Quick answer: A focus group is a moderated discussion with a small group of people from your target audience that gathers qualitative insights through group interaction.
By the numbers:
Typical participants: 3-12 participants
Session duration: 60-90 minutes
Groups needed for saturation: 4-8 groups for most studies
Typical incentive: $50-$135 per participant
In a focus group, a moderator asks the group different questions as they interact with a pre-determined topic. Usually an idea, prototype, or product.
The core goal? To collect key information about how your audience feels about the topic at hand.
Here’s why they’re important — and how you can run a successful one.
Why are focus groups important?
A focus group tests how your audience feels about a product or service, giving you qualitative data you can use to improve it. Unlike quantitative data, qualitative feedback goes beyond numbers and statistics to reveal:
Opinions and attitudes: You'll gain an understanding of your participants' personal views, attitudes, and beliefs about the product or topic.
Emotional responses: You’ll see firsthand how participants react to the different features of your product or service.
Problems and suggestions: Would-be customers often pick out problems that product developers don’t think about — and they might even offer ideas for how to fix them.
Experiences: As your focus group tests the product features, they might discuss how the product would — or wouldn't — fit into their lived experiences.
Language and expression: Participants might use certain words or phrases to describe their experience, which you can use for marketing.
The qualitative data you receive from a focus group is gold. It’s the type of market research that can help you avoid huge snafus, like putting out a product people don’t even want. Or one that doesn’t work like your consumers expect.
And the beautiful thing about focus groups is that any industry can benefit from them.
Educational institutions. Medical facilities. Government agencies. Nonprofit organizations. Businesses and marketers. Music and entertainment venues. The list goes on and on.
As one Drexel University research brief put it, “Focus groups are a fast and effective way to elicit information and perspectives from a variety of key informants simultaneously.”
Pros and cons of focus groups
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Group dynamics spark ideas: Participants build on each other's thoughts, leading to richer insights than individual interviews. | Groupthink can suppress honesty: Dominant personalities may overshadow quieter participants, and people conform to perceived group consensus. |
| Real-time flexibility: Moderators can pivot to explore unexpected insights as they emerge. | Expensive and time-intensive: Costs include recruiting, facility rental, moderator fees, incentives, and analysis time. |
| Captures authentic language: You hear feedback in customers' own words, which is useful for marketing. | Not statistically significant: Small sample sizes mean you can't generalize findings to your entire customer base. |
Want to dive deeper? Read our complete analysis in The Pros and Cons of Online Focus Groups.
When should you run a focus group?
Focus groups excel when you need to understand emotions, motivations, and group dynamics around your product or service.
Four key focus group use cases:
New idea generation: Participants interact with existing products and suggest new features or services based on unmet needs.
Prototype testing: Test working prototypes before production. Groups reveal usability issues and unexpected use cases through hands-on interaction.
Marketing message development: Discover the language your audience uses to describe benefits and pain points — invaluable for copywriting.
Post-launch evaluation: Identify why products underperform. Groups explain the "why" behind negative reviews and suggest improvements.
Focus groups work best when you need emotional reactions, want to observe group consensus or debate, seek unexpected insights from participant interaction, or need to understand the reasoning behind preferences. Skip focus groups when you need statistical validation (use surveys), individual task performance (use usability tests), or simple yes/no answers (use polls).
Focus group vs. survey vs. usability test (when to use each)
Different research methods serve different purposes. Here's when to choose each approach:
Focus groups are best for exploring attitudes, generating ideas, and understanding the "why" behind opinions through group discussion. They gather feelings, attitudes, and ideas on topics through moderated conversation. They provide rich qualitative insights but involve smaller sample sizes and can be influenced by group dynamics.
Surveys excel at gathering quantitative data from large populations. Use surveys when you need statistically significant results, want to measure specific metrics, or need to reach hundreds or thousands of people cost-effectively. Surveys offer structured data collection that's easy to analyze but lack the depth of face-to-face interaction.
Usability tests focus on how people interact with a specific interface or product. Unlike focus groups that gauge opinions, usability tests observe one-on-one interactions to see how well people perform tasks. They're ideal for identifying friction points in user experience but don't capture broader brand perceptions or emotional responses.
Quick decision guide:
Understanding "why" → Focus group
Measuring "how many" → Survey
Testing task completion → Usability test
Sensitive one-on-ones → Individual interview
Types of focus groups
Choose the right format based on your research goals and resources.
By format:
Traditional: 6-10 participants gather in-person. Ideal for testing physical products or when body language matters.
Online: Participants join via video conferencing. Best for concept testing, wider geographic reach, and lower costs.
