How Successful Marketers Do Marketing Research

Just like you, marketers are curious! They want to know what’s going on in the world and how people feel about the services they offer. But most marketers are also busy, so they must have a system for getting their answers quickly and getting them from the right people.

There are a lot of ways marketers can do marketing research. You can do it yourself by surveying your customers and clients, or you can pay someone else to do it for you. Some companies have marketing research divisions that specialize in doing this kind of work.

Others outsource the research to firms that specialize in it. Marketers might even use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest as a way to get feedback from their customers since these sites allow people to leave comments easily and quickly on posts (this is called “social listening”).

Here are some of the most common methods that successful marketers use…

Takeaways
1. Strategic Approach: Successful marketers prioritize market research as a strategic foundation for their campaigns and decisions.
2. In-Depth Understanding: They delve deep into customer behavior, preferences, and pain points to tailor offerings effectively.
3. Utilization of Tools: Leveraging advanced tools and platforms, they uncover insights that guide targeted marketing efforts.
4. Iterative Process: Marketers embrace an iterative approach, refining strategies based on continuous data analysis and feedback.
5. Competitor Insights: They recognize the value of competitor analysis in staying ahead, identifying gaps, and capitalizing on opportunities.

Interviews

Interviews are one of the most common research methods used by marketers. They are used to gather information from people who have experienced a product or service, either first-hand or through word of mouth.

Marketers can conduct interviews in person, over the phone, or online (using tools like Google Hangouts). For example: if you’re researching how consumers feel about a particular brand’s products, you might interview people who have purchased those goods in person.

But if you’re trying to understand what customers think about your company’s branding strategy or why they prefer your competitor you can do so through an online survey and then follow up with individual interviews afterward.

Understanding what marketing research is and how to conduct it step by step is essential for any marketer. Our detailed guide on marketing research provides insights into the process and its significance

Focus Groups

A focus group is a qualitative research technique that involves gathering people in a room and asking them to discuss a particular topic. These sessions are typically facilitated by a moderator, who guides the discussion and ensures that all participants are heard.

Focus groups are used to explore consumers’ attitudes, beliefs, perceptions, and motivations. They can also be used to identify needs or wants that are not being met by current products or services.

Surveys

Surveys are one of the most common methods used by marketers. Surveys allow you to get feedback from your customers in a structured format. They’re a great way to find out what your customers think about new products, services, and marketing campaigns.

There are many different types of surveys you can use for market research. You can choose from paper surveys that people fill out by hand or online surveys where they answer questions using a computer or mobile device.

Questionnaires

A questionnaire is a set of questions used to gather information from people. It can be used to find out what people think about a particular topic or product, and what the strengths and weaknesses are at present.

You can also use questionnaires for market research, which involves finding out what customers think about your products or services so that you can improve them. This gives you an insight into how well your business is performing in the eyes of both existing and potential customers

If you want to do marketing research, it’s important to understand who your target audience is first this will help guide the type of data gathering methods that work best for your situation

Harnessing the power of social media for marketing research can yield valuable insights. Explore our article on using social media for marketing research to discover effective strategies and approaches.

Observational Studies

Observational studies are one of the most common ways to do market research. This method involves observing people in the field and recording their behavior, while also trying to understand their thought processes.

Observational studies can provide valuable insight into how people behave and use products, as well as how they interact with each other and their environment.

Experimental Studies

Experimental studies are the most scientific of all research methods. In this method, researchers test the effectiveness of a specific marketing strategy under controlled conditions.

This means that researchers aim to measure and control all variables that may affect their results to produce accurate data. The research is conducted in a laboratory where researchers can control the exact environment and conditions necessary for the experiment. 

They use laboratory equipment such as computers, cameras, microphones, etc., which allow them to manipulate data using software programs like Excel or SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences).

Researchers also use various tools to measure responses from participants (such as eye-tracking software) so they can observe how people react when exposed to certain stimuli (e.g., banner ads).

Mystery Shopping

Mystery shopping is a type of research that involves sending a paid consumer to a retail location to make a purchase or complete a transaction. The consumer then reports back to the researcher on the quality of the transaction.

Mystery shopping has existed for decades, but it was only recently that technology made it possible for researchers to collect large amounts of data in real-time. It’s not just about getting feedback on products and services.

Mystery shoppers can also provide insight into how an organization’s culture impacts customer satisfaction and loyalty. For example, if you want to know whether your employees are friendly enough with customers, send in a secret shopper who will take note of interactions between staff members and customers.

The goal here does not only do they know what makes people happy but also why they’re happy and why they aren’t so happy sometimes

Discovering innovative tools is a game-changer in the world of marketing research. Uncover the potential of powerful marketing research tools you might not have come across before.

