In my previous two posts, I wrote about researching your prospect and their industry. This post is all about tackling your prospect’s audience.

If you’re like most designers out there, the thought of marketing research is probably about as exciting as watching paint dry. Concepts like stratified samples, nonresponse bias and quantitative measurements aren’t likely to be tops on your list of coffee talk, either. But, being able to provide your clients with great work and the research to back it up, will give your design more authority and maybe put a few more zeros at the end of your bank balance. This info also comes in quite handy when you’re drafting your proposal for Mr. or Ms. Prospect. It demonstrates that you’re serious about helping them solve their problem-at-hand and that you’re not the type to make guesses on their dime. It shows that you’re not a “flighty, artsy type.” You’re a businessperson.

Okay … all that said, let’s get to researchin.’

Research isn’t just the domain of the mega firms and companies. An independent designer with a little savvy can obtain good information that will help to target their work and bring better results. A little bit of something is always better than a whole lot of nothing. Simple, but valuable, research can be done with telephone calls, email, the internet, your local library, trade organizations and many other sources.

At the start of a project or proposal, get with your prospect/client and begin to profile the audience. For smaller clients, this is likely to be a “best guess.” Well, you’ve got to start somewhere. You’ll tighten things up as you go along. For larger ones, sales data will often be readily available. You might even luck out and find they have just completed a relevant formal study (I’ve actually had this happen). The key is to figure out who you’re talking to and what’s important to them.

For example, a while back, I was contracted to develop a site for a large cardiology practice, but they didn’t want to sink a load of dough into research. A cursory look at the waiting room showed that the target was likely to be senior citizens. No big surprise there. That lead me to research computer usage by seniors on the AARP site. A quick keyword search lead me to a several other reports and articles on senior surfing habits. Here’s the resulting profile that when into my proposal:

“A typical user profile would be a senior female with limited computer confidence. Her computer is a Windows-based PC and her browser software is Internet Explorer. She’s most likely on a dial-up connection. More than likely, she hasn’t upgraded her browser software recently. She accesses the Internet for roughly 9 hours per week for e-mail and to search for information about various products and services of interest. She may have even made a few online purchases, but she is very concerned about her privacy being exploited by online enterprises.”

Short, sweet and to the point. The profile is something of a guiding overview. For detailed information, I just needed to go back to the research.

For some clients, your research may simply involve getting the names and numbers of a few key customers. Listening to them will yield a wealth of knowledge that will increase the effectiveness of your design and your value to your client or prospect. Most people will be happy to talk to you because it will ultimately help them. Be sure to respect their time. Always be sure to ask up front if it’s a good time to talk and let them know you’ll be brief. Who knows … you might even land a new client because they’re so impressed with your thoroughness!

What do you ask, though? Questions often center around whether they are familiar with my client’s company, their products, their literature and their competition. I’ll ask what product and/or service features are important. What are the benefits to them? Do they buy based on price? Or, is customer service more important? How do they get information prior to buying? Do they request brochures or visit the website? The questions differ from project to project. The project goals, that you learned when doing your prospect’s company research, will often dictate what you need to ask.

Often, you’ll start out with a premise or a belief only to find that things aren’t the way you thought at all. In the above cardiology example, I thought our target would have been male. The research showed otherwise. Even if the patient was the husband, it was more often the wife that would do the surfing and make the appointment with the doc. You know how guys are. We’re not famous for visiting a doctor unless we’re bleeding profusely or feel like an elephant’s dancing a jig on our chest. Plus, the statistics for heart disease in women (in the US) aren’t happy. I was stunned when I read the info. At any rate, that saved me from approaching the design from the wrong angle.

In profiling, you find the points that unify the audience. Beyond product/service feature and benefit needs and wants, you’ll often find demographic similarities. They may be primarily female, college educated, high income, similar age group, etc. When your prospect signs on the dotted line, your research will help you in selecting appropriate colors, fonts, images, etc. so your design connects with the audience. When you’re design connects, the audience is much more likely to take the desired action. That, in turn, makes you your client’s hero.

Until the next
Marketing Minute
all the best,
nt