When you hear the word "experiment," what's the first thing that comes to mind? Scientists? Laboratories? Those ugly and EXTREMELY unflattering goggles? Mmm...maybe. Although I will be discussing research in this particular instance, I will be using the term in a slightly different way.
Experimental research does not always have to be conducted under very strict and careful instructions. In fact, it can be done all in the comfort of your own home (without explosive chemicals, of course). This type of research is used very frequently in the PR industry, especially with social media. In fact, how do you think publicists evaluate which marketing tool is working the best for their clients? Ah hah! Through experimental research!
Allow me to set up a situation (or...an experiment). You are trying to determine which social media website allows for the most feedback and followers for a particular person in the entertainment industry. Try Lady Gaga, for instance. Start by pulling up MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook in your web browser, since these are the three biggest and most commonly used social networking sites at the moment. How many followers does she have on each? Comments? Feedback? By figuring out which website seems to be more popular for her audience and fans, you are conducting experimental research -- a blind experiment to be exact. This just means that Lady Gaga isn't aware of the fact that you are stalking her fan base, which can reduce any form of bias (just in case you speak with her on a daily basis).
Well, what are your results?! The conclusion of our experiment today was that Lady Gaga's Facebook page resulted in the most fans, with a current total of 22,115,400 people "liking" her. Does this mean that Facebook is the most popular form of social networking and can lead to more publicity? It might, but not necessarily. In this particular case, however, Facebook took the gold.
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