Online Research

When you do online research, you can ask people questions and get immediate feedback. Many companies use online surveys. You can post the survey on your website or social media.

If it’s an interesting topic, people will answer your questions because they want to know more about what you’re doing or selling. You can also use chat rooms and forums to talk with customers about their needs and interests this is another way for them to share their thoughts about your products or services.

Online research helps marketers get useful feedback from large numbers of people quickly and at no cost. It’s a great way to learn how customers think about a product or service before.

It goes out into the marketplace so that everyone involved in creating that product knows what its potential buyers are thinking (or not thinking) when they see/hear/touch/smell it for the first time in person.

Public Records And Data

Public records and data are great sources of information about your market. They are available for free, which makes them an excellent choice when you’re on a budget. Public records and data can be used for market research purposes and also for competitive analyses.

Public records and data can help you understand the demographics of your market, such as age, gender, and household size. You can use this information to tailor sales strategies that cater to specific needs or interest groups within your target audience.

For example, The average age of homeowners in Canada is 40 years old; if you have been selling homes exclusively to young couples without children or retirees who don’t plan on having children anytime soon, then maybe it’s time to rethink those policies!

Brand Audits And Positioning Workshops

Brand audits and positioning workshops: A brand audit is a way to take a look at your current business and see how you can improve it. It’s important to include both customers and non-customers in this type of exercise so that you can get their input on what they think about your business.

You will also have to consider the competition, customer service, online presence, etc. when conducting a brand audit. The next step would be to create or revise your brand positioning statement (BPS).

This statement should summarize why customers buy from you rather than another company in the same industry as yours. The BPS helps clarify what makes up the “essence” of your company and highlights its unique selling points (USPs).

Web Analytics Monitoring

Web analytics is a way to measure the effectiveness of your marketing campaign. The most common web analytics tools are Google Analytics, Marketo, Hubspot, and Adobe Analytics. 

Using these tools you can see which pages have received the most views, what content has been shared and who is sharing it, where they came from, and much more!

Choosing the right direction for your marketing research efforts requires thoughtful consideration. Our guide on prioritizing marketing research offers 11 important questions to guide your decision-making.

Competitive Analysis Studies

One of the most popular methods used by marketers is competition analysis. This is an essential step in any marketing strategy and can be used to improve both your own business, as well as your competitor’s businesses.

Competitive analysis studies are conducted to gather information about your competitors so that you can gain a better understanding of how they operate, what their strengths and weaknesses are, and how to best market yourself against them.

Competitive intelligence refers to intelligence gathered from a competitor’s activities that can be used against them in future marketing campaigns or business plans. While there are many different types of competitive intelligence tools out there,for example:

• Social media listening software like Radian6 will help you track mentions about your brand across multiple platforms like Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn; 2)

Google Alerts allows you to receive emails every time someone posts something publicly online with “your keyword phrase” as part of their post (e.g., if your keyword phrase is “Marketing Research” then whenever someone uses this phrase somewhere online it will send an email directly into your inbox).

Attentive24 provides real-time alerts based on keywords related specifically towards the industries relevant for each client they serve so they’ll know exactly what news stories have been written by journalists or bloggers that might mention their company name somewhere within those articles themselves.

Buzzsumo helps identify what content has been shared most often across social networks such as Facebook & Twitter so users can see which pieces may have received more shares than others thus potentially making them more influential pieces worth sharing themselves.

Ethnographic Research And Studies Of Target Market Subcultures

Ethnographic research is a process where marketers observe the way consumers interact with products and services in their natural environments. In other words, it’s an observational method that aims to identify the behaviors and motivations of a specific group of people.

The goal is to uncover how your target audience uses the product or service you’re selling, what motivates them to buy it, how they perceive your brand, etc. This strategy can help you understand how people make decisions about buying products/services as well as what influences their decision-making process.

This type of research requires extensive fieldwork; therefore, it’s often conducted by anthropologists who travel around various locations where they conduct interviews with customers or visit retail stores where products are displayed on shelves (or both).

When conducting ethnographic studies or observing customer behavior at trade shows or events sponsored by companies like yours you should observe them closely but not stare directly into their eyes.

You should also avoid asking penetrating questions right away because it might make them feel uncomfortable if they don’t know who you are yet; instead, try smiling while nodding silently while thinking positive thoughts about yourself as a person.

Benchmarking And Best Practices Research

Benchmarking and best practices research is a vital parts of doing marketing research. It involves comparing your business processes, products, and services to those of your competitors. Benchmarking is an excellent way to evaluate how you’re performing compared with others in the industry.

