What Does a Director of Research Analytics Do? A Day in the Life…

The following blog post was written by Keith Chidsey, Director of Research Analytics at RMS.

My name is Keith, and I am the Director of Research Analytics at Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc. (RMS).  I am a new face at RMS, though I have been working in the Market Research industry over 20 years with a breadth of experience across all areas of Operations, Client Services, and Data Analytics.  My passion is for my team, and we work together to produce reliable insights for our clients with a focus on customer service and high quality results.

For me, no day ever looks the same.  I have to be flexible and prepared to handle the unexpected at a moments’ notice while making sure day-to-day activities proceed as normal.  I could not do this without a very strong team of experienced Research Analysts and Panel Coordinators.  My main roles and responsibilities can be broken down into three categories: Business Development, Project Execution, and Company Strategy.

The Research Analytics team has a very collaborative relationship with the Business Development team.  We review all potential projects together and come up with the best research plan based on the clients’ needs.  I personally want to make sure that we are able to produce the desired results at a competitive cost.  With this approach, key aspects of the research are never lost in transition from our Business Development team to my team, whom execute the projects.  This often involves meeting with clients, creating project budgets, developing work plans, consulting with the Business Development team, and helping with the proposal process.

My teams’ main responsibility is the execution of research projects.  Once a project is won, I will assign it to one of our Analysts and continue to monitor project progress.  At each stage of the project I will review and provide feedback.  This allows multiple people to provide feedback, and provides opportunities for increased efficiency and value add at multiple stages of the project lifecycle.  Given my experience with all aspects of a research project (Kick-Off Meeting, Questionnaire Design, Programming, Data Verification, Analysis, and Reporting), I can also “roll up my sleeves” and help support them with project tasks.

One of the things I enjoy most at RMS is my involvement with their corporate strategy.  In the ever changing and dynamic Market Research industry, it is imperative to stay on top of innovative solutions.  Whether it is developing strategies to grow our ViewPoint Panel, looking for efficiencies in the business process, or leveraging technology to improve our offerings, I truly love finding ways to expand what we can offer.  It should be no surprise that I like to make informed decisions based on data, and I will utilize any data I can get my hands on to make sure that RMS is making the right decisions.

I enjoy having a career where I do not have to do the same thing every day and I can utilize my problem solving skills quickly and effectively.  No day is ever like the other with my position, though I hope this summary provides you a high level understanding of what is involved. Feel free to leave a comment with any questions you may have about working in market research, in this or similar roles, or about RMS!

If you’re interested in learning more about RMS, please visit our website. If you’d like more information about the services we offer, please contact our Senior Director of Business Development & Corporate Strategy, Sandy Baker, at SandyB@RMSresults.com or by calling 315-635-9802.

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What Does a Social Media and Panel Coordinator Do? A Day in the Life…

Hi I’m Emily – the Social Media and Panel Coordinator at Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc. (RMS). You may recognize me from previous blog posts, LinkedIn, or we may have conversed via email or phone if you’re a member of the RMS ViewPoint Research Panel or another panel I manage. Typically, when I tell a friend or family member what I do, they are only familiar with the first half of my title (Social Media Coordinator) unless they are savvy in market research. Let’s explore my daily responsibilities related to social media and panel coordination to break down those barriers in understanding!

For me, being on time means being 15 minutes early, so I get a head start every day. I love getting to the office early because it allows me to organize my to-do list and quickly check my inbox before the day gets ahead of me. Next, I always start scheduling social media posts into Buffer for Research Analyst & Social Media Strategist at RMS, Erica, to review. While I’m scheduling content, I may make last minute edits, create additional content, check that all links still work correctly, and add in appropriate hash tags when applicable. After all posts are ready to go, I scour my favorite online sources for relevant content I can use for next week’s social media lineup. I prepare RMS’s social media content a week before we post it on our outlets. This includes creating images, organizing posts, creating content, incorporating appropriate hash tags, researching trends, and prepping the content to be posted. The social media strategy is very dynamic at RMS, so there are many “rules” (as I call them) that need to be followed on each platform. These rules allows us to ensure that our content uses effective branding, reaches the optimal number of people, and engages our target audiences.

