| Research might be the foundation of marketing, | | | | see changed if they had a choice. With an |
| but how is one to go about performing this | | | | approach like this you can be better positioned to |
| research, and what kind of results are they going | | | | figure out what your competition’s weak |
| to get? One of the most in depth forms of | | | | spots are and figure out the best ways to |
| research you can do involves using a survey | | | | improve upon them. |
| group, but make no mistake, there are concerns | | | | Now, what are the drawbacks to this kind of |
| to consider as well. | | | | approach? The first is the greater costs involved |
| What exactly is a survey group? This is when | | | | with it. You have to not only gather people |
| you get together a group of people that | | | | together but find someone to run the survey |
| represent your targeted audience where you can | | | | group and find a good place to hold it. All of this |
| directly ask them questions about what they | | | | will cost more than you would spend just printing |
| think. You have the ability to talk with them and | | | | up surveys for people to take. |
| have them expand on answers they give. They | | | | The other problem is the limited number of people |
| can ask you questions just as much as you can | | | | you can get information from. Yes, you will get |
| ask questions to them, and this ability to go back | | | | better information from each of them, but if you |
| and forth allows you to expand on answers they | | | | don’t have a diverse enough crowd than you |
| give to find out the most information. | | | | aren’t going to be certain that you’re |
| You can engage into brochure printing or other | | | | getting the full picture. After all, you’re only |
| marketing material production to these kinds of | | | | getting information from people willing to take |
| groups in order to ask them what they think. This | | | | part in a survey group, and do you know that this |
| way you have a better way of understanding if | | | | is going to be exactly the same as what |
| the marketing you’re doing will actually target | | | | everyone else thinks? |
| the audience that you’re hoping for. Of | | | | Survey groups are best used when you need to |
| course, survey groups can also be put to good | | | | find out a lot of information about something. You |
| use before you ever start making advertising of | | | | might use a survey group as your first step in |
| your own, and act as a means of gathering | | | | your research in order to better refine your |
| information when your company is just starting. | | | | future survey methods. The survey group |
| Consider forming a survey group before you | | | | removes the need to interpret the data because |
| start up your marketing and ask them about | | | | the people are literally there to explain what they |
| what they think of the competition’s | | | | think. If you have the money for it, I would |
| marketing. Show sample brochures or postcards | | | | suggest at least trying to put together a survey |
| made by the competition and ask the people | | | | group, and benefit from the unique information |
| what they like and what they would prefer to | | | | this approach grants you. |