies.
Software
Just like with video games, software is big business, especially software for businesses.
And the larger the business that the software is designed for, the more interested companies are in finding out exactly how they can improve it.
For example, there’s plenty of accounting software out there that takes the place of accountants, but they’re all different, and not everything can do what a big corporation (or a small business) needs it to do.
So accounting software companies are very interested in the opinions of professionals at large enterprises and are willing to pay hundreds of dollars to get them.
Health/Healthcare
If you suffer from a specific disease, there are many healthcare businesses out there that may be interested in your opinions or experiences. This doesn’t just include physical health — it includes mental health as well.
Healthcare is also a common focus group topic — and not necessarily just for patients. In many cases, businesses that sell healthcare software or healthcare devices/tools are very interested in getting the opinions of healthcare professionals.
Because healthcare professionals — especially doctors — are very busy people, these focus groups can pay very well. However, even nurses or techs can make good money doing healthcare-related focus groups.
Cars
The rarer the car, the more focus groups around cars will pay. Sometimes, especially for high-end luxury vehicles, these focus groups can pay not in cash (which this demographic may not be interested in) but rather with a unique product or service for their vehicle.
However, you never know which car manufacturer or product manufacturer/service provider is going to be interested in the owners of a specific make or model of vehicle, so it’s worth taking a look to see if there are focus groups for your vehicle.
Business Owner Topics
Small- and medium-sized business owners are particularly sought out by focus group providers because of the sheer amount of software/products/services out there that specifically target businesses.
For example, many marketing and design companies are interested in talking to business owners to see what they think of their products/services.
Smartphones and Cell Phone Carriers
Smartphones are big business, and there are only so many cell phone carriers and manufacturers out there — and competition is heavy. For many of these companies, finding out how they can pull in customers and beat the competition is huge.
Depending on your carrier and the brand of your phone, you may be able to get into a focus group. The only real problem is that smartphones are everywhere, so these focus groups don’t pay very well.
Finances and Banking
Banks and financial institutions are in constant competition, and they’re often not able to differentiate themselves much because of the nature of interest rates and other factors.
Still, banks and investment companies want to know how they can reach you and get you to invest or purchase their products/services, so depending on your bank and how much/how often your invest, there are focus groups for you.
TV and Computers
Technology is another very common topic of focus groups. If you make a certain amount of money and have some high-end computers or TVs, then there will definitely be some potentially high-paying focus groups available for you.
Food, Drinks, Alcohol, Cigarettes, Cigars, Vapes
One of the most common focus group topics is centered on food, drinks, alcohol, and smoking products. Sometimes these focus groups are health-related, and sometimes they’re trying to learn about consumer preferences.
Oftentimes, if you’re a smoker or drinker, you’ll get access to new alcohol/smoking products that you can try to see if the taste/flavor is something you’d be interested in.
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