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Alternative ways to recruit for user research on a low budget
When using a recruiting service is too expensive
Imagine a scenario when you are about to start work on a new project. After various workshops, you notice that many statements are somewhat based on feelings rather than actual data.
You start to question the idea's validity and suggest proper interviews with potential users. The client can barely afford your services and hold you back on the budget for using recruiting services for research.
There are countless examples of a project failing due to a lack of proper research. Spending thousands of dollars into initial design and development to see that customers are not interested later. They don’t need a product or don’t see it as valuable enough to change from the competition.
It might be a challenge in research to find the right people to participate, especially if you’re working on a shoestring budget. You may not have enough money for user research recruiting services which can be costly. But don’t let a small budget hold you back.
You can get the word out about your research and find the right people to participate. By tapping into the power of social media and community outreach.
For the sake of example, let’s say we are working on a personal finance app that helps you to optimise your budget with the help of AI.
Reddit Subreddits
Reddit is a revolutionary social media app connecting various communities under one hood. The chance is that you can find almost any community there to get insights into your niche.
There are even a couple of subreddits specifically for recruiting usability testers. If you go to r/SampleSize, you can post a survey or ad in which you are looking for people to participate.
If working on a personal finance app, I would go to r/PersonalFinance. There I would post a survey for people who would like to take part.
