When I was a small child, my parents were extremely strict about listening to media. I wasn’t allowed to watch movies that were rated above PG-13 (in fact, I’m still not), and music lyrics had to be absolutely pristine.
My parents’ biggest fear was that the content would shape my personality, so they wanted to make sure it was only content of the highest quality.
And guess what? They were right about it shaping my personality just not for the reasons they thought.
Just like everyone else who’s ever watched or read anything, I don’t just passively consume content; I actively incorporate it into my own thinking process. This means that if you want your brand’s content to engage audiences, it has to be truly great.
But what does “great” look like in the realm of digital marketing? It might seem overwhelming at first, but fortunately, there are some key tactics you can follow in your quest for digital domination:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| 1. Stay updated with the latest marketing research news to remain informed about industry trends. |
| 2. Explore a variety of research articles that provide insights into effective marketing strategies. |
| 3. Understand the importance of research in shaping marketing decisions for business success. |
| 4. Discover innovative tools and methodologies used in modern marketing research. |
| 5. Learn from real-world case studies shared in research articles to apply lessons to your strategies. |
| 6. Keep an eye on evolving paradigms in marketing research to adapt to changing landscapes. |
| 7. Embrace a healthy amount of skepticism to ensure data accuracy and informed decision-making. |
#1. Create A Consistent Voice
Have you ever noticed how some people have a consistent voice and tone? They come across as trustworthy, reliable, and engaging.
Their messaging is easy to understand and remember. These people can build trust because their voice is consistent with their values (hint: this is why things like the Apple Store experience are so great).
The same can be said for companies that use consistent language across all of their marketing pieces. And let’s not forget about brands that have become so iconic that we know them only by their names think Nike or even more specifically, “Just Do It.”
What does this mean for your business?
A consistent voice makes it easy for people to understand what you stand for and what sets you apart from others in the industry.
It builds trust, which leads to greater conversions down the line because customers feel like they know who they’re doing business with long before they contact you or visit your website!
Understanding what marketing research truly entails is crucial for effective decision-making. Dive into our comprehensive guide on What Marketing Research Is & How to Do It – Step by Step to gain insights into the step-by-step process of conducting impactful research.
#2. Do Your Research When Choosing Your Voice
Choose A Voice That Is Consistent With Your Brand
Your voice is how you sound and how others perceive you in the marketplace, so choose it carefully.
Strong brand identity makes it easier to connect with customers and win their loyalty. It also helps them understand what they can expect from working with you or buying from you, which gives them confidence in making decisions about working with or buying from you again.
Choose A Voice That Is Consistent With Your Target Audience
Your audience’s wants and needs will dictate much of what kind of content will be effective for them.
And therefore the type of voice that best resonates for this particular segment will vary according to their preferences (for example: does your target audience prefer short, snappy messages versus more detailed pieces?).
This step may involve some market research; however, even if there isn’t any currently available data on what appeals most strongly within certain demographic groups/segments then just remember: every group has its own unique wants/needs so don’t assume!
#3. Treat Your Content Like A Conversation
The key to creating effective content is to treat your audience like a person, not just a number. Make sure that you’re writing in a conversational tone and style, rather than one that sounds overly formal and corporate.
Here are a few ways you can achieve this:
- Use active voice instead of passive voice when possible (e.g., “We made a podcast” vs “A podcast was made by us”).
- Use real-life examples whenever possible (e.g., “We know how hard it is when…”).
- Use contractions when appropriate (e.g., don’t say, “I am happy”), but keep them limited to save space for other words or phrases you need (“I’m happy”).
Skepticism is a valuable trait when it comes to interpreting market research findings. Learn why it’s important to always conduct market research studies with a healthy amount of skepticism in order to make informed decisions and avoid potential pitfalls.
#4. Establish Your Credibility Using Case Studies
If you’re trying to show your expertise in a particular area, case studies are a great way to do that. You can use them to show how you helped a customer solve a problem or achieve their goals.
For example, let’s say you’re an accountant who specializes in helping small businesses manage their finances and tax returns. A customer has come to you with some questions about how they should set up their accounts.
You could write up the answers as part of your marketing material, but it would be more engaging for both parties instead of just telling them what they need to know.
You created an example scenario where the business owner had all sorts of issues with his/her accounting system and then show how those problems were resolved using your services.
And why those solutions were best suited for this particular client (e.g., because it was easy-to-use software that made filing taxes easy).
#5. Use Powerful Quotes
Quotes are another great way to add credibility, emotion, authority, and more. They can also be a powerful tool for adding a twist or call to action.
Here are five ways quotes can make your marketing more effective:
Use Them As Social Proof
Quotes from high-status sources like celebrities or industry experts help build trust with customers by confirming your product’s quality.
