Research - the most important communication tool

Content Vs. Channel: Only 7% importance is put on content, whilst 93% of our communication is based on the tool/medium or channel we use. With the recent increase in mediums to communicate with it has become a fundamental ideology to see Research as the first port of call when communicating. 

Why are you communicating to your clients? Well, firstly you want to educate your client on what you can offer them, then you want to motivate them to make use of your offering and lastly you want to build a large enough client base with which to grow your business...close? NOT AT ALL! 

1. You want to educate YOURSELF about what your client wants 

2. You want to motivate your clients to engage in your brand 

3. You want to build trust by employing a 2-way communication channel 

So what does Research actually do for you? 

· It allows you to select only the suited communication channels you should be using to engage your audience. Instead of hopping on every new social media bandwagon and grasping at technologies you don’t understand, research allows you to pin point how your consumers want to be spoken to and how they prefer to talk back. 

· Instead of focusing on capital to drive your business and yield short term results, research allows you to focus on RELATIONSHIP CAPITAL... Nurturing people and responding to their wants’ and needs are what will ultimately set you apart from the one hit-wonders. 

· Once you know which specific tools to communicate to your audience through, you will be able to gain collective intelligence by collaborating the tools that work for you. You have to ask yourself do I want 4000 Facebook friends that never look at my page- or do I want 200 people that interact with my messages daily and contribute to my bottom line? The only way the latter is possible is by questioning and investigating what your clients needs are. 

· Research gives you insight into the minds of your specific consumers, you will be able to scan the environment for changes or opportunities that will affect your audience. It also gives you an exceptional advantage in knowing how they prefer communication, and what nature of communication they prefer. You are only able to maintain internal and external communication when you know what the expectancies are to keep your audience engaged. 

· Research allows you to plan with long term strategies and identify possible issues you probably never even thought would affect your business. Offense vs Defense! 

With all the communication based changes happening around us, one thing is for sure- Nothing will ever replace the interpersonal relationships you build with your patrons, and it’s the one thing that keeps people loyal to you and your brand! 

Tool # 1 = RESEARCH now more than ever.

Written by: Roxanne Marais