One of the most common questions we are asked about market research online communities (MROCs) is what the recruiting process is like and how it differs from other (online and offline) research methods.  In short, the process is actually very similar to other research methods.  However, there are a few nuances that make recruiting for a MROC a bit different.  Below is an outline of the typical steps in recruiting participants for a MROC, with some tips for success based on our experience here at PluggedIN...

1. Determine your recruiting specifications and estimated incidence - As in any research study, the first step in recruiting for a MROC is to determine the specifications that the target audience needs to meet.  This step isn't much different than any other research method, so I won't elaborate too much here...  However, for a bit of advice on this step check out our earlier post on combining segments in a single research community.
2. Find your sample source - Client/company sample from a source that has opted in to be contacted is generally the best way to go (if you have that luxury available).  Otherwise, you may want to check out various sample providers that typically provide sample for surveys and focus group studies.  One relatively new alternative is to conduct your recruit through public social networks and existing communities.  Peanut Labs is making some interesting inroads in the latter category, and may be worth checking out...    
3. Develop your screener - The actual screener for a MROC is similar to a screener for a focus group or online bulletin board.  We recommend adding a few questions around the use of communities and social networks, including which other communities/social networks people are members of and the nature of their participation in these communities.  I would also add an articulation question just to see if it's the type of person who is likely to write a decent, well thought-out response to your discussion topics.  If you're using the PluggedIN Platform for your MROC, you will want to keep an eye on how your questions are structured, as this will form the basis for how you target and segment participants and activities once the community is launched.  
4. Determine how you will deliver your screener - Typically we will use online screening surveys for MROCs.  However, we've also used telephone recruiting (similar to a traditional focus group recruit) for smaller communities.  Telephone recruiting can be cost prohibitive for larger studies, but can be well worth the added expense if you need to ensure a higher response rate, and want someone to follow-up with participants for you after the community has launched.    
5. Download the results and filter - As the responses roll in, you'll want to keep a close eye on your quotas (if you have any), as well as potential recruits that may not be a good fit for your MROC.  It's here that we'll typically spend a lot of time looking through the spreadsheets for potential client competitors and professional respondents.  
6. Send out custom invites - Once you have your initial list of members who have qualified, it's time to send out custom invites.  We like to be as transparent as possible about the purpose of the community and the benefits to members in the initial email invite.  We also try to match the actual design of the invite with the community, so the transition to the community site appears to be seamless.  It's key to send out your invites as quickly as you can, as the longer you wait the lower your response rate will be.  A general rule of thumb is to try to turn around invites within 24 hours after the respondent has taken the survey.  Also consider using an email delivery service that provides analytics around click-through rates so you can see what is working well (or not working).  We use and recommend Campaign Monitor for this step.  
7. Monitor progress of recruiting against invites until quotas are met - The last step is basically a repeat of Step 6 until you have met your quotas.  We recommend a "rolling" recruit, whereby you launch the community early and send out small batches of invites.  That will help you control the number of members you have actually sign up.  It will also make for a better member experience upon signing in for the first time.  Keep in mind that not everyone you invite will actually sign-up for the community.  A "rolling" recruit will help you determine the percentage of members who are likely to sign-up, and adjust your sample numbers accordingly. 

Of course there are nuances to the process that may impact how these steps progress.  The way you recruit for a MROC can be influenced by the audience, focus of the community, community size, community length and the incentive strategy (among other variables). 

I hope this post helps provide a decent overview of what the typical process is like and helps to dispel some of the questions around recruiting for a MROC.  PluggedIN offers MROC recruiting services as part of our service offerings, and can help you with any (or all) of the above steps.  Feel free to contact us directly, or leave a comment with any questions!

Happy recruiting!

Matt
@mattpluggedin