Where to Start with Market Research with Sean Campbell

Running a startup is inherently risky with a lot of unknowns. One of the ways to address the unknown is by conducting market research to uncover your ICP, understand how big the market is, whether or not your messaging is resonating with the right people and so much more. Sean Campbell joins us today to share how market research can be used to alleviate pains and maximize opportunity by providing clarity on the market. This week, episode 33 of the FiredUp! podcast is about where to start with market research!

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In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Sean Campbell shares how startups can use market research to inform important decisions and reduce risk. He also shares the incredible insight you can gain through this type of research. 

Sean Campbell is the CEO of Cascade Insights, a B2B-focused market research and marketing firm helping companies seize opportunities in the B2B technology sector. Sean is a well-regarded consultant, speaker, author, trainer, mentor, and educator. He has delivered talks for Fortune 50 companies and top tier conferences around the world and has written extensively on technology and business topics. Sean has been a professional services firm owner for more than 20 years. His work has spanned consulting engagements with tech giants and startups you’ve heard of, the sale of his first company, and the growth of delivery, sales, marketing, and operational practices inside professional services firms. Sean specializes in helping organizations find success and opportunity in the B2B tech sector via market research insights, smart strategy, and powerful messaging.

Sean and Morgan discuss:

• Qualitative research through in-depth interviews is often more valuable for startups than quantitative surveys. 
• Early research priorities should include developing buyer personas and understanding competitive messaging. 
• AI tools can help build initial personas, but custom research is needed to address bias in synthetic data and other issues not found online.
• The top 5 research areas that startups should focus their limited resources on. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH SEAN CAMPBELL:

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Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

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LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Managing The Professional Services Firm by David Maister

Chapters

• 0:00 Where to Start with Market Research with Sean Campbell
• 4:34 Market research company helps organizations act with clarity by providing market insights through various methods.
• 10:49 Research uncovers buyer journey changes, influencers, and decision-making factors for B2B companies.
• 14:02 There is a disconnect between CMOs and CIOs in terms of content creation and search engine optimization.
• 18:42 AI is becoming increasingly prevalent in market research.
• 23:08 Understanding if the AI tool you’re using will use data for training is crucial.
• 27:37 Considering the bias of data sources and the need for a higher vantage point to identify real issues is important.
• 34:17 Clients often start with market research to de-risk decisions, then move to persona development, TAM, and competitive analysis.
• 39:44 5 critical research areas every startup should start with.
• 47:38 FiredUp Five Segment