Why qualitative research is key to building your content strategy.

Give the people what they want!’ they say. Right? Wrong. Give the people what they need.

As content creators, we must focus on the needs, rather than the wants. 

It’s a subtle yet very important difference; one commonly, but unfortunately it seems, incorrectly associated with Henry Ford (“If I asked people what they wanted they’d have said a faster horse.”).

Mr Ford may not have uttered those words, but the notion is incredibly true. 

So, how do you discover what your potential audience needs – and where your business can step in to offer a helping hand? 

Audience research is the answer. More specifically, qualitative research. The deeper the conversation you can have with people who are representative of your audience, the more insight you’ll gain from which to develop everything from your content strategy and marketing messages to products and promotions. 

Conducting a qualitative research interview 

Choose a handful of people who match your customer personas, some current clients or customers, some not. It’s good to get a range of opinions and insights. 

Invite them for an ‘informal chat’ – ideally face-to-face, either on video or in person – for between one and two hours. These conversations must be one-on-one – it’s not a focus group. 

Begin by having a general conversation to ensure they’re comfortable talking with you, and then explore the topics you would like to discuss. 

For example, if you’re a financial services company, you could ask them about how they manage their money, what they want long-term, what they spend money on. 

It’s vital that questions are not directional (ie avoid “Do you agree that…” or “How important is…”) and contextualised (ie setting a scene to help the interviewee answer appropriately.).

It’s really important to approach this as a conversation – it’s not a set list of questions to run through – so prompt the interviewee to follow up on points, and explore others with them. Remember, you want to tease out insights that you’ve never considered before, not validate your own opinions.

To create a relaxed environment in which the interviewee feels comfortable, it’s critical that you’re not scribbling down notes. Record the conversation – with their permission, of course – and get it transcribed later. 

That way you can give the interviewee your full attention. Ensure you maintain eye contact, and always listen. You want to find opportunities to ask open-ended, follow-up questions (“Tell me more about…”) and opportunities to challenge inconsistencies. 

Don’t be afraid of a period of silence – the interviewee will usually fill it. 

Analysing your findings 

After you’ve completed five or six (or seven, eight or nine) interviews, get them transcribed. 

A group of you – at least three people – should take turns analysing the responses to each interview, writing on sticky notes anything of particular interest or importance. Once each person has reviewed the transcript of each interview, it’s time to group the sticky notes together, getting deep inside the minds of your clients and prospects. 

From here, the creation of your content pillars and topics is a lot more informed – and you can also use this process to challenge and/or validate previously created pillars and topics. 

Now, the information you find here is just one part of the story – you need to overlay it with your own experience, ideas and insights. However, bringing in the voice of the customer ensures you can identify the true pain points in your customers’ and clients’ lives, and start addressing them through your content. 

Remember, your content should be helpful, useful and generous. And if you have been able to tease out some nuggets of insight, you’ll be able to start adding value to your clients’ lives.