3 Ways To Use Stories For Customer Research

Business, Marketing

Are you up for a challenge that will boost your social media engagement and get engagement with potential customers… oh, and it’s FREE?!  

>>Here’s your challenge: show your face on Instagram Stories every single day for 5 days in a row to conduct market research for your audience.<<

A lot of business owners use Instagram Stories to show the behind-the-scenes of their day and relate to their audience by sharing their meals, pets, children, workout routines, and more. This is a wonderful way to utilize them because these 15-second photo or video clips are truly one of the BEST ways to connect with your followers. 

Stories offer a real-time and personal approach to engage with your audience, and they now allow multiple ways for that audience to engage with you (such as commenting via direct message, and responding to questions, polls, and sliders).

When a viewer takes an action (watches your Stories, sends you a direct message, shares your Story, etc.), this engaging behavior shows the algorithm that they want to see more of your content. 

>>This means your posts and Stories will be bumped up on the priority list in their feed which increases the likelihood of more engagement… which is exactly what we want!<< 

Stories for Market Research

In case you still aren’t convinced, let me sweeten the deal with this statistic: Over 500 million Instagram users watch Stories every single day!  

That number alone is enough to prove just how many people you can connect with by posting photos or videos to your Stories.

Using this feature to reach your audience can massively uplevel your business. And since they’re only viewable for 24 hours, they are a great tool to conduct market research about what your followers want to see more of on your feed and in Reels. 

To get your wheels turning, here are 3 ways you can use Instagram Stories to conduct market research!

Learn About Your Audience

Learn about their demographics, what they like, and what they don’t like by asking them questions, sharing quizzes and encouraging them to answer questions via polls. 

For example, if you are a wedding planner you could ask your audience:

  • How long they’ve been engaged
  • What kind of vendors they’re looking for
  • Or what questions they have about the wedding planning process (to use for future content ideas).

If you own a coffee shop, you could poll your audience on:

  • Their favorite beverages
  • What they like to pair with their morning coffee to inspire new menu items
  • Or what’s more important to them in a coffee shop: quiet and wifi, or decor and the freedom to chat. 

Gathering this information in a fun way on your Instagram Stories can make a huge difference in your business!

Test A New Idea

If you haven’t started a business yet or you’re looking to add a new product or service to your lineup, you can use Instagram Stories to “test” your idea before investing too much time, energy, and money into it. 

Here are some examples:

If you want to start a blog, you could ask your existing audience for:

  • Suggestions on topics they’d like to hear about from you
  • Days of the week they’re most likely to read your posts
  • Or who their favorite bloggers are so you can get inspiration from them.

If you are a graphic designer, and want to add website design onto your logo design services, you could poll your audience on: 

  • Whether or not they have a need for this service
  • If they’d prefer it to be standalone or part of a package
  • Or what platforms they’d like their website on. 

What I love about this way to conduct market research is that not only is it benefiting YOU, but when you finally release the business, product, or service, your audience will feel like they had a hand in developing it – which is a great way to build relationships with them!

Discover What Content To Create

My favorite way to conduct market research using Instagram Stories is to gain insight on what your ideal customer wants to see and consume. 

>>Whether you have an audience of 50, 500, or 5,000, it’s always a great idea to regularly poll your audience on what they want to see more of.<< 

In the past, I’ve asked my audience if they want to see more lifestyle or business content, nail art or social media marketing, family or work, and their answers have helped me shape my content into exactly what my ideal customer would like to see: a lot of business, with a little lifestyle mixed in. 

So there you have it: three ways to conduct market research using Instagram Stories. If you’re just getting started with Instagram Stories, download my Instagram Stories Checklist. It will walk you through everything you need to know to start making your Stories like a pro! Click >>HERE,<< then start creating!