Brand Survey: 10 Questions To Ask Your Customers
Whether you want to know more about the brand experience or are conducting a customer satisfaction survey to gauge customer perception, there are some questions you should ask to understand how customers truly feel about your brand.
Your brand is only as strong as its reputation. In fact, according to the Harvard Business Review, up to 40% of the purchasing decisions consumers make are influenced by brand awareness.
To ensure that your brand remains relevant and valuable to consumers, you must be represented in every aspect of your organisation, including the employees, products, and services you provide.
A brand survey will help you understand what consumers think about your brand. It is designed to help you collect data about your customer base, allowing you to make strategic decisions to strengthen your brand. This brand survey includes questions about your brand and is designed to help you understand what matters most to your audience and how well you’re meeting their expectations.
We all know that customers are the lifeblood of a brand. They are its soul. However, it’s often easy to overlook the importance of the customer experience when it comes to marketing.
This article will look at ten questions you can ask your customers in a brand survey about their experience with your brand.
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10 Questions To Ask Your Customers
We already know that a brand survey is an excellent way to learn about your audience experience. Still, a brand survey is different because it helps you gain insight into current and potential customers.
A brand survey can help you determine how to change your marketing messages and tactics to best connect with your audience and convert them into loyal customers. Here are ten questions to think about:
1 – What is your perception of our brand?
Ask your customers what their experience of your brand is. Here’s why you should ask this question: It tells you what people already believe about your company and what you might need to address to improve how people perceive your brand.
Another reason to ask people what your brand means to them is that it gives you insight into the emotions people associate with your brand. If your brand is perceived as funny, clever, or hip, then you can make it a point to include humour in your advertising materials or your website. Or, if your brand is perceived to be serious, you can aim to create a feeling of comfort and trust in your online experience.
So often, we assume that people are aware of our brand when they might not be. We don’t always know how consumers perceive us, so it’s crucial to understand who our customers are, what they think of us, and their brand experience. To do this, we have to ask them. This is the most powerful tool marketers can use to improve customer retention, build relationships, and increase profits.
2 – What do we lack?
The next step is to take the knowledge gained from all your research and apply it to the specific problems you’ve identified with your current product or service.
Ask your potential customers what they perceive your brand lacks, and use that knowledge to help you better understand what you can do better. The idea is to understand better what you’re trying to sell.
Once you have that information, you can determine the best approach for getting it across.
While we all know we need to ask our customers what we’re doing wrong, asking customers for feedback is not as easy as it sounds.
Here are three common reasons people don’t like to give feedback to brands:
- They think it’s too obvious. “I’m sure they already know what I think of them!”
- They’re afraid it will be interpreted negatively, so they’ll feel attacked.
- They’re afraid to say the right thing. If you ask a customer if your product or service is better than its competition's, they may not tell you a good reason why, but they might be able to tell you what you are lacking.
Brand managers must also be aware of constantly testing and refining their brands. According to recent research from KPMG, brands that don’t survey regularly can miss out on opportunities to improve their market presence and profitability.
So what should you be asking your customers? That’s the challenge. They’ve been asked these questions already. What they’re saying about your brand and what they think your brand needs are very different.
3 – How can we improve?
I like this one because it forces us to talk about the emotional side of the relationship. We’re always talking about the rational side. But what happens if there’s a problem? We need to be able to talk about it.
This helps us get out of our heads, which is often why we aren’t honest with ourselves. Once we realise that, we can move forward and fix whatever the issue is.
Keep the conversation relevant when you’re ready to ask your customers what you need to improve in a brand survey. For example, you could ask, “What do you think about the quality of our customer service?” or “How would you rate the value of our product?”
4 – What does your experience with us tell you about our brand?
This survey question comes from Tracy Farr, co-author of The Art of Storytelling, a book about connecting with customers and building long-term relationships through storytelling.
The answer should make your company seem relatable to your audience. The goal is to make your audience feel like your company is one they’d like to be a part of rather than one they don’t want to associate with.
Customers who don’t feel they’re getting anything for their money will never feel they get a good deal of value from their purchase. When a customer is satisfied, they will be happy with the outcome and continue to support the company that helped them achieve their goals. On the other hand, if the customer feels that the transaction isn’t worthwhile, they will never return to your business again.
If you want to gain insights into your target market and what they’re looking for in a business partner, ask them what their experience working with you tells them about you. The results may surprise you, even if you’re aware of certain problems you have. Ask specific questions to elicit specific responses from your customers.
5 – How did you hear about us?
Another great way to uncover new growth opportunities and increase the return rate on your efforts is to understand how people are getting to your business.
If you can learn to ask your current customers questions about their path to your site, you’ll better understand your audience, including how they found you and what prompted them to do business with you.
