Market Research You Can Actually Do — On Your Phone

Marketing From X 2 Z: Digital marketing strategy and tips to help you grow your small business

Market research doesn’t have to be expensive or intimidating. Mike (branding/web) and Liz (social strategy) break down practical ways small businesses can validate ideas, learn what customers actually want, and turn insights into better messaging—without big reports or pricey tools.

You’ll learn

• Why assumptions cost money and how lightweight research closes the gap
• Fast, low-cost methods: Instagram polls, short site forms, simple email surveys, in-room paper slips
• Where to look online: platform trend reports, “People also ask” on Google, Reddit/Quora threads
• What to ask: open, non-leading questions that surface useful detail
• How to test messages quickly with social analytics, email open/click data, and small A/B tests
• When to do it: quarterly tune-ups, before new offers launch, and whenever signals shift

Quick wins

• Add one open question to your contact form: “What nearly kept you from working with us?”
• Post a one-question poll to your most active social channel
• Use Google’s “People also ask” to collect 10 real questions about your topic
• Send a 3-question email survey to recent customers and offer a small thank-you
• Pick one message to test this week and judge it on a single metric (opens, clicks, saves, or replies)

Key takeaway

Start small, ask real questions, and let the answers guide your next move. You don’t need a giant study—you need consistent signals you can act on.