How do you research leads' needs and wants?

1 Identify your ideal customer profile

Before you start researching your leads, you need to have a clear idea of who your ideal customer is. An ideal customer profile (ICP) is a description of the type of business or person that is most likely to benefit from your offer and become a loyal customer. You can create your ICP by using data from your existing customers, market research, industry reports, and your own expertise. Your ICP should include demographic, geographic, psychographic, and behavioral characteristics, as well as the goals, challenges, and pain points of your ideal customer.

2 Use online tools and platforms

Researching your leads' needs and wants can be aided by a variety of online tools and platforms. Google can be used to search for keywords, phrases, questions, and trends related to your niche and offer. Additionally, Google Analytics can track and analyze the behavior of website visitors to identify interests, preferences, and sources of traffic. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram are great for monitoring and engaging with leads and prospects. Social listening tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, or BuzzSumo can uncover what leads are talking about, what questions they have, what problems they face, and which influencers they follow. Furthermore, online forums and communities such as Quora, Reddit, Facebook groups, and industry-specific platforms can be utilized to find out what leads are asking, answering, and discussing. Joining these forums and communities can add value by providing insights, tips, and resources.

3 Conduct surveys and interviews

Another way to research your leads' needs and wants is to conduct surveys and interviews. Surveys and interviews allow you to collect direct feedback from your leads and prospects and understand their opinions, motivations, and expectations. You can use tools like SurveyMonkey, Typeform, or Google Forms to create and distribute online surveys. You can also use tools like Zoom, Skype, or Calendly to schedule and conduct online interviews. When creating your surveys and interviews, make sure to ask open-ended questions that encourage your leads to share their thoughts and feelings. You can also use incentives like discounts, freebies, or giveaways to increase your response rate.

4 Analyze your competitors

Finally, you can research your leads' needs and wants by analyzing your competitors. Your competitors are the other businesses or people that offer similar or alternative solutions to your leads. By studying your competitors, you can learn what they are doing well, what they are doing poorly, and what gaps they are leaving in the market. You can use tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, or SimilarWeb to analyze your competitors' websites, keywords, traffic, content, and backlinks. You can also use tools like SpyFu, Adbeat, or Facebook Ad Library to analyze your competitors' ads, headlines, copy, and offers.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?