Everyone is guilty of wanting to shout out our lungs without listening to the response. As children the drill used to be sitting in a circle, passing an object from person to person and only the individual holding the item was allowed to speak.

 

Today, consumers are bombarded with information, pitches, product placement, influencer opinions, digital and social media ads and all types of traditional advertising. It is important to gain frequency for your brand, but equally important is understanding what your consumers want.

 

Think about it. If you were selling red gloves and you built an entire campaign around red gloves and no one purchased your gloves, what would you do? Do you continue trying to sell until your consumer changes their mind? No, quite the opposite. You should ask them what they want. If they aren’t excited about red gloves, survey them. Ask them, do you like gloves or would you rather have mittens. Do you like red, or would blue be a more appealing color. Would your consumer enjoy a choice of gloves and mittens in a variety of colors even if they cost a little more – maybe, but you’d never know if you don’t ask.

 

Asking is amazingly simple in today’s marketplace. First, use tactics already in place to gain insight from your current consumers. Place a variety of polls and surveys through social media. If you have an e-newsletter (hint, you should!), ask your current list of consumers what they think about specific likes and dislikes. Finally, do not be afraid to get out on the street. Go to where your consumer-type might frequent and ask questions. Ten or less is best as most people do not have the patience for more. Also, try to incentivize their participation. A coupon, gift certificate or donation is sure to be enticing.

 

In the end, it is important to communicate with your consumer with a message that resonates. Messaging is important in order to increase your return on investment and operate in a leaner manner, increasing your profitability for the future.