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Ask most marketers what slows them down, and they’ll point to writing. In reality, writing is rarely the problem. Research is.
Weak research leads to weak messaging, generic campaigns and hours spent staring at a blank page trying to figure out what to say. Strong research, on the other hand, makes writing easier. When you understand your audience’s frustrations, desires, objections and language, the copy practically writes itself. The best marketers aren’t necessarily better writers. They’re better researchers.
Here are 10 ways to uncover the insights that lead to stronger marketing and higher-converting campaigns.
1. Start with customer surveys
If you want to know what customers care about, ask them. Customer surveys remain one of the most valuable sources of market intelligence because they reveal how buyers describe their problems in their own words. Those phrases often become the foundation of effective headlines, emails, landing pages and advertisements. If you’re working with a client, ask whether they already have survey data. If they don’t, consider interviewing customers directly or recommending a simple survey to gather insights. Nothing beats hearing from the people you’re trying to persuade.
2. Study your competitors obsessively
The fastest way to understand a market is to study the companies already winning in it. Pay attention to their offers, positioning, email sequences, social media content, advertisements, customer reviews and testimonials. While positive reviews reveal what customers value, negative reviews often reveal unmet expectations, frustrations and objections. You’re not looking to copy competitors. You’re looking to understand what resonates with buyers and where opportunities exist to differentiate.
3. Mine online communities for customer language
Some of the best research happens outside traditional market research reports. Reddit, Quora, industry forums and niche communities are filled with unfiltered conversations about what people want, fear, struggle with and aspire to achieve. Pay particular attention to repeated questions and recurring complaints. Patterns matter more than individual comments.
When the same concern appears repeatedly, you’ve likely uncovered an important customer insight.
4. Observe people in the real world
Great marketers are often great observers. Spend time paying attention to how people talk, what they complain about, what excites them and how they make decisions. A conversation overheard in a coffee shop can sometimes reveal more about human behavior than hours spent reading reports. The goal isn’t eavesdropping — it’s developing a deeper understanding of how people think and communicate. Marketing ultimately starts with human behavior.
Observing daily life happening around you is a great way to nail people’s problems, troubles, and concerns.
5. Look beyond your industry
Many marketers make the mistake of studying only their niche. The most creative ideas often come from outside it. Books, movies, documentaries and popular culture can expose you to new stories, emotional triggers, messaging angles and ways of framing ideas. A headline, metaphor, or subject line from an unexpected source can spark an entirely new campaign. Creativity is often the result of connecting ideas from different worlds.
6. Watch what industry leaders are saying
Platforms like YouTube and TikTok offer a direct line into what thought leaders and creators are discussing with their audiences. Pay attention not only to what they’re saying, but how they’re saying it. Notice the phrases they repeat, the questions they answer and the topics that generate engagement. The language your audience already responds to can help shape your own messaging.
7. Read broadly
Some of the best research doesn’t happen online. A well-chosen book can save hours of searching and provide a deeper understanding of a topic than dozens of articles.
Don’t limit yourself to books in your specific industry. Read about psychology, economics, leadership, history, storytelling, negotiation and consumer behavior. The broader your knowledge base, the more insights you’ll bring to your marketing. Curiosity is a competitive advantage.
8. Talk to people who live in the market
If you’re researching a new industry, start by finding people who already participate in it. A 15-minute conversation with a customer, enthusiast or industry insider can reveal motivations, frustrations and beliefs that would take hours to uncover through desk research alone. Sometimes the fastest path to understanding is simply asking better questions.
9. Use AI as a research assistant — not a replacement
AI has become one of the most useful research tools available to marketers. It can help summarize information, identify themes, generate questions, organize findings and accelerate analysis. But AI should support your thinking, not replace it. The quality of the output depends heavily on the quality of the prompts — and every insight should be verified before it’s used in a campaign. The marketers who gain the most from AI are those who combine it with strong human judgment.
10. Go directly to trusted sources
When researching health, finance, technology or other complex industries, credibility matters. Rather than relying solely on secondary sources, spend time with original research, academic studies and trusted institutions. Doing so not only improves accuracy but can also uncover unique data points and insights that competitors overlook. The strongest marketing often comes from combining compelling storytelling with credible evidence.
The bottom line
The biggest difference between average marketers and exceptional ones isn’t creativity — it’s understanding. When you invest time in research, you spend less time guessing. You uncover stronger angles, write more persuasive copy and create campaigns that connect with what customers actually care about. The next time you’re stuck staring at a blank page, don’t focus on writing better. Focus on researching better.
Ask most marketers what slows them down, and they’ll point to writing. In reality, writing is rarely the problem. Research is.
Weak research leads to weak messaging, generic campaigns and hours spent staring at a blank page trying to figure out what to say. Strong research, on the other hand, makes writing easier. When you understand your audience’s frustrations, desires, objections and language, the copy practically writes itself. The best marketers aren’t necessarily better writers. They’re better researchers.
Here are 10 ways to uncover the insights that lead to stronger marketing and higher-converting campaigns.
