Market Research: How-to articles covering the latest marketing tactics, tips, and strategies.

• More Data Does Not Equal Better InsightsLaura Patterson
  We're drowning in data. We generate it from our own activity or research; we collect and capture tons more from external sources. But action doesn't always follow collection. And more ...
  Customer Insight, Data, Market Research, Measurement, Metrics
• Three Key Ways to to Help Your Business Find '2X' Profit GrowthJeanne Hurlbert
  Many companies turn to newer, hotter media and technology when they want to increase profits. But being successful isn't about tech; it's about effectively engaging customers. Here are three ways ...
  Case Studies, Customer Engagement, Customer Relationships, Market Research, Marketing Tips, Sales
• Marketing and IT: Big Data an Obstacle, an Opportunity, and Key to Customer-Centricity
  Though frequently at odds, marketing and IT executives agree that harnessing Big Data is imperative to building a customer-centric corporate culture; they also agree that a lack of alignment, rigid ...
  B2C, Business Intelligence, Chief Marketing Officer, Customer-Centric, Customer Insight, Data, Management, Market Research, Marketing Challenges, Measurement
• Expand Your Market and Audience: Use the 'Idea Graph'Ian Lurie
  Your "marketing universe" contains everyone you can sell to; you must expand it, or your business will stagnate. Even if you build a receptive, high-conversion audience, but then can't increase ...
  Advertising, B2C, Business Intelligence, Customer Acquisition, Customer Insight, Demographics, Digital Theory, Lead Generation, Market Research, Retail Marketing
• Data-Rich and Insight-Poor [Infographic]Verónica Maria Jarski
  To find out how businesses are handling the deluge of information that's become available to them, Infogroup Targeting Solutions and Yesmail Interactive sponsored a study, then produced an infographic to ...
  Customer Behavior, Customer Insight, Data, Google Analytics, Market Research, Survey Data, Surveys
• How to Conduct Focus Groups: Seagate's ExampleJonathan Long
  Seagate, a leading provider of hard drives and storage solutions, realized that they knew very little about a very big target market: college students. So it conducted focus groups to ...
  B2C, Brand Awareness, Consumer Electronics, Customer Behavior, Customer Insight, Feedback, Market Research, Millennials, Product Marketing, Research
• A Market Research Survey on a Shoestring Budget: How I Did ItAsh Moosa
  I'm a solo-preneur and a guy, and I run a women's jewelry and accessories store. I needed data to understand women's jewelry-buying habits. So I designed a survey, ran a ...
  B2C, Blogging, Customer Acquisition, Customer Insight, E-Commerce, Market Research, Promotions, Research, Retail Marketing, Surveys
• Measure and Maximize the Impact of Online Activity on Offline SalesDoug Miller
  Measurability is the battle cry of every digital marketer. The challenge is how to decide which measurements make sense based on campaign objectives. The ultimate challenge is how to optimize ...
  Customer Acquisition, Customer Behavior, Data, E-Commerce, Lead Generation, Market Research, Measurement, Metrics, Online Marketing, Product Marketing
• Join the LinkedIn Party: Five Tips for Using LinkedIn Groups EffectivelyMatt Haskell
  If you are on LinkedIn to really connect with people, LinkedIn Groups is where the party is. But to get the most out of LinkedIn Groups, you need to learn ...
  B2B Marketing, Community, Customer Acquisition, Customer Engagement, Feedback, Lead Generation, LinkedIn, Market Research, Research, Sales
• Five Ways Marketers Can Boost the ROI of Big DataScott Bailey
  Big Data, applied to marketing, is transforming how marketers in myriad industries attempt to reach consumers. But achieving meaningful returns from Big Data investments can be an elusive goal. Here ...
  Digital Theory, Forecasts, Market Research, Measurement, Metrics, ROI

Market Research: Podcasts containing in-depth interviews with smart marketers from all walks of life.

• The Truth Is Unscripted: Adele Revella Talks Buyer Personas on Marketing Smarts [Podcast]by Matthew Grant
  "Buyer personas don't work if you make stuff up," Adele Revella told me during this week's episode of Marketing Smarts. "They work if you listen to customers first." But to gather real, actionable customer intelligence, you need to talk to ...
  Customer Behavior, Customer Insight, Demographics, Market Research, Marketing Smarts, Research, Sales
• The Changing Agency/Client Relationship: Glenn Engler Talks to Marketing Smarts [Podcast]by Matthew Grant
  Senior-level marketers don't seem to believe their digital partners are adequately extending their service capabilities in the digital age. So how does an agency demonstrate that it "gets" digital? Glenn Engler, CEO of Digital Influence Group, answers that question in ...
  Chief Marketing Officer, Digital Marketing, Market Research, Marketing Smarter, Marketing Smarts, Podcasting, Social Media

