I always tell clients, if you’re going to spend the time and money investing in something, you better make damn sure that it is backed by sound research. 

And when it comes to good copy, the most sound research you can find is going to come in the form of Voice of Customer Research.

Maybe you’re slipping into analysis paralysis and overwhelmed by too many platforms to gather information from….

Or maybe you literally have no idea where to even look.

Let me start by saying,

You aren’t alone.

Part of the reason I’m so passionate about spreading the magic of VOC is because of what an overlooked gem it really is, and all the rich, diverse places you can source it.

And I want to make it accessible to you, because once you know why you need it, where to find it, AND start implementing it, you’ll begin to see immediate results in the way your copy:

→ Communicates your key messaging more effectively

→ Converts significantly more people

→ And ultimately saves you time, because you aren’t using guesswork anymore

You’ll start to hear things like, “You took the words out of my mouth,” or,  “This has my name written all over it,”

Because, well, we did and it does. 

(If you want to know more about what VOC is and why it’s so important, check out my last blog post all about it.)

Today, I’m gonna be sharing the KC Team tactics, and how we tackle the two tiers of VOC research. 

Tier one 

Message Mining 

Message mining is when you go into the places you know your target audience is hanging out, rating and talking about their experiences (good + bad), then pulling information directly from their commentary.

That could be Facebook groups, Reddit threads, Amazon comments (if you’re a product based business), competitor websites, even looking internally at your clients own surveys that they’ve had their clients fill out.

You can also find gold inside:

Testimonials (from competitors or other places online), application forms, inquiry forms – literally everything where a customer has written about their experience and what they need help with, we can comb through and tap into. 

Then, while you’re there, you’re going to pay close attention to two things:

Tone → The way they talk, the verbiage they use, and the key phrases they employ when talking about needs, objectives, challenges, and unique perspectives.

Themes → The common likes and dislikes, the nuances of what gets them to opt-in without regrets, or leave a one-star stamp of disapproval. 

With this understanding, you’ll not only have the ability to see common threads and themes you might not have been able to think of on your own, you’ll be able to grab from the exact language of your ideal customer’s desires, frustrations, and needs.

Tier Two 

Specialized surveys 

This is where we separate ourselves from other brands out there who stop at message mining.

We go a step further, tackling an even deeper aspect of VOC by interacting directly with a client’s email list.

Through active interviewing and surveying, we are able to gather crucial information from our client’s current and past audience + clients.

We reach actual people who have bought their products or taken their courses or used their services, and get a glimpse into their real time reactions and experiences via 1:1 interviews, which provide a LOT of VOC material, then garner really big a-ha moments that we can position in our copy (that we never in a million years could have guessed). 

Another important detail of this process is how we strategically and specifically tailor our survey forms to the variations within their audience. 

For those that purchased: Where they were before purchasing and what changed for them after they did. What led them to purchase in the first place.  What they loved. If they would invest again. 

For those that didn’t: What hindered them. What reservations did they have, and was it regarding price or product or something else. What would make them want to purchase in the future. 

And with all of that juicy information, we can begin to connect the dots and bridge the gap between the two. What are the common denominators and themes. What’s working and what isn’t, verbatim. 

So you see, VOC isn’t quite as simple as just gathering some quotes here and there from your target audience (though you can do that).

But with the right tools and knowing where to look, you’ll find the copy gold that will take your messaging from average to →  “You took the words out of my mouth!” buyers.

P.S. In my Elevated Brand Accelerator Program, we delve into more ways to source and place your VOC with guided courses. There I walk you through tangible ways to build a sustainable and scalable business model and craft VOC informed, hyper-targeted conversion copy.

It’s kind of our thing. 

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