Once I finish up my daily social media tasks, I focus on the other half of my job title, Panel Coordinator. To explain it simply, I manage the RMS ViewPoint Research Panel and research panels that we build for clients. Panel management includes creating growth strategies, implementing registration processes, database management, implementing quality control measures, capturing desired information based on the clients’ needs, and updating clients on panel progress. Creating growth strategies is where I can apply the most creativity, and have the most fun. Growth strategies can range from attending or hosting events, to creating high-powered campaigns.

In addition to this work, I also help my fellow Analytics team members with any projects that may need an extra hand. This can range from drafting a survey, assisting with report writing, creating a report template, conducting an in-depth interview, coding survey responses, proofing, or anything else that falls in my lap! I’m always ready to help out where needed, especially when I can learn new skills, and I’m sure my coworkers will attest to that. I will typically fit this type of work into my schedule as needed, which mixes my days up a bit (and I LOVE that). Throughout the day you may catch me checking the RMS social media accounts and my inbox for activity. My week also has a sprinkle of meetings and/or events to attend. I like to continually expand my skill set and think creatively, so you might also catch me at a local park or coffee shop writing, volunteering with a local organization, or enjoying the outdoors! If you live in CNY you know all too well that you have to take advantage of warm weather while it lasts, because you cannot always go kayaking, running, or hiking! Nonetheless, I hope you have learned a little more about me and my role as the Social Media and Panel Coordinator at RMS. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below and I will get back to you!

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If you’re interested in learning more about RMS, please visit our website. If you’d like more information about the services we offer, please contact our Senior Director of Business Development & Corporate Strategy, Sandy Baker, at SandyB@RMSresults.com or by calling 315-635-9802.

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What Does a Research Analyst & Social Media Strategist Do? A Day in the Life…

My name is Erica, and I’m a Research Analyst and Social Media Strategist at Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc. (RMS). Some of our readers may know me as a project lead, a LinkedIn connection, or former colleague or classmate. Being the advocate that I am, I fully believe in the power of social media, but a few bullet points that breeze through my job description on LinkedIn is not the best way to understand my role and daily life at RMS. Let’s break it down…

Unless I have an early morning client meeting or work function, I start most days at the office by checking email. Although there’s a plethora of research that suggests NOT checking email as soon as you get to the office is best, I find it’s a great way to ease my brain into the day to come. And I keep up with my email throughout the day, so I rarely have more than 20 emails to sift through on any given morning. Once my inbox is tidy, I switch gears and put on my social media management hat. I hop on Buffer to check the social media posts that have been uploaded for the day by our fabulous Social Media Content & Panel Coordinator. We source and create most of our content in advance, so by the time I see them in Buffer, they’ve already been “approved.” Now I’m just double checking that there are no spelling/formatting errors, ensuring that links work, and graphics are displaying properly. This is also the time when I’ll post a company blog update, if we have one scheduled that day. Once that’s ready to rock and roll, the rest of my day will consist of various meetings, client communications, and project work.

As any of my colleagues past and present will tell you – I’m a morning person. Knowing that I do my absolute BEST work in the AM hours, I purposely tackle the projects and tasks that require extra brain power first. So if I have a project that is wrapping up, I’ll dive into the reporting next, and power through data analysis or weaving together an executive summary with “next step” recommendations. Other days I might draft a business proposal and cost sheet for new work, create an online survey script or in-depth interview guide, or analyze our social media performance data and update our dashboard. I’ll head out for lunch to re-energize my brain, and jump into the next task of the day. I might be scheduling and conducting a large volume of interviews for a project, updating clients on a project via email or phone, or meeting with colleagues to brainstorm about business development opportunities or a client report. I could also be drafting my next blog post; reviewing trends in social media, market research and higher education; or reviewing and updating our social media strategy. RMS is a company that truly empowers employees to have a work-life balance, so most days I’m able to leave the office on time. I’ve found over the years that this work-life balance is a key component to employee satisfaction, efficiency, and quality of work product produced. Work to live – don’t live to work! That’s life in a nutshell at RMS for a Research Analyst and Social Media Strategist. Feel free to leave a comment with any questions you may have about working in market research, in this or similar roles, or about RMS!

If you’re interested in learning more about RMS, please visit our website. If you’d like more information about the services we offer, please contact our Senior Director of Business Development & Corporate Strategy, Sandy Baker, at SandyB@RMSresults.com or by calling 315-635-9802.

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