Market Research: Online seminar broadcasts from the best minds in marketing

• Ten Best Practices for Performing Competitive TeardownsBroadcast on 7/26/2012 with Sean Campbell
  You'll learn the do's and don'ts of acquiring competitors' solutions, methods to perform the teardown effectively and fairly, and how you can use the results to improve your marketing and sales collateral.
  Benchmarking, Brand Management, Brand Positioning, Market Research, Marketing Strategy, Positioning, Product Management
• Sales Messaging That Closes the DealBroadcast on 6/21/2012 with Tim Riesterer
  Discover how to develop content marketing messages that help your salespeople close the deal and convince prospects to choose you.
  Collaboration, Content, Content Marketing, Customer Relationships, Market Research, Marketing Strategy, Marketing Tips, Sales, Value Propositions, Writing
• MarketingProfs University: Understanding and Engaging Today’s Connected BuyerBroadcast on 6/7/2012 with Tony Zambito
  This PRO seminar and first class of MarketingProfs University's Digital Advertising Academy will get you inside the minds of your buyers and cover why understanding them is the first step to successful branding, marketing, and demand generation.
  Advertising, Brand Awareness, Brand Management, Customer Behavior, Customer Engagement, Customer Relationships, Customer Satisfaction, Demographics, Market Research, Marketing Tips
• Cognitive Surplus: How Sharing and Collaboration Can Benefit Marketers in a Connected AgeBroadcast on 4/19/2012 with Clay Shirky
  In this seminar, Clay Shirky will show you how to tap into your customers' cognitive surplus by providing a platform for customer collaboration—and how this collaboration can turn into big positive results for your business. Plus you'll discover how you, as a marketer, can become more valuable to your company through the insights you gain by fostering this collaboration.
  Collaboration, Community, Customer Behavior, Customer Engagement, Customer Relationships, Digital Theory, Market Research, Marketing Inspiration, Marketing Tips, Metrics
• Accelerating Sales with Competitive IntelligenceBroadcast on 5/19/2011 with Sean Campbell, Scott Swigart
  Sean Campbell and Scott Swigart explain how you can obtain clear and correct competitive insights (on a moment's notice)—and then use that information to strengthen to your marketing and business plans, and accelerate sales growth.
  Market Research, Marketing Strategy, Sales, Social Media
• Get to Know Your Customers: Connecting Market Research to Business GrowthBroadcast on 8/5/2010 with Bill Alberti
  Learn how to frame market research in terms of profitable impact. You'll discover how to establish the connection between using research to understand your customers and improved business performance.
  Customer Behavior, Market Research, Marketing Tips, Measurement, ROI, Value Propositions
• Demolish the Roadblocks on Your Website: Clearing a Path for Customer Action, Sales and LoyaltyBroadcast on 1/21/2010 with Gerry McGovern
  Traditional marketing is about getting attention. Web marketing is about giving attention. There’s a world of difference between the two.
  Benchmarking, Management, Market Research, Marketing Budgets, Social Media, Website Design, Websites
• The Naked Truth: Insights from Our Social Media Marketing ResearchBroadcast on 1/14/2010 with Tim McAtee, Roy Young
  Get the Full Monty on what 5,140 marketers are doing with social media in this look at our newest research results.
  Benchmarking, Management, Market Research, Marketing Smarter, Social Media
• Monetizing the Long Tail of Search: Rethink Your Keyword StrategyBroadcast on 11/12/2009 with Avinash Kaushik
  He's back! The maven of Search and Web Analytics returns to tip you off to secrets of getting found on the Web.
  Keywords, Market Research, Measurement, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engines, SEO
• Marketing in an Economic MeltdownBroadcast on 10/10/2008 with Michael Goodman
  Everyone is buzzing about the U.S. economic mess, but are you simply wondering how your business should react?  Come hear the smart moves that six highly-regarded marketers think you should make—and dumb moves to avoid.
  Customer Retention, Economic Crisis, Lead Generation, Market Research, Marketing Strategy, Marketing Tips, Public Relations

Market Research: Tutorials — tactical marketing know-how in just 10 minutes from subject matter experts