Once you understand that, you can craft a message that speaks to that pain point and motivates them to action.
“It’s like asking a person how they met their significant other,” says Stacey Smith, vice president of marketing at Bluehost. “The answer is always ‘online.’” It’s helpful if you give them some idea of what online content they saw but don’t get hung up on the details. If you can get a feel for which sites they frequent and which ones they read regularly, you’ll better understand what’s working and where you can optimise your efforts.
6 – What was the primary reason for buying from us?
Why do people purchase certain products over others? To answer this question, you need to determine the decision factors. Once you know those factors, you can build your story around those reasons. Asking customers why they decided to buy can help you craft a powerful story for your target audience.
I’m often amazed by how little time businesses spend learning about their customers. I’ve had two significant companies come up to me in the last few years and say, “We’re thinking of opening our store in New York City, but we don’t know if our customers are there. Can you help us figure it out?”
As a consumer, I can tell you I’d be interested in knowing why some products or services are popular in specific cities. I would hope a business would take the time to learn what makes their customers tick and use that knowledge to tailor products and services to those individuals.
7 – Would you recommend us to your friends and family?
When a company asks its customers how they would rate the product or service, you’re asking them to provide valuable information. They’re essentially telling you what they like about your business by doing this.
If the customer says “No,” this tells you a couple of things. First, the customer isn’t going to recommend the product or service to anyone else. This might mean the customer doesn’t understand the product or service well enough or thinks it’s not a good value proposition. Second, it means the customer might be looking for a better alternative. You might learn what it is from the customer’s feedback.
People don’t always consider a recommendation or referral when buying something. But asking them to share their experience with your brand is a great way to learn more about the people who buy from you and what’s important to them.
You can easily ask them to recommend your business to their friends on Facebook or Twitter or ask them for a testimonial or referral. When you ask, make sure that the request isn’t too vague. You need to state what’s expected of them.
8 – How much would you be willing to pay for our products?
Price is the main determining factor for purchase decisions. We buy based on price, convenience, value, brand loyalty, and other factors, but the price is the one that drives 80% of consumer purchases.
The good news is that most consumers will tell you exactly how much they’d be willing to pay for a given product or service. So, what should you do? Get a little research on your own first.
In direct response marketing, there’s a fundamental concept called “price elasticity.” Elasticity is how much demand an item will experience for any given price.
Price elasticity is usually measured by the relationship between price and quantity demanded (demand). The price elasticity of demand is the ratio of quantity demanded to the change in price.
This question is about price, but it’s also about your perceived value and how people perceive your product. If they tell you how much money they’re willing to spend, you can assess whether you’re in the right ballpark.
9 – What changes in your current relationship with us would you consider worthwhile?
This tactic is often called the “What Would You Change?” in the business world. It’s a great way to engage with your current customers and find out if they want to see you change any parts of your current relationship.
How about you? Do you like your current bank? What is your current cable company? Maybe there are better options out there for you. Or maybe you’d like to start a business of your someday.
Either way, you should ask yourself these questions: “What do I like about my current relationship with [bank/cable company]? What don’t I like? What could they do better?”
There’s no need to be overly negative or sarcastic, but remember that many people are pleased with theirs, even if you hate your current provider. If you don’t think your current provider is a good one, ask yourself if there’s any way that you could do better.
10 – What is your first impression of us?
By asking people what their initial thought of your business or brand, you’ll uncover how well you’re doing in branding and marketing.
You can also ask your customers what they want to see improve or change in your business or brand. If you’re selling a product, ask customers what they would like the product to look like, what they would like it to feel like, what colour they would like it to be, etc.
You can even ask customers what you should change or improve. Don’t take it personally if they say things you don’t want to hear. Instead, listen to what they have to say.
Most of us have had the experience of buying a new car or house. When looking for the perfect place to live or spend our hard-earned cash, we carefully consider every detail—from the outside to the inside.
We ask ourselves, “Is this house or car going to provide me with all the amenities I need?” or “Can I get around easily in this car?” We might even ask ourselves, “What kind of neighbours will I be surrounded by?”
We look to our homes and heart for the answers to these questions, but we also ask ourselves, “Are my clothes going to fit?” “Are my kids going to have a place to play in the yard?” “Will I be able to find what I need to do my job?”
Our homes and cars are two of the most significant purchases we will ever make, but they’re also investments. They represent an enormous amount of our financial capital and, thus, a substantial investment.
And, unlike cars, they aren’t disposable; they are the core of our identity. It’s the same with clothing and personal grooming. You can’t discard them, but they also reflect who we are. When we’re ready to buy something, we are trying to answer the question, “What are my first impressions of this company and its products?
10 Steps for a Branded Survey Campaign
To get feedback from your customers, you need to be aware of several things:
- Who your customers are.
