In the past, market research processes (both in-person and online) such as in-depth interviews, focus groups, surveys, quantitative studies, longitudinal researches, and secondary researches have helped bring customers closer to businesses. These processes have also helped businesses -

1. Identify business opportunities.
2. Reduce business risks
3. Create promotional materials that target audiences find relevant and relatable.
4. Discover which platforms are the best for advertisements.
5. Set realistic goals for their business and marketing aspirations.

However, most business owners now engage in these basic forms of marketing researches. To get ahead of the competition, businesses are now investing in message testing market research.

What is ‘Message Testing’ in Marketing Research?

While conducting market research gives businesses specific directions they need to follow to grow their customer base, it doesn’t equip them with the tools that help them create a meaningful impact on their target audiences. For instance, market research may enable businesses to discover untapped market segments. But that doesn’t enable businesses to realize what types of marketing messages customers in these segments will appreciate.

Message testing is the process of analyzing what types of marketing messages create the most impact on target audiences. Data analysis tools, powered by artificial intelligence software, help businesses assess large data sets in seconds. Based on this analysis, businesses can determine what type of content, offers, and marketing messages to its target audience will create the most engagement.

Marketing messages are a company’s voice. Correct messaging enables customers to understand what need a company’s product will fulfil. On the other hand, inaccurate marketing messages are glossed over by customers. In an age where most brands are personalizing their marketing efforts, the need for creating highly accurate and customized marketing messages has never been more urgent. Message testing research is a key tool for brands aiming to make the most of their spending on marketing.

How Can this Message Testing Help Businesses?

1. Instant Feedback – AI-powered marketing messaging tools can help businesses instantly realize what types of messages are effective. While other methodologies of market research take months to produce verifiable results, modern-day message testing experts use advanced tools to provide businesses with accurate messaging solutions within seconds.
2. Nuanced Insights - Modern-day message testing tools allow marketers to base their creatives on data, not instincts. These tools assess information like the target customer’s history of purchases, buying habits, time spent looking at specific products, etc., to create nuanced marketing messages. Businesses gain in-depth understandings of their target customers. Plus, these analyses can be constantly repeated, and the messages can keep getting refined over time.
3. Improved Chances of Lead Generation – The most advanced message testing tools can predict what types of marketing messages will generate the most or the least leads. These tools create instant rating scales where different types of marketing messages are scored on the basis of their lead generation capacities.

Marketing is getting more expensive, but by using these tools, businesses can easily earn back what they invest.