Is your brand’s internal team currently in charge of its own marketing research? With tight profit margins and constant pressure from stakeholders, it’s easy to see why many companies – especially those that are small but still growing – would prefer to complete their market research in-house. The trouble is, DIY market research is prone to DIY research mistakes, and some of them come with major repercussions.
The Sneaky Pitfalls of DIY Brand Research
All too often, brands reach out to (human)x for support after their internal market research has crashed and burned. Even the most well-intentioned marketing teams can underestimate the complexity of designing proper, effective research elements, which results in poor sampling, biased questions, and misinterpreted or overlooked data. In the hustle and bustle of launching campaigns, it’s also easy (though costly) to overlook ethical obligations. The trouble is, many brands don’t recognize their DIY research mistakes until these errors have already cost precious time and money. In short, lack of research expertise leads to flawed results. Here are some pitfalls to watch out for:
If you’re committed to DIYing your market research, don’t let these mistakes put you off. To help your company avoid the many pitfalls of DIY market research, we’ve compiled a checklist your internal team can work through that will help ensure research best practices are in place and all your efforts yield the best possible results. Let’s dive in.
Universal DIY Market Research Tips
No matter the size or scope of your company, these market research tips can help your brand avoid common DIY research mistakes like biased or poorly written survey questions or incomplete data analysis and move toward positive outcomes with these research best practices. We know a simple Google search could yield similar instructions, but Google pages aren’t always right, and they’re definitely not backed by decades of firsthand experience. The market research tips here, however? They are our tried-and-true methods of achieving accurate, thorough, goal-driven success for brands across the globe.
- Customize every research opportunity. As much as you might want to create a set-it-and-forget-it research methodology, this is not the time for a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, tailor each market research opportunity to the full scope of every project, carefully considering your budget, approach, and consumer demographics. Then apply the most relevant research tactics to avoid insight gaps and misleading results.
- Set trends instead of following them. There’s certainly a time and place for traditional market research, but because methodologies are constantly evolving, your approach needs to as well. Innovate and try new DIY market research techniques on a daily basis to keep pace with new developments. Consider adding modern systems like gamification, online dashboarding, and mobile app surveys to stay ahead of the curve.
- Develop screeners around consumer demographics. What are the key psychographics and behaviors that apply to your target audiences? Only after you’ve defined your key constituents and their wants and needs can you develop a proper screener that narrows your respondents to your top matches.
- Create clear, unbiased survey questions. To reduce biased wording as much as possible, decide ahead of time the wording you’ll use, the order of questions you’ll ask, and the types of answer options for best results. Spending time on questions now rather than rushing them at the last minute will lead to smoother DIY market research execution, more accurate data, and higher-validity results.
- Gather a large-enough sample. The necessary sample size for market research depends on your study’s goals and its target population. In general, a sample size of 300 to 400 participants will yield accurate market research results. However, even larger samples might be preferred for more complex analyses and to reduce the margin of error.
- Remember these focus group tips. After years of hosting focus groups, (human)x recommends these focus group tips: Create a comfortable environment, clearly define group goals, establish ground rules, use open-ended questions, probe for insights, facilitate participation, and keep discussions focused.
- Don’t forget to monitor data quality. Did you know that nearly 25% of gathered research data has to be discarded because of interference from generative AI and bots? You can decrease your amount of unusable data by asking open-ended questions and then implementing manual data checks to sift out poor or automated responses.
- Conduct detailed subgroup analyses for full-picture results. The trouble with DIY market research analysis is that you often can’t see what you’re missing – and if you’re not careful, you could miss a lot. DIYers tend to focus on data among total respondents but forget about data among subgroups. And, if the survey platform you’re using offers limited outputs, you likely need a more comprehensive analysis tool that can dig deeper.
Ditch the Market Research Stress With a (human)x Partnership
If the stress of DIY market research has you scrambling for a new solution, (human)x is your cutting-edge answer. Our dedicated team has condensed years of market research methods into actionable insights for brands just like yours. We break through the digital clutter to create real connections between your business and your audience. Our creatives function as data interpreters, collecting and analyzing market research insights to craft provocative campaigns that touch the very hearts of your target consumers.
Our PhD-led, in-house (human)x team is continually testing, challenging, and questioning outcomes to make sure our clients see the best possible results and achieve the growth they deserve. Reach out today for a (human)x consultation to see how our research best practices can be customized to your brand.
