Market research, I’ve come to learn, has a way of keeping you on your toes. It’s a constantly changing organism, with something new to learn or try out almost weekly. And while this is one of the great things about the field, it also means you can forget about the basics. There may be things you thought you knew, but at some point they left your brain to make room for something new!
This realization led me to literally type “market research for beginners” into Google recently. I was instantly bombarded with information (some of it rudimentary at best, and some of it implying that the word “beginner” can be a matter of interpretation), but one article that stuck out to me was entitled “Five Hints and Tips for Writing Market Research Reports that Get Read” from marketresearchforbeginners.com. And then, suddenly, it hit me—that’s what we’re here to do! A fact I have always known, but hadn’t necessarily thought about in a while. Research itself is wonderful, but you must find a way to get someone to actually read (and then trust) your insights.
Here is the article’s five Hints and Tips, each with my own quick commentary included:
1. Know your audience – This may sound obvious, but remember who is going to be reading your report. That means everyone, but be particularly aware of who will be the “main user” of what you’re writing. Be sure to focus in on their specific needs.
2. Refer back to your market research objectives – If I’m writing a particularly long report, I like to post my objectives somewhere so that I can see them multiple times a day. Yes, they look pretty on that one beginning slide, but sometimes constant reminders are necessary.
3. Grab your reader’s attention up front – Again, this may seem obvious, but I think the key here is the words “up front.” Think about who will read your report (see tip #1!) and acknowledge that you may only have one or two slides to get someone’s attention. Try different headlines, texts, or visual elements until you find what works best.
4. Keep it simple – Make sure your writing is clear, and remember that sometimes less is more!
5. Get someone else to read through the report before presenting it to stakeholders or customers — I find that this helps with #4 too. If a colleague doesn’t understand what you mean, then no one else will either. In addition, a fresh set of eyes can bring new life and creativity to your report, which will help you grab others’ attention and hold it.
That’s it! Pretty simple tips, but often forgotten about. Try to keep them in mind the next time you are working on a report, and remember that going back to basics is an important part of being as valuable as you can be in the market research industry.
To check out the full article, click here.