Developing click-worthy headlines for marketing materials such as Google search or Facebook ads can be difficult.
Knowing what to write, and how to write it, is no easy task for even the most experienced marketers.
Fortunately, there is a better way to help you develop gripping headlines that deliver the right message.
By conducting a headline testing survey with our market research company, Drive Research, we can find the correct words and phrases to help make sure your marketing content is a winner.
We recently conducted a successful headline testing study for one of our clients. Let’s discuss what the study entailed and revealed!
The Challenge
The objectives of the market research were to test potential headlines, phrases, and words to use in an upcoming marketing campaign for a healthcare and technology company.
The headlines were tested among current IBD (Inflammatory bowel disease) patients in the United States.
The client was not new to the market research process however, it was the first headline testing survey they have designed and conducted.
Recommended Reading: Conducting A/B Testing? Use an Online Survey for Better Insights
The Solution
To address the objectives at hand, Drive Research recommended using an online survey to collect feedback.
Online surveys are a cost-effective type of market research that offers a quick turnaround for quantifiable, quality data.
The target respondent was current IBD patients diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative colitis, or indeterminate colitis.
Participants resided in the United States and were from a variety of ages, household incomes, and educational levels.
The Approach
We begin all studies with our clients with a kickoff meeting.
This helps us understand the client’s expectations and introduce our project management style.
Since the client worked on several projects before with us, they understood our management approach very well.
For this study, we recapped the objectives from the proposal and discussed the project timeline.
The timeline from start to finish was only 2 to 4 weeks. This can be explained by the short survey length and request for fewer final deliverables.
Speaking of the survey length, it included 21 questions and took an average of 4 minutes to complete.
The topics mostly focused on the marketing for a new IBD program. This includes:
- Attitudes towards potential taglines or messages
- Interest in the program
- The appeal of specific themes
- Sentiment towards certain words or phrases
- Tagline suggestions for the program
Like most studies, we drafted the survey based on our initial discussions and sent it over to the client to suggest any changes or answer any questions they may have.
Once they signed off on the survey, we started programming it into our software and had it tested among our team.
Since we had to target respondents in the U.S. with IBD, reaching this audience through our own panel is not obtainable.
Therefore, we employed a third-party vendor to help us reach our quota.
They can target the harder-to-reach audiences and recruit enough participants for our survey to be completed on time.
The Results
The study recruited approximately 122 responses and reached its targeted number of responses of 100 after data quality checks. The margin of error was +/- 9.8%.
We over recruited because not all responses will meet our quality standards.
This is especially true in a study such as this one where we ask respondents to provide meaningful and thoughtful responses to open-end questions.
An example of an invalid open-ended response would be someone who typed gibberish or words/sentences that do not answer the question.
In survey questions that ask for respondents to select an option or options, we can often insert data quality checks to weed out invalid respondents.
With open-ended questions, however, it is not possible to remove a respondent as immediately. Therefore, we read each open-end response ourselves during and after fieldwork to ensure they are valid.
Client Satisfaction
The client felt they had a better idea of what taglines and phrases needed to be included in the headlines and descriptions for their marketing campaign.
Also, the survey included other questions that they can use to track certain statistics about the profile and attitudes of IBD patients in the U.S.
We always tell our clients that the data from a study answers a lot of questions but raises several more. This client understands the value of market research very well and never stops asking questions.
They have invested in all types of market research methodologies and projects. They know that the more market research they conduct, the better market researchers they become themselves.
Understanding how to break down data into insightful and digestible information is vital to getting the most value out of any study.
We offer several reporting options that do this for our clients but we hope they attempt to understand the data better themselves. It will save them plenty of time and money for future research studies.
Recommended Reading: Topline or Comprehensive Market Research Report: What's the Difference?
Headline testing is a critical activity for all companies that invest heavily in marketing. Market research is an effective way to learn what messages and words resonate with consumers and potential customers the most.
We can provide you with headline-worthy data that will make your next marketing campaign or advertisement a raving success!
Drive Research is a full-service market research company located in Upstate New York.
Our team partners with brands across the country to execute both quantitative and qualitative studies.
Interested in partnering with our team on your next market research study? Contact us below.
- Message us on our website
- Email us at [email protected]
- Call us at 888-725-DATA
- Text us at 315-303-2040
Justin Eisenhauer
As a Research Assistant, Justin works directly with all team members on client projects. His intrigue in market research formed during his time at Marist College, where he studied business and entrepreneurship.
Learn more about Justin, here.