It also helps identify any areas where you might want to improve. By looking at what your competition is doing, you can learn from their successes as well as their mistakes and enhance your processes accordingly

Drawing parallels between personal experiences and marketing insights can be enlightening. Delve into the lessons learned from a digital camera purchase in our reflection on what it taught us about marketing.

Final Thoughts

So, there you have the list of marketing research methods that can help you in building a successful marketing strategy. Of course, the list is not comprehensive and you can always add more methods or tools to the ones we’ve mentioned here.

The most important thing to remember is that not every method works for your business or industry. The key is to understand which type of research will be right for your business, and then act on it.

You may also find that some of these methods work better than others in certain situations, so keep experimenting until you find what works best for your needs!

Further Reading

Here are additional resources to enhance your understanding of market research:

Investopedia – Market Research Learn the fundamental concepts of market research and its significance in making informed business decisions. Explore more at Investopedia.

Business Victoria – Increasing Sales Through Market Research Discover strategies to boost sales by leveraging effective market research techniques. Find valuable insights at Business Victoria.

BDC – 5 Ways to Improve Your Business Market Research Explore practical approaches to enhance your business’s market research efforts and gain a competitive edge. Read more on the BDC Blog.

People Also Ask

What Is Marketing Research?

Marketing research is the process of gathering data from target customers to identify their needs, wants, and preferences. It’s also used to evaluate the effectiveness of a product or service and identify ways to improve it.

Why Do I Need Marketing Research?

Marketing research helps you understand your customers better so that you can:

• Better predict their needs and wants.
• Create products that meet those needs and wants.
• Develop effective advertising campaigns.
• Determine how much to charge for your product or service to maximize profits while still maintaining customer loyalty.

Who Is A Market Researcher?

A market researcher is a professional who uses marketing research to help businesses make better decisions about products, services, and advertising.

What Is The Difference Between Marketing Research And Market Research?

Marketing research is a component of market research. It is a type of research that focuses on how customers feel about a product or service.

Market research is a broader term that includes both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, as well as focus groups, surveys, and other types of data collection instruments.

Why Do I Need Marketing Research?

You need marketing research because it helps you understand your customers. By understanding them, you’re able to better serve them by providing products and services that meet their needs.

This is especially important for businesses in the B2B space, who may not be able to rely on word-of-mouth advertising as many B2C companies do.

What Are Some Examples Of Marketing Research?

There are many different types of marketing research some more common than others but here are a few examples:

• A customer survey will give you insights into what your customers think about your business and its products or services. You might ask questions like: “How did you discover us?” or “What’s one thing we could improve?”

• A focus group lets you gather feedback from groups of people who have similar characteristics (e.g., age range). You can learn things like why they choose certain brands over others and how they feel about current trends in the industry.

What Is The Best Way To Do Marketing Research?

Marketing research is the process of gathering and analyzing data to answer questions about a business’s products or services.

It is an important part of any marketing strategy, as it helps you understand your customer base so you can make more informed decisions about what strategies work best. There are many different types of marketing research methods, but they all share one thing in common:

They’re designed to help you better understand your customers. You can use marketing research to find out who they are, what they want, and how much money they’re willing to spend on your product or service.

How Can I Find The Right People To Interview?

When it comes to finding people to interview, there are two ways of doing it: quantitative and qualitative methods. If you’re looking for quantitative data, such as how many people purchase a certain product, then you’ll want to use a survey or poll where people answer questions by filling out a form.

You can also use this method if you want their opinions on something or their feedback on a specific issue or topic. If instead, you’d like more in-depth answers from people about what they think about something or why they made certain choices in their lives.

Then using a qualitative method will be better suited for your needs. For example, instead of asking someone “What was your favorite movie last year?” you could ask them about specific details about the movie such as why it was their favorite one.

What Are The Different Types Of Marketing Research?

There are two main types of marketing research: primary and secondary. Primary research is conducted by you to answer a specific question or problem that you have, while secondary research is conducted by someone else and is used to get a general overview of a topic.

Why Would I Want To Hire A Market Researcher?

There are many reasons why you might want to hire a market researcher. You might need help with the following: identifying market needs, understanding your customers, developing new products/services, designing marketing strategies, and more!

How Can I Tell If My Market Research Is Effective?

If you’re looking for some signs that your market research has been effective… well… first off, make sure you’re asking the right questions.  It’s easy to ask something that isn’t helpful or useful in terms of getting real answers from your audience.

Next time you do any kind of survey or questionnaire, look at what kinds of answers people are giving you do they seem like the sort of thing you’d expect them to say? If so, then your market research was probably successful.