Market Research 101: Avatar Interviews
When we think of market research, we can often imagine different ways to get data on our target audience: keeping an eye on Facebook groups they’re in, conducting internet searches, even creating surveys or hosting a focus group.
However, the most sure-fire way to get to know your ideal person, is by talking with them directly.
Where social media only give you an impression of what people think or feel (would you really want the world to know every detail of your spending, online behaviour, business backend and personal life?)…
An internet search may lead you down some rabbit hole, but not necessarily get you more results than what you already saw on social media…
And surveys (if they get clicked & filled out to the end at all) will mostly get you short and general answers…
This post was originally recorded as a video. To watch instead of reading, check out the clip below.
Note: ICA stands for “ideal client avatar” or “ideal customer avatar”, but applies just as well to your ideal donor, follower, reader, or any other type of stakeholder.
You can also replace this with the word “persona” or simply “avatar”.
Why You Should Interview an “Avatar”
Interviewing your ICA will allow you to
Ask questions tailored to the person in front of you
Get full answers and even get the chance to ask follow-up questions
Learn about your subject’s demographics, online behaviour, spending habits (when it comes to your product), content consumption (if you want to start a podcast - do they even listen to podcasts at all?) biggest challenges, etc.
Who’s Your Avatar?
[I wrote about your Ideal Client Avatar before] - your ICA is a “model” for your perfect client: it could be someone you know, it could be the former you, it could be a persona you created in your mind….
In my personal opinion, no one should ever even try to set up a business if they don’t know who their avatar is (for starters).
Then once you’ve pinpointed who you want to help, it’s important to talk to a couple of them before you start creating content or even products and packages for them; get a feel of what they’re struggling with and what they’re looking for, instead of assuming you’ve got a great offering and people will just line up to pay for it. Click to watch the video on what’s an avatar and why you need one.
How to Find The Perfect People to Interview
First of all, decide on who your avatar is. Don’t go with a broad description of your target audience; that could have you end up with very wrong information.
E.g. if your avatar is a 36-year-old stay-at-home pregnant mom who started her own business so she can make money from home and avoid going back to a job she hates (but she needs to pay the bills)… (just an example!)
Don’t go interviewing any stay at home mom. A SAHM with teenage kids and a husband able to provide well for his family, who started a business because she’s bored and wants more fulfilment out of life - they could end up buying your product, but they’re not your avatar.
You will end up with completely different results if you try interviewing people who are not your intended avatar. If that’s the intention (maybe you don’t know which target audience to pick?), be aware you won’t really be able to use aggregated results unless you interview a couple of people with very similar characteristics.
Once you’ve decided on who you want to interview, a couple of things could hold you back:
You Don’t Know Anyone Who Fits The Description
That’s fine; if you’re totally sure they’re out there though, start looking for them. Ask friends, business acquaintances, put it out on social media, ask your mailing list (if you have one)…
If you cannot find one single person who fits the avatar description, that could mean you’ll have to change said description. Because how will you be able to sell products or services to a whole group of people, if you don’t even know where to find a single one of them to interview?
You Can’t Ask Them Directly
Maybe they’re just too busy to spend time being interviewed, they’re in someone else’s Facebook group (and you’re not allowed to conduct market research in that group), or some ethical or personal reason is keeping you from walking up to them and ask them for 20 minutes of their time.
Don’t worry, there are still ways around this; that could be to use a discovery call to get the information you need; use a Facebook group; use live events;… - there are many possibilities! (set up a call here if you’d like me to help you brainstorm - free & no strings attached).
You Don’t Know How to Ask Them
That’s where the guide below comes in handy - it’ll give you a couple of ideas on how to find your avatar, get them to agree on having a chat with you, conducting the interview so you get the information you need - and processing that information after the interview. Click here to download the guide from my vault!
