A frequent theme in this space is the importance of quality content. But sometimes quality content is hard to find, especially for small business owners who lack the time to seek it out. But today we’d like to mention a powerful and often under-utilized content source that’s easy to access: the customer survey.
But first, some back story. In previous life I worked as a business consultant. And year after year, the number one interest among our clients was “what are my competitors doing?” And you can’t blame them, of course. Knowing how competitors are spending money – and where they are spending it – can yield tremendously valuable insights.
Fortunately, small business owners are well-positioned in this regard because, well, they have clients and are keyed-in to their interests. Gaining access to this information can yield produce powerful content for a blog as well as sales collateral for your small business marketing effort.
Of course, it’s important to make sure the survey is designed to unearth valuable information. Let’s say you’re a software maker and your clients are in the health care industry – doctors, hospitals, insurance companies, etc. You can ask them, “Is your budget going to go up, down, or stay the same in 2013?”
This would be somewhat valuable, but not as valuable as “What specific areas of your budget will see an increase in 2013 – staffing, administration, marketing, finance? And by how much?”
Bottom line: many small businesses are sitting on a gold mine of compelling content. They just need to go get it.
