Research Quick Tip … 3 Internet Resources for Getting Inside Your Prospect’s Head … Fast
Knowing your audience is key to the success of any promotion you write. You have to know what gets them excited, what makes them mad, what they dream about, what their hopes are, what makes them laugh. All these things can help you write a promotion that is more personal, more timely, and more likely to get a response.
The way you go about getting this knowledge is through research. As Nick pointed out last week, the days of relying on a client brief are over. With the Internet, you can get a much deeper insight into the minds of the people you’re targeting. Here are three places you should look online to get to know your prospects … and their thoughts about what you’re selling.
User Forums: No matter what market you’re writing for, there are bound to be forums that cater to it. Find those forums and spend some time reading what the people there have to say. You’ll discover all sorts of angles you might not have considered.
For example, if you were writing for Acura, the automobile manufacturer, you’d be remiss not to visit their forum and find out what actual Acura drivers have to say about their cars.
Review Sites: Like forums, there are review sites for everything. Check them out for the product or service you are writing for. If it’s not there, read reviews about similar products or services. You’ll learn a lot.
Amazon.com is a great site to find reviews about everyday items. If you’re writing sales copy about a coffeepot, for example, a quick visit to Amazon can reveal what users love and hate about that particular product. As an added bonus, you can learn about your competition while you’re there.
Check Out Relevant Blogs: A Web log, or blog, is like an online, public diary. Many blogs are narrowly focused on a single topic. Look around for those that relate to your product or service. Again, you are bound to uncover a lot of relevant and useful information about what makes your audience tick.
If you’re writing about a weight-loss supplement, for example, you might get some interesting insights into the motivations of dieters at a blog like www.be-slim.blogspot.com or www.weight-loss-story.blogspot.com.
This kind of research helps you know your prospect better – and that can only mean better results from your writing. Try it out for your next promotion.
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