Five Research Methods to Understand Your Audience
The magic of copywriting comes from empathy. Or, the writer’s ability to understand their reader. This skill comes naturally to some, but can be learned over time. Regardless of the natural level of empathy a writer may or may not have, the best way to learn about an audience is through research.
As an agency copywriter, here are some of the primary research methods I use after receiving a brief.
Customer Reviews: When writing about products, I love to hear what customers think first. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Especially if it’s a product I haven’t personally used before, the customer’s insight is (almost always) more valuable than my own.
Client Website Audit: I take a lay of the land to see what content already exists. Then, I elevate it to fit the task at hand. If a product has a specific voice, I study it, then transform the webpage into an ad. Or an email. Or whatever it is.
Vlogs: An interesting side-effect of the digital age, vlogs offer a great window into the customer perspective. I primarily write about RVs these days. Watching customers live, travel, complain, and rave about their vehicles gives me insight into the values of each product.
ChatGPT: Now, since AI has started telling people to eat rocks, I’ve significantly reduced my use of ChatGPT. But, when writing for a specific audience, I might ask a question like, “What do people consider before buying an overlanding vehicle?” ChatGPT puts all the info in one place, giving me a SparkNotes of consumer interest.
Competitor Review: It’s imperative to know how your client sits in their landscape. This is especially helpful if you’re still learning about a product. If your client is good, so are their competitors (most likely). Learning from competitors is how you find opportunities to elevate your client beyond the landscape.
Though there are endless ways to learn more about your readers, these are my top five methods. They are tested, tried, and true, and do the trick in tight timelines.
Plus, if we all took a little more time to understand each other better, the world would be a better place.