If you’re selling a weight-loss supplement, including quotes from well-known health experts could help convince people that it works (and makes them feel better about buying it).
Include Them In Emails
Quotes make emails more personal by adding personality and emotion (not just facts) into the mix.
They provide an opportunity for customers to connect with others who have purchased from you before.
Especially if something is exciting about their purchase history that might encourage current customers to do so as well!
Uncover hidden gems in the realm of marketing research tools. Our article on The Top 10 Most Powerful Marketing Research Tools You Haven’t Heard Of introduces you to innovative tools that can revolutionize your research strategies.
#6. Consider Video Content
Video content is a great way to increase engagement. One of the most important aspects of marketing research is understanding your target audience, and video content gives you a great opportunity to showcase who they are and what they care about.
It also allows you to more easily demonstrate complicated topics, which can help simplify the process for users who don’t have an in-depth knowledge of the industry.
Another benefit of video content is its ability to show people how a product works or what it looks like in action (or both).
This can be especially important with physical products: while pictures are helpful, nothing beats seeing something move around on screen!
Video marketing also has several benefits when it comes to online shopping: consumers enjoy watching videos because they find that they’re better able to visualize products;
Furthermore, consumers tend not only to purchase more items overall but also spend more money per transaction when there’s some sort of demonstration involved in their decision-making process.
So if you want new customers coming through your door every day then this might just become one of those things worth exploring further down the road!
#7. Optimize For All Devices
Here are some things to keep in mind as you optimize for all devices:
Mobile First
It’s often said that a website should be designed with mobile users in mind because most people browse the web from their phones these days. But this isn’t just about screen size; it’s also about how people interact with content on a phone versus a desktop computer.
For example, when we’re looking at our phones while standing or walking around (e.g., at the grocery store), we don’t have time to read long sentences and paragraphs of text we just want the most important information right away!
So think about what your visitors would want when they’re on their phones versus when they’re sitting down at home or work with time to spare and then design accordingly.
Make sure every page has an easily-accessible button linking back to your homepage/main navigation menu so users can always get back home no matter where they’ve gone off on your site (as discussed earlier).
Finding the right market demand is a cornerstone of successful product development. Explore the journey of how one entrepreneur discovered demand in their market in our piece on How I Found the Market That Had a Demand for My Product and gain insights for your own business endeavors.
#8. A/B Test Your Pages
A/B testing is a method of comparing two versions of a page and observing which one performs better. Usually, the “A” version is your original design, and the “B” version contains some design changes you want to test out.
To be able to compare them, you need traffic from different sources. You can A/B test your pages by having one group of users see the original page, while another group sees the new one and then measure which gets more clicks and conversions (sales).
A/B testing helps you figure out what works best in terms of messaging, copywriting, layout, and overall user experience on your website or landing page.
It allows you to find out what encourages people to take action based on their individual preferences which means that no matter what kind of business you have or industry you’re in, there’s always something new for you to learn about how people interact with websites!
#9. Update Content On Top-Performing Pages
If a page is performing well, it’s likely because the content on that page is valuable. If it’s not performing well, it’s probably because the content isn’t as useful as it could be.
Therefore, you can use analytics data to determine which pages are most effective and what kind of content works best for your audience.
Then make sure you update your top-performing pages with new information or updates on the same topic (or even different topics related to the original).
This ensures that users will come back again and again because they know they’ll find value there and if they don’t see any new information when they visit those pages again, they may leave!
Additionally, if you’re finding that some of your older blog posts aren’t performing as well as expected any more or not at all it might be time to give them an update based on what has happened since then.
A quick Google search shows how much has changed since 2011 when I wrote my first article about social media marketing!
#10. Go Long-Form With Your Blog Posts When It’s Appropriate
Long-form content is better for SEO (search engine optimization). Long-form content is better for engagement. Long-form content is better for conversion.
Long-form blogging has been shown to increase brand awareness, brand loyalty, and advocacy because of the way it engages people on a deeper level than short posts do.
If you’re going to have a blog in the first place, it should be long-form – there’s no need to waste time with anything else if you’re going all out!
#11. Offer Multiple Options For Contact And Engagement
When you’re building your site and creating content, do you include multiple ways for people to contact and engage with you?
If so, great! If not, it’s time to add them. The more ways people can reach out to interact with you, the better chance they have of doing so. And once they reach out, make sure that the experience is positive and easy-breezy.
If it isn’t if something like a form submission doesn’t work, or if someone has trouble getting around on your site they won’t be likely to come back again anytime soon.
Here are some things you can do:
Include social media links in your sidebar menu (or anywhere else on the page) so that visitors can easily connect with you on their favorite networks as soon as they land on your website.
Include a phone number somewhere prominent on every single page of your website where people might look for one (like at the top).
