Small Business Marketing Workshop - Part 4

In Part 3 of the marketing workshop, I asked you to somehow come up with data about consumer behaviors as they relate to your product, and adjust your answers from part 2.  If somebody told me to do this 10 year ago, I would think they were out of their mind.  Basically, I'm telling you to do something that you may have no idea how to do.  Here are some ways you can come up with data for this assignment:

1. Do a Google search
   See if there is any information you can find in articles or on websites about your product.  You are looking for factual data about consumer behaviors.  They may be hidden so you will have to look.  If something references a survey or study, then the survey or study is factual.
   
   
2. Directly
   You could "...call people on the phone, talk to people face to face, send [emails], send a letter through the mail, assemble people in a group and talk to them..." (http://money.howstuffworks.com/market-research1.htm)
    
3. Online Surveys
   There is all sorts of information on http://www.surveymonkey.com/ about doing surveys and they will allow you to set up your survey for free.  Then you find people willing to be surveyed and send them to this site.  You could also set up a survey on your web site or blog.
   
   
4. You Could Buy Research
   I talked about a web site called http://www.marketresearch.com that sells primary research on various subjects.  It is very pricey so personally I would avoid going this route.  If you're like me, you have 10 family members or friends you can interview instead of spending $3,000, but it is an option.
   
   
5. You Could Measure It Or Observe It
   This article discusses high-tech tools for observing and measuring consumer behaviors: http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/rob-tannen/designing-humans/three-high-tech-tools-understanding-consumer-behavior.  Rather than asking people questions about their attitudes about a product, you actually observe people or measure people relating to the product.  You can do this via web site information or hang out at the Target and watch people buy similar products.  There are many other ways to measure or observe that are only limited by your imagination.

I am going to give you an extension on collecting data until I post part 5 to give you more of a chance to actually complete the assignment.  Then we will talk about applying the information you've gathered.

Next step:

• Part 5 - Writing Your Marketing Plan 

Other useful articles:

• Marketing 101 For Small Business 
• How To Create More Demand 
• About Demographics 
• Free Advertising 
• The Use of Loss Leaders, Discounts, and Promotionals

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