- How do they feel about your brand?
- What do they like and don’t like?
- What problems do they encounter?
- What do they think of your company’s products or services?
- What do they think about your competitors?
When creating surveys, you’ll need to consider these factors, whether sending them out via email or creating your online survey.
Here are the steps to follow for creating a brand survey to learn from customers:
1 – Understand the Purpose of the Questionnaire
A brand survey aims to understand what consumers think about your brand. The results of a brand survey may be used to:
- Improve your customer experience
- Help you figure out why some people like your brand and others don’t
- Understand if your marketing campaign is resonating with the people who visit your website
- Determine which products/services you need to add/delete to your line-up
Brand surveys, as a concept, are valuable tools for brands to gain insight into their current image in their target market. But why should you care about your brand’s perception, especially if you’re not planning to do anything with that information?
Because if you’re a brand, your success depends on your ability to build a reputation with customers based on their perceptions of your brand. The more successful your brand is, the better your reputation with potential customers and your chances of selling.
2 – Determine the Ideal Sample Size for Your Questionnaire
To dive deeper into your brand strategy and research, you need a large sample size to represent your overall market. However, a colossal sample size will quickly become a considerable investment for your company. So how do you find the perfect sample size?
Sample sizes for surveys differ greatly depending on the brand’s specific needs. Still, you must understand the ideal number of participants to conduct an accurate analysis.
When working with more prominent brands, you should be looking to test at least 300 participants, and ideally, you should have between 300 and 500.
3 – Decide What Information is Necessary
We know that much information is needed to get a complete picture of a market, but what information is needed to get a good sense of it?
The first thing to consider is whether the market you’re investigating is national or regional. Next, you need to ask yourself if the market has changed substantially over 12-24 months. If not, you don’t need as much data as it had. Then you need to ask yourself how many variables need to be measured to capture the relevant information. You’ll want to collect basic demographics, such as age, gender, and income.
4 – Choose the Brand Survey Recipients
There are two ways to choose which customers to use in a brand survey: a targeted or random approach.
A targeted approach involves choosing your respondents based on your understanding of the target customer base. Targeting might be done by demographic, geographic location, or psychographic segmentation. A random approach involves selecting several customers at random.
For this approach to be successful, you must have a good understanding of the audience that you’re trying to reach. This can include demographics, behavioural data, etc. Start with the random approach if you don’t know what to target.
5 – Prepare to Conduct the Survey
There are many ways to conduct a brand survey. But the only way you can get accurate data is to talk to people face to face.
If you’d rather talk to them online, you’ll need to get their permission first. Once you’ve got their consent, ask some questions.
- How do they view your brand?
- What does your brand stand for?
- What do they know about your brand?
- What are your competitors doing?
- And what are you doing?
- How do they feel about your current brand?
- How do you feel about your competitors?
- How do they feel about you?
6 – Choose the Best Format
So what makes the difference between an effective and an ineffective brand survey? There are three components to an excellent brand survey: It should be easy to understand. It should be interesting. It should encourage participation.
Brand surveys can take on many forms. Some brands conduct a simple online poll or survey among a select group of customers. In contrast, others reach out to a larger audience by emailing customers or posting a message on their Facebook page.
Other brands will use a combination of online surveys and phone calls. A brand survey helps the brand understand more about its audience and discover what products or services are most attractive to its consumers. It’s a tool that provides brand insight to identify, track, and target new product ideas and improves existing ones.
7 – Design Your Questionnaire
Your company brand survey should help you determine how people perceive your brand, but you can also use it to determine how people perceive your competitors.
Here’s how to create a survey: Start by brainstorming ideas for questions you’d like to ask potential respondents. Then, pick one or two questions that best represent the topics you want to cover. To help you focus, create a list of five or ten potential questions. You’ll use those to narrow down the scope of your survey.
You may want to add a few questions that are critical to understanding your customers’ opinions. Still, you only need to include enough questions to determine whether you need to continue surveying.
8 – Deliver Your Questionnaire
One of the most potent ways to build a brand loyal to a customer is through feedback. Feedback allows customers to see the brand's value and gives them a sense of ownership that traditional advertising can’t match.
One of the best ways to engage customers is through direct communication. Brands like Starbucks, Nike, Apple, and Microsoft are all successful because they ask their customers for feedback directly through surveys, emails, and social media.
If you’re running a small business, surveying customers is one of the best ways to keep up with what’s working and what’s not. Survey Monkey, a company specialising in online surveys, offers a free version for small businesses.
9 – Analyse the Data
Once you’ve got all your data from your Brand Survey, it’s time to start analysing the results. If something in your results looks amiss, you can’t ignore it. If you notice a trend not aligned with what you think you know about your customers, you need to address it.
After surveying the results of your brand audit, you’ll want to keep