Mini: 4-6 participants for highly specific feedback. Allows deeper discussion on complex topics.
Dual moderator: Two moderators share responsibilities — one manages logistics, another ensures topic coverage. Useful for complex or technical discussions.
Two-way: Group 2 observes Group 1, then discusses their reactions. Provides layered insights on initial responses.
By audience composition:
Homogenous groups: Participants share key characteristics (same age, profession, or experience level). Provides focused feedback from a specific demographic.
Heterogeneous groups: Mix of backgrounds and perspectives. Reveals diverse viewpoints and unexpected insights.
Example: A university testing a new program might run:
First: Homogenous group of female senior business majors
Then: Heterogeneous group mixing class years, graduates, and MBA students
Most focus groups combine formats — like an online, mini focus group with homogenous participants. Choose based on your specific needs.
Online vs. in-person focus groups
Online and in-person formats have distinct advantages depending on your research goals and constraints.
Online focus groups bring participants together via video conferencing platforms. They're more cost-effective, eliminating venue rental and travel expenses. You can recruit from a broader geographic area and participants join from familiar, comfortable environments. However, technical difficulties can disrupt flow, and it's harder to read body language through a screen.
In-person focus groups create richer interpersonal dynamics. Participants pick up on subtle social cues, and group energy builds more naturally. They're essential when testing physical products or when you need participants to interact with tangible prototypes. The tradeoff is higher costs and logistics — venue rental, travel coordination, and geographic limitations.
Making the choice
| Consider online when: | Consider in-person when: |
|---|---|
| Testing concepts or ideas | Testing physical products |
| Gathering feedback on digital experiences | Exploring complex emotional topics |
| Target audience is geographically dispersed | Body language and subtle cues are critical |
| Budget is limited | Group energy and dynamics are essential |
| Remote participation increases accessibility | Participants need hands-on prototype interaction |
Want more details on the tradeoffs? Read The Pros and Cons of Online Focus Groups.
How to run a focus group
Running a successful focus group requires careful planning and execution. Follow these eight steps to gather meaningful insights from your target audience.
1. Define your focus group objectives
Estimated time: 2-4 hours
Estimated cost: Internal time only
Start by identifying the specific questions your focus group needs to answer.
Are you exploring user reactions to a new product? Understanding customer dissatisfaction after a failed launch? Gathering ideas to improve a program or service? Your objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).
Next, decide on your focus group format:
Will you run a mini focus group (4-6 people) or standard size (6-10 people)?
Single or dual moderator?
Online or in-person?
Homogenous or heterogeneous audience?
This first step sets the foundation for everything else, so take your time with it.
2. Set focus group incentives
Estimated time: 1 hour
Estimated cost: $50-$135 per participant (varies by audience type and location)
When you conduct a focus group, you're asking people for their time and mental labor. Fair compensation ensures quality participation.
In October 2023, we partnered with The Decision Lab to ask 300 US residents about their incentive preferences.
Key findings:
Base pay for participation should be $1.76 per minute
Most participants want cash, prepaid Visa gift cards, or gift cards to stores of their choosing — in that order
Digitally transferred incentives outperform mailed checks or gift cards
Bottom line: Skip the branded swag and offer real monetary incentives.
Since focus groups are small by design, it's financially feasible to offer competitive incentives that attract quality participants.
3. Recruit focus group participants
Estimated time: 1-2 weeks
Estimated cost: Varies by method (DIY to $100-$300 per participant for professional recruiting)
Recruit 6-10 participants who genuinely represent your target audience.
You might need to run ads, reach out to social media groups, or connect with a recruiting agency. Develop a screening questionnaire to identify participants with the right mix of demographics, behaviors, and relevant characteristics.
Communication best practices:
Be upfront about the focus group's purpose
Clearly state time commitment and location (or platform if virtual)
Explain confidentiality measures
Confirm the incentive amount and delivery method
Pro tip: No-shows happen. Over-recruit by 10-20% or maintain a standby list for last-minute cancellations.
Check out our step-by-step recruitment guide for detailed strategies.
4. Select a skilled moderator
Estimated time: 2-3 hours for vetting
Estimated cost: $750-$1,500+ per session for professional moderators (or internal time)
Your moderator can make or break your focus group. You want someone who sparks engaging discussions while ensuring everyone participates.
Essential moderator qualities:
Active listening skills
Ability to ask unbiased questions
Curiosity balanced with neutrality
Skill in managing dominant personalities
Experience drawing out quiet participants
You might have an ideal moderator on your team. If not, hiring a professional is worth the investment.
