You’re getting ready to begin writing blog posts, but do you know what kinds of blog topics your audience wants from you?
The whole point of blogging is to write topics your audience wants to hear or know more about. You want your readers to think, “Is she a mind reader?!”
We want to speak our audiences language. Sometimes we get caught up in what we think our audience should know rather than what they want to know.
Our audience speaks in a different language and you have to know this language. The only way to do that is to conduct market research to understand what questions, pains, struggles or problems your audience is having and want it to be fixed right away!
But first, we have to understand what is Market Research and how it is necessary for your business. Then what market research strategies you can use to conduct on your own, both on and offline.
What is Market Research?
According to Google Dictionary, Market Research means, “the action or activity of gathering information about consumers’ needs and preferences”
We conduct research because every single piece of content should be what our audience wants. By looking at your target audience questions and desires, you can get a glimpse of what you can write about so you get the attention your blog deserves.
What are market research strategies you can use? Here are 5 ways to research online and offline:
1. Social Media
You can actually use social media to find out about your audience by doing a little snooping. Look at the individual profiles of the people who follow your business page and discover:
- Who they are
- What they like
- Their jobs, locations, ages, and family
- General opinions
There is a goldmine of information available on social media and it’s all right at your fingertips. You can also look at people’s posts to see what they’re interested in and what questions they ask by doing a quick search on their Facebook profiles.
You can even research hashtags or type in questions in the search bar to see what others are asking in regards to your profession. This can give you greater insights into their needs.
2. Facebook Groups
Find several Facebook Groups that has your ideal client in them. Keep this to a minimum because when we are in too many, you become inefficient.
Ask the group this question: “What are you struggling with when it comes to [blank]?” That blank is your solution.
My question was “What are you struggling with when it comes to creating content for your business?”
Notice the response by saving the way people write in the comments in a spreadsheet or document so you can phase their exact response in your blog posts.
3. Conduct Surveys
The oldest and most effective method for collecting data about a target market is to conduct surveys and interviews. I have conducted several surveys during the last few years to give me ideas on what my customers wanted more from me.
You can conduct surveys any way you have contact with your audience. The most common ways are through social media or email.
If you create a survey, make it short, only asking a few questions, and you’re more likely to get responses. If you offer an incentive such as a free piece of content, you can get people to do longer surveys.
Use free survey forms like Google Forms, TypeForm, and SurveyMonkey.
In my experience, if you want your audience to get very specific, then give them choices to choose from and at the end, ask if there is anything else they want to add or comment on.
4. Simple Ask Your Audience
Ask the same question I said at #2, which is: “What are you struggling with when it comes to [blank]?” That blank is your solution.
Turn their answers into content. For me, the answers I got from this simple question gave me content for my blog (yes, even the one you’re reading now!), social media posts, and even a webinar!
I used Google Forms and sent it out to my email list and went to several Facebook Groups with my ideal clients asking this same question as well. You can use different forms like SurveyMonkey or TypeForm for your question as well.
It’s really is that simple. One of the best ways to know what your audience wants to know from you is to simply ask them. But when you ask them, you want to know what their pain is.
5. Looking at your competition
Sometimes you need to go outside of your email list and Facebook to see what your competition is writing about. You see, your competition is already answering your ideal client’s questions and is writing content that you need to be writing! You can research what your competition is saying about your audience’s pain so you can replicate the process.
Do NOT steal their stuff! That’s not staying in integrity; however, you can learn what they are saying and apply that to your content marketing strategy. If they are answering one of your client’s questions, then take the idea and turn it into your own blog post. Make it your own! Remember, people want to hear it from YOU and YOUR VOICE!
That is how you’re going to stand out in the crowd.
You can research what your competition is saying by going to Buzzsumo and typing in your solution and notice what the most popular blog posts are in regards to your keywords.
Conducting effective market research for your business is one of the best ways to get to know your ideal audience and answer their questions through a blog post. It’s easier to get found online as well.
Now it’s time to go out and begin market researching for your blog! But after that, what else do you do? How do you create content that gets attention and success? You can know how to turn your research into attention worthy content from the start. So no waiting or figuring out how to do that!
In the Write Attention-Worthy Content Now Workbook, you’ll learn the exact steps to:
-Identify and use your audience’s burning desire to create converting content (now!)
-Learn how to write attention-grabbing headlines easily
-Know what makes sizzling content go viral (so you can do the same)
-Use tools that your competitors don’t know about!
What are you waiting for? Go ahead and download the workbook now and get started with creating content that sizzles and turn heads now!
