Consumer Insights, The Basis of Local Business Marketing
All impactful marketing for local businesses commences with identifying the ideal customer. Consequently, acquiring a thorough comprehension of who is most likely to purchase from your business and what distinctly motivates them constitutes the fundamental phase in shaping a cutting-edge marketing strategy. Despite its apparent simplicity, this concept is frequently disregarded. These ideas generally work for B2C (business-to-consumer) as well as B2B (business-to-business).
Taking the time to genuinely grasp what motivates your target customer provides the inspiration for marketing content that mirrors their behavior and cultivates influence. Bearing this in mind, here are 7 of the most influential methods to gain further insight into your ideal customer.
1. Social Media Listening: Consumer Research in Their Own Words
While there are paid tools that can automate this approach, the free version is also quite effective. Simply navigate to Facebook and search for your product or service, such as “Install a Fence.” Then, on the left, select “Posts” to access a wealth of information directly from individuals interested in this topic. What topics are they discussing? How do they arrive at decisions? Which factors come into play? Which companies do they endorse? There’s much to discover here. For a different perspective from the audience, visit Reddit and follow the same process. This technique of social media listening is a treasure trove of consumer research.
2. Answerthepublic.com: Uncovering Consumer Inquiries
Despite being recently acquired by NP Digital, Answerthepublic.com still allows users to conduct 3 free searches per day and remains invaluable. Search for any topic, and you’ll receive specific questions that consumers are asking about that product or service. It provides direct insight into what matters to consumers when they make purchasing decisions. This tool transforms consumer queries into actionable consumer research insights.
3. Google Trends: Trending Topics That Impact Decisions
On Google Trends, you can identify which topics related to your business are currently experiencing increased demand. Topics, search queries, geographies, news, related images, and videos are all easily categorized and sorted. Google Trends offers a clear view of what customers are searching for, making it an essential tool for consumer research-driven marketing strategies.
4. Google Analytics: Tapping into Customer Data Potential
This dataset should be a standard component of any customer analysis. Despite being underutilized by local businesses, it contains a wealth of data. With the introduction of GA4 (Google Analytics 4), we now have access to even more ways to organize these various signals into useful and actionable insights. Delve deep into your customers’ online behavior and preferences through Google Analytics to gain unparalleled consumer research.
5. Meta Business Suite: Leveraging Social Audience Insights
By installing a Meta pixel on your website, Meta provides a lot of rich data about your social followers through their Audience Insights feature. Demographics, purchase behavior, and content engagement are just a few of the insights that can be collected. Equally significant is the ability to create custom audiences and lookalike audiences to enhance online consumer engagement. Meta Business Suite equips businesses with comprehensive consumer research capabilities.
6. SparkToro: Measuring Word of Mouth
SparkToro is an unexpectedly potent source of insights about the topics consumers discuss online. It is invaluable for understanding both consumers and businesses (in the case of B2B focus). Each search yields a list of the most frequently used keywords in social profiles, hashtags, and phrases found in social posts. You’ll also discover the websites they visit, the content they consume, and the podcasts they listen to. The ways in which this data can inform content development and marketing strategy are impossible to overemphasize. The free plan allows users to conduct 20 searches per month.
7. Communicate with Current Customers: Your Most Valuable Resource
Last but certainly not least, actively seeking feedback from customers through forms, automated emails, or phone calls can unveil previously unknown truths about your customer base.
- What are their occupations?
- What inspires and motivates them?
- What do they hold in high regard?
- What is their family structure?
- What prompts them to make changes?
- Etc.
Equally important, engaging with your current customer base allows you to gather both positive and negative feedback about their experiences with your brand. This not only empowers local businesses to develop an innovative marketing plan but also fosters customer retention and repeat business. Engaging with current customers is a rich source of qualitative consumer research.
Understanding the ideal customer forms the foundation of effective marketing for local businesses. While this concept may seem simple, its importance cannot be overstated. The tools and techniques outlined above not only have the potential to refine marketing strategies but also nurture customer relationships, promoting loyalty and recurring business. In essence, the key to a successful marketing strategy lies in the continuous exploration and understanding of the customer’s mindset, fostering authentic connections and sustainable growth.