Community Panel - Topics - Panel Management

The Panel Management section includes resources that relate to the day-to-day running of your Community Panel, once it has been recruited. Included within Panel Management are resources on Health, Analytics, Engagement, Incentives, Operations and Data Privacy / Security.

What is Panel Management?

Panel, or Community Management is the practice of managing an online panel, or community. It is a discipline in its own right, distinct from both the ’Market Research’ discipline (the knowledge and skills required to identify the information needed on which to base key business decisions, and design research projects using the appropriate methodology to collect the data) and from ’Project Management’ (the knowledge and skills required to conduct the practical tasks related to running a research study once commissioned). Panel Management, whilst closely interlinked to these other disciplines, focuses on the practices and processes required to maintain a healthy and responsive panel or community.

Panel Management is both an art and a science. Data analysis skills are important in order to generate and interpret the key metrics which provide insight into the health of the panel. A knack for understanding people is vital to creating the right balance of incentives, engagement activities and communications to motivate the target audience to join in the first place and continue to participate. Excellent creative and communication skills are needed to craft the right recruit message, create interesting content and to keep engagement activities fresh. Scheduling and conducting the small regular operational tasks and developing processes requires an organisational mindset.