This way if someone needs help right away but doesn’t want to wait through an email exchange or web chat session before getting assistance from customer service reps who may or may not know what they’re talking about anyway…
They’ll find a real person right away who does know what’s going on because they’re right there in front of them! This will also cut down significantly on confusion if someone needs clarification about anything related specifically to their order/request/etc.
#12. Include Social Proof Of Your Content’s Value In Headlines And Subheads
Social proof is a great way to build trust and encourage action. On your landing page, you’ve got a compelling headline that explains why the reader should keep reading. But what if they don’t? Maybe they’re skeptical of your brand or product and need additional convincing.
This is where social proof comes into play: it’s a great way to show people how others have benefited from what you offer and can help them decide whether or not it’s worth their time.
The most common forms of social proof are testimonials, case studies/testimonials, reviews, and awards/recognition (like an A+ rating from BBB). You can include these in your headlines or subheads to give potential customers reassurance before hitting “Buy Now”.
#13. Use Bullet Points And Other Formatting Tools
If you’re writing blog posts, emails, or anything else that contains text, it can be helpful to use bullets and numbered lists. These formatting tools are particularly useful for scannable content like blog posts they help readers quickly find what they’re looking for.
They also break up long blocks of text while highlighting key points or important information. If you’ve ever looked at a website or email with a lot of text and felt overwhelmed by all the words on the page (or screen), this is one thing you can try that might make it easier to read!
Marketing research paradigms are evolving, reshaping the way insights are gathered. Delve into the changing landscape with our exploration of The New Marketing Research Paradigm and gain a fresh perspective on the direction of research methodologies.
#14. Always Include Strong Calls To Action
A call to action (CTA) is a command that asks readers to take a specific action. It’s used on web pages and in social media posts, and it’s extremely important when it comes to marketing research. As you write your blog posts, keep these tips in mind:
Include a CTA at the end of every post so readers can easily access more information about your brand or product.
Make sure the CTA is relevant to the content on that page don’t just add links everywhere without thinking about what you’re linking to!
Make sure the link takes people somewhere they want to go (i.e., not a 404 error page). If there are multiple links on one page.
Make sure each one goes directly where it needs to go don’t use redirects or any other method that might confuse users they’ll see this as spammy behavior if you don’t take care here!
#15. Make Sure You Know What To Track Before You Start Promoting Content
The most important thing to do is to understand what you’re trying to track. It’s important because it will help you decide what the most appropriate metrics are for your goals. Once you know those goals, then you can determine which metrics will be most useful in reaching them.
If your goal is brand awareness or content distribution, then some of the things that may be relevant include:
- Time spent on-site by visitors
- Number of unique visitors (or sessions) per month/week/day
- Bounce rate (the percentage of people who leave after viewing a single page)
If your main goal is lead generation or sales, then some other possible metrics might include:
Conversion Rate
The number of people who take an action is divided by the total number of visitors (i.e., people who filled out a form).
Or if they haven’t completed any actions but have interacted with certain pages or content elements enough times within a specified period during their visit…that’s another way to measure conversion rates!
There are many ways; just be sure not all are counted as conversions when calculating this metric since oftentimes there aren’t any associated costs involved so no revenue would be generated when they convert.
Conclusion
This article shows how Market Research can be used to help companies succeed. Marketers must understand their audiences to grow and expand their business.
The best way to do this is by using market research tools like surveys, focus groups, or interviews with customers.
Marketers who have done their homework will know what kind of questions they need answers to before starting a project so that they can be prepared with answers when it comes time for them to present their findings later on down the line (this is called prepping).
Further Reading
Here are some additional resources for further reading on marketing research:
Quirks: Marketing Research General
Short Description: Access articles covering various aspects of marketing research in this comprehensive resource.
Campaign Live: Market Research
Short Description: Stay updated on the latest news and insights related to market research from Campaign Live.
Short Description: Explore articles and studies related to marketing research on Phys.org, covering a wide range of topics.
FAQs
What is the importance of marketing research?
Marketing research plays a crucial role in understanding consumer behavior, market trends, and competition, enabling businesses to make informed decisions and tailor their strategies.
How can skepticism enhance market research?
Approaching market research with a healthy amount of skepticism helps identify biases, challenges assumptions, and ensures the reliability of collected data and insights.
What are some effective marketing research tools?
Various tools, such as surveys, data analytics software, and social media monitoring platforms, can provide valuable insights into consumer preferences and market trends.
How can I identify market demand for my product?
Conducting thorough market research, analyzing customer feedback, and studying competitor offerings can help identify gaps and opportunities in the market for your product.
How is the landscape of marketing research evolving?
The landscape of marketing research is evolving with the integration of advanced technologies like AI and big data analytics, allowing for more accurate and real-time insights.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.