Written by: Jamie Caroccio, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Have you been putting off creating content because you don’t know what your audience wants or needs to hear? On average, only about 20% of your content gets read, you don’t want to waste effort and energy writing a 1500-word article nobody’s going to read. The solution? It’s insanely simple and much less work than you think. But most coaches and consultants won’t do it.
If you don’t know what your people want ‒ ask! The only way to know what will motivate your audience to click, open, read, share, and ultimately buy is by asking them what they need and want. The best way to do that? Is through market research.
How to Conduct Simple Market Research to Make Your Content More Relevant
1. List 5-10 ideal clients.
They can be past clients, current clients, or connections from your network. The important thing here is that they’re your ideal clients. The insights you acquire from your research will form the foundation of your content, which will help you attract more of that type of person, so make sure it’s the type you want to work with!
2. Reach out to request a quick interview.
Position your ask as beneficial to both parties. There are a couple of ways you can do this. The first is to share that you’re writing an article and ask if they want to contribute. An article feature will give them increased visibility and publicity. Or, you can offer a brief coaching session in exchange for their time.
I prefer the article approach (it’s the perfect way to start creating more content). Here’s a done-for-you message for the article option:
Hey [name], I’m working on something & thought of you. I’m looking to interview a few [ideal clients] on their top struggles with [what you help people with] for an article I’m writing. Would you be interested in contributing? It’d only require about a 15 min convo. There’s no pitch; I’m simply doing this for market research. Please let me know ‒ thanks!
Be sure to let them know there will be no pitch. People are much more likely to respond – and say yes – if they know it will not be a sales call they didn’t request. Once they respond and say yes, get them on the calendar immediately.
3. Conduct the interviews.
Remember, this is not the time to pitch your services. If this process is done right, you’ll have an opportunity to do that later, but it’s time to fulfill what you promised – conducting a short interview. You can set up a separate call if they ask about your services.
Ask these questions:
What are your top 3 frustrations regarding [what you help clients with]?
What’s your 1 goal for [what you help clients with]?
What kind of [what you help with] support have you hired in the past? What was your experience like?
Have you been burned by any experts, programs, etc., before?
What is your big vision for your life? For your business?
4. Create content based on what you learn.
Once you collect insights from your interviews using the questions above, you should have a clear idea of what your ideal client is struggling with, what they want, and what’s holding them back.
Now you can create content on those topics. Be sure to follow through and write the article. You can tag them when it goes live and thank them for contributing. This way their network will see it too!
This article was inspired by an interview I conducted with a client following this process.
One of his top frustrations? Not knowing how to create content his audience actually wants and needs to hear.
When you actively listen to what your ideal clients have to say, they essentially write your copy for you.
But you have to be listening. This is a simple, highly effective process. But again, most won’t do it. Does it take a little time upfront? Yes, but less than you think. The hardest part is always getting started. Once you do it, you’ll wonder why you waited so long.
Don’t waste your time creating content nobody wants to read.
Ask your audience. You might be surprised to see what you learn.
To learn more of my best tips to transform boring, bland copy into tasty treats customers crave in just 5 minutes a day, sign up for my free Coffee & Copy Tips ☕📝.
Jamie Caroccio, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Jamie Caroccio is a Copy Coach & Copywriter. She helps coaches attract more high-end clients online with copywriting that is simple, fun, and profitable. Over the past 7+ years, she’s worked with hundreds of coaches across industries (business, executive, health, leadership, and more.) She’s helped write copy for six and seven-figure campaigns at one of the top marketing agencies in the personal and professional development space. She was a guest speaker for the Be Social Change Future of Social Impact Marketing panel. She’s also the Founder of “Coffee & Copy Tips,” a free newsletter that teaches you how to write better copy in just 5 minutes a day.
