Today’s groovy installment is about getting chummy with your audience. I’ve mentioned this before, I prefer the term “audience” to “market.” It just sounds all warm and fuzzy. “Market,” at least to me, has a wee bit of a distant, coldness to it. “Audience” also conveys the sense of presenting to people. When I think of “market,” I tend to picture fish. Must be a leftover from growing up on Long Island Sound.

Lots of folks - especially creative types - tend to let business happen to them. They take whatever come in the door, or jingles the phone or inbox. Operating this way tends to be reactive and not proactive. A better idea is to have a specific client type to focus in on. Doing so brings you one step closer to being the big fish in a small pond. (D’oh! There I go with the fish thing again.) Focusing, for instance, on particular industry allows you to develop a deeper understanding of the marketing environment, who the players are and what kinds of solutions work. It also helps to raise you up above the crowd and get your name known.

But, before all this wonderful stuff happens, it’s important to get to know your audience. Who are they? Where are they? What’s important to them? To find out, you’ll need to do some [gasp!] marketing research. With some relevant research in hand, you’ll be able to adjust your services and your promotional messages for a just right fit.

If you’re like most independent 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. Fear not! It’s not that bad. To follow are some ideas to get the nitty gritty on your target.

Hit the Library
The Research Librarian can be your best friend. They can point to to right resources where you can gather info about the size of your audience, who the major players are and even how much dough they drop each year. For instance, one hefty tome is the Index Guide To Advertisers (aka “The Red Book”). There’s also a companion volume - The Index Guide To Advertising Agencies, if you plan to work for the Darien Stevens’ out there. A decent size Library will have a variety of reference books and directories that list trade associations, companies, etc. Spend a day at your neighborhood Library and you’ll likely come away with a boat of prospects along with some juicy information about them.

Fire up your browser du jour
Poking around the web can yield a plethora (I just love that word) of information for you. Check company and trade association sites. Often, trade association sites will post survey results, industry trend and other useful information.

Speaking of surveys, how about conducting one of your own and offering the results to your clients and prospects? sites like SurveyMonkey.com and Zoomerang.com offer up both free and paid options.

Read the industry press. Research companies on sites like The Motley Fool and other investment related sites. You’ll get an idea if the industry is on the grow, taking some hits and such.

Google up some discussion groups and forums where your audience hangs out. But, don’t just lurk, get active. Scope out some questions people are asked where you can let your expertise shine, while being seen as such a helpful soul.

Until the next
Marketing Minute
all the best,
nt

In my last post I wrote about getting all chummy with your prospects. In this post I’ll address industry research, which is likely the easiest to do.

First, let’s talk reasoning. Why do industry research? It’s important to get a feel for what’s going on in a client or prospect’s industry, if you are to do a good job. You’ll want to learn what the trends are, common challenges, who the major players are, where your client or prospect fits in to the scheme of things and such. With this information under wing, you can not only talk intelligently with your client, your can also create a better design solution. Research and solutions based on facts is what graphic design is all about. Without it, it tends to be nothing more than graphic decoration. You’re better than that.

Your industry research can start at your initial meeting with the client or prospect. Make a point to ask them for industry press (and then read it). Ask them questions about what’s what in their industry. If there’s trade jargon you don’t quite get, ask what this or that means.

Next, fire up your favorite browser and start poke around the Web. Odds are, you’ll find loads of information. Visit trade association sites. They’re usually ripe with current trends and related information. If you have some dough to toss around, trade organizations often have fairly current research studies you can purchase. Sometimes they’re even free.

Google up some articles about the industry. Cruise over to industry consultant sites. Consultants will often have white papers and/or articles that will help you out. Also, consider calling some industry suppliers. They often have a finger on the industry’s pulse and know what’s really going on behind the scenes.

For more involved studies, the Internet offers several survey creation sites, such as Zoomerang.com and Surveymonkey.com. Both offer free surveys and paid options. When your budget allows, research studies, focus groups and such can be conducted by partnering with an outside firm.

Time invested in research will enable you to make confident design decisions. It provides a framework and helps to focus your thinking. Contrary to what some designers may think, research doesn’t stifle your creativity, it empowers it. Without it, you’re often shooting in the dark. Marketing research provides you with the ability to present your solutions and make a sound case for them. Any day of the week, that’ll beat, “Well, here are my designs. Ain’t they purdy?”

Next up, we’ll be addressing the audience, also known as your client’s end customer.

Until the next
Marketing Minute
all the best,
nt