• Take 10: How to Gather Competitive Intelligence from Q&A ForumsReleased on 4/29/2011 with Scott Swigart
  In this Take 10, competitive intelligence expert Scott Swigart tells you which Q&A sites are prime spots for unearthing a mother lode of information on your competition and how best to stake your claim.
  Community, Market Research, Marketing Tips, Take 10, Thought Leadership
• Take 10: How to Reverse Engineer Your Competitors’ Customer ListReleased on 4/15/2011 with Scott Swigart
  In this Take 10 webcast, competitive intelligence expert Scott Swigart explains how you can gather data from a variety of public information sources, such as Google and LinkedIn, and then connect the dots to gain insight into who your competition's customers actually are.
  Google, Job Search, LinkedIn, Market Research, Social Media, Take 10
• Take 10: Discover What Your Competition is Worried (and Excited) AboutReleased on 1/7/2011 with Scott Swigart
  Let competitive intelligence expert Scott Swigart show you the way as he explains which sources to tap, what types of information to look for, and how to corroborate your findings when researching publicly traded companies.
  Market Research, Marketing Analytics, Measurement, Take 10
• Take 10: Google Tools the Pros Use for Advanced Competitive ResearchReleased on 12/10/2010 with Sean Campbell
  Take a quick tour of the advanced Google tools the pros use to guide their online research, gather insight on competitors, and get a solid read on the state of the industry in this Take 10 presentation by market research specialist Sean Campbell.
  Google, Keywords, Market Research, Measurement, Metrics, Take 10, Web Analytics
• Take 10: Using LinkedIn Company Pages for Networking and ProspectingReleased on 11/26/2010 with Jason Alba
  Find out why Companies is LinkedIn expert Jason Alba's second favorite feature as he explains where to go on LinkedIn to find key data and how to use it for networking and prospecting.
  Brand Loyalty, Lead Generation, LinkedIn, Market Research, Networking, Take 10
• Take 10: Dig up the Good Stuff About Your Competitors Using GoogleReleased on 11/19/2010 with Sean Campbell
  In this Take 10 webcast, market research specialist Sean Campbell outlines some of the basic search modes you can use to save time and push the good stuff to the top.
  Google, Market Research, Take 10, Websites
• Take 10: Using Twitter as a Competitive Research ToolReleased on 10/22/2010 with Sean Campbell
  Find out how the competitive intelligence experts make the best use of their time on Twitter in this short, 10-minute presentation by Sean Campbell.
  Keywords, Market Research, Marketing Tips, Research, Search Engines, Take 10, Twitter

Market Research: Marketing downloads for the busy professional

• Marketing Automation Management: Basics and Best Practices
  Marketing automation can have a big impact on your sales and marketing efforts. Learn the ins and outs of marketing automation capabilities, how to make the best use of them, and resources for selecting the best system for you with MarketingProfs' Marketing Automation Management: Basics and Best Practices guide.
  Case Studies, Collaboration, CRM, Lead Generation, Market Research, Marketing Tips, Sales
• LinkedIn Success Stories
  LinkedIn is used by 55 million professionals as a place to network, trade advice, and demonstrate business expertise. See how 11 companies, including PR firms, advertising agencies, and software companies, are using LinkedIn to show expertise, generate leads, and conduct research.
  Case Studies, LinkedIn, Market Research, Marketing Tips, Social Networking, Thought Leadership
• A Step-by-Step Guide to a Social Media Program: Everything you need to know about establishing your strategy, policy and team
  The adage “think before you speak” has now become “think before you write.” In this age of instant messaging, businesses need to wield their online words thoughtfully. Check out MarketingProfs “A Step-by-Step Guide to a Successful Social Media Program” to learn how to create your social media strategy, policy and team.
  Case Studies, Collaboration, Customer Engagement, Management, Market Research, Marketing Plans, Marketing Strategy, Social Media
• Customer-Centric Innovation: How Companies Engage Customers in Product Development and Radical Innovation
  Engaging your customers can help increase satisfaction, loyalty, and brand awareness. This research report will help you understand the role of customers in product development.
  Customer Advisory Programs, Customer-Centric, Market Research, Product Management
• B-to-B Marketing in 2008: Trends in Strategies and Spending
  MarketingProfs research provides B2B marketers guidance for making budget and media mix allocations by exploring the issues and emerging trends in 2008.
  B2B Marketing, Economic Crisis, Market Research, Marketing Budgets
• Small Biz How-To Guide: Market Research
  Need to learn about your customers without the big price tag of market research firms? This guide on do-it-yourself market research will help you get the information you need to position your business without emptying the corporate coffers.
  Market Research, Measurement, Metrics, Small Business
• Online Research How-To Guide
  Set clear objectives and a realistic scope to online research projects. These are just two of the steps that this comprehensive, step-by-step planning guide will help you to accomplish to insure your online research results in the most relevant and useful information possible.
  Market Research, Measurement, Online Marketing, Surveys, Testing
• Market Forecasting Template
  This guide will give you a mini-seminar on the art and the science of forecasting. Learn the four different ways to create forecasting models and choose the ones that best suit your needs. Then follow these easy-to-follow steps to creating a model where you too can predict the future.
  Market Research, Measurement, Metrics
• Benchmark Report : Marketing ROI (Year 2)
  This 2006 survey, the second annual ROI study, demonstrates that companies are definitely getting the ROI message. This study shows a significant increase in the number of companies that have implemented some form of Marketing ROI measurements. And let's face it, Marketing ROI is here to stay. Jim Lenskold says, "Marketing ROI will continue to be a priority as long as maximizing profits is a priority for corporations." Well said, Jim.
  Advertising, Market Research, Marketing Analytics, Measurement, ROI
• Competitive Analysis Template
  A thorough competitive analysis is a critical component of a solid marketing plan. It is an exercise that will provide you with valuable insights to guide the development of your business strategy. This 20-page template will make the project quick and easy, and you can end up with a leg up on your compeition.
  Benchmarking, Market Research, Measurement