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Surviving as a startup is certainly no easy feat. Really, you need all the insight you can get and so one of the key things to do is build a foundation of constantly getting relevant insight from your target audience. Ultimately, it means staying relevant by catering to their needs as closely as possible.
While this isn’t the easiest thing to do, it’s far from impossible, and here are three tips for you.
Segment Your Audience
Understanding the diversity within your target audience means tailoring your products/services better. See, different segments often have unique needs and preferences, and addressing these specifically is key.
So, you want to conduct some thorough market research to pinpoint distinct audience segments and use analytics tools to track user behavior and preferences. In fact, it’s a good idea to create detailed buyer personas representing each segment.
Say you’ve got a fitness app. Segments could be beginners, advanced users, and those targeting specific fitness goals. Then, when reaching out for feedback, you want to ask about user interface preferences for beginners or advanced workout features for the experienced.
Leverage Social Media Monitoring Tools
Being active on social media gives you real-time insights into customer sentiments and trends; and engaging in discussions on these platforms often strengthens your brand presence, sometimes even enough to build a community.
You want to use social media listening tools to keep track of mentions, comments, and discussions about your brand. Get involved in relevant social media groups or forums and, in fact, encourage users to share their experiences on social platforms.
Say you’re running an e-commerce platform that sells everything from shoes to electrical transformers. It’s a good idea to monitor social media for talks about user experiences, product reviews, and any trends popping up. Then, engaging with users directly can yield valuable feedback on specific aspects like the checkout process or overall product satisfaction.
Prioritize Actionable Feedback
Focusing on actionable feedback means your product/service improvements align closely with user expectations, an approach that often streamlines the iteration process, making it more efficient and impactful.
How? You want to frame your feedback requests to encourage users to really get specific with suggestions for improvement, then prioritize feedback based on its potential impact on customer satisfaction.
Further, it’s a good idea to communicate the changes made based on user feedback, showcasing a responsive approach.
Say your startup works on distributing superior seeds in the agriculture industry. Instead of a broad comment like “this batch of seeds is bad,” encourage users to really pinpoint why they experienced letdowns. Plus, prioritize fixing issues related to key functionalities that significantly impact experience, and make sure to communicate these updates through release notes or newsletters.
Building a foundation of receiving and working with feedback from your target audience or consumers can mean the difference between floundering and excelling as a startup. Really, consider these tips.
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