When vetting external moderators:
Read testimonials and reviews
Ask how they handle challenging situations (dominant speakers, silent groups)
Request examples of past focus group guides they've developed
5. Develop your focus group discussion guide
Estimated time: 3-5 hours
Estimated cost: Internal time only
Create a structured roadmap that keeps your discussion on track while allowing for organic insights.
Essential guide components:
Introduction: Set expectations and provide context — explain the session goal, confidentiality, recording procedures, and participation guidelines.
Icebreakers: Start with easy, relevant questions that get everyone talking. Keep them connected to your topic when possible.
Core questions: List your main topics with open-ended questions for each. Include follow-up prompts to dig deeper when participants share interesting insights.
Closing questions: Reserve time for final thoughts. Thank participants and explain next steps — how you'll use their feedback and when they'll receive incentives.
6. Handle focus group logistics
Estimated time: 4-6 hours
Estimated cost: $450-$600 for facility rental (in-person) or $0-$50/month for platform subscription (online)
Smooth logistics create an environment where participants can focus on sharing insights.
For online focus groups:
Test your platform and recording capabilities
Send calendar invites with clear joining instructions
Have a backup communication method for technical issues
For in-person focus groups:
Choose an accessible, easy-to-find location
Confirm parking availability
Arrange refreshments to keep participants comfortable
Test recording equipment in the actual room
Always: Run a complete technical rehearsal before your session to catch potential issues.
7. Conduct the focus group session
Estimated time: 60-90 minutes
Estimated cost: Participant incentives + moderator time
This is where preparation pays off. Trust your moderator to guide the discussion while you observe and learn.
For stakeholders observing:
Resist any urge to jump in or defend your product
Take notes on participant reactions and unexpected insights
Save questions for the debrief with your moderator
If you can't observe without influencing the discussion, watch the recording afterward instead.
8. Analyze focus group results
Estimated time: 8-16 hours
Estimated cost: Internal time or $5,000-$15,000 for full professional analysis
Transform your raw discussion into actionable insights.
Analysis process:
Transcribe recordings. Use transcription software to convert discussions into searchable text. This makes pattern identification much easier.
Identify themes. Look for:
Points of consensus and disagreement
Emotional responses to specific features
Unexpected use cases or concerns
Language participants use to describe your product
Create your report. Tell the story of your findings with:
Key insights supported by participant quotes
Actionable recommendations
Areas needing further research
Take action. Use insights to guide product development, refine marketing messages, or pivot your approach entirely.
How many participants and how many groups do you need?
Group size: Most focus groups include 6-10 participants. Fewer than six people feels more like a group interview, while more than 10 makes it difficult for everyone to participate meaningfully. Smaller groups of 4-6 work well when you need highly specific feedback or are discussing complex topics.
Number of groups: Plan to run 4-8 focus groups total for most research projects. Research shows that saturation—the point where you stop hearing new insights — typically occurs within 4-8 focus group discussions for studies with relatively homogenous populations and clearly defined objectives.
If you're segmenting by demographics (age, gender, user type, etc.), aim for at least two groups per segment. For example, if you're researching both new and experienced users, run 2-3 groups with each type.
How much should you pay participants?
Fair compensation is essential for recruiting quality participants and respecting their time.
Current market rates: Industry data from User Interviews shows typical hourly rates:
Remote consumer focus groups: $50/hour
In-person consumer focus groups: $85/hour
Remote professional focus groups: $95/hour
In-person professional focus groups: $135/hour
Participants prefer cash, digital payments, and Prepaid Visa cards over physical gift cards or mailed checks.
Our incentives research (from How Much Should You Pay Research Participants?) found these key adjustments:
| Factor | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Sensitive topics (30+ min sessions) | +$3.40 for personal/sensitive subjects vs. surface-level topics |
| High earners ($200K+) | +46% compared to baseline rates |
| Students | -20% (students accept lower compensation) |
| Unemployed participants | Avoid retailer-specific gift cards; cash transfers are highly preferred |
| Mailed checks | +$13.37 than cash transfers to achieve equal perceived value |
Key takeaways
Here’s a recap of our key points about focus groups:
Why focus groups matter: They dive deep into how your target audience feels about your product, revealing insights into opinions, emotional reactions, and practical feedback. This qualitative data can steer product development and marketing strategies in the right direction.
When to use focus groups: These sessions are ideal in several different situations. They can help you come up with new ideas, test prototypes, refine market materials, and evaluate products post-launch.
How to run a focus group: Start with a clear goal and pick the right participants. Offer enticing incentives, choose a skilled moderator, and prepare a thoughtful discussion guide. Nail down logistics for a smooth session, observe the group, and then dive into the analysis to unearth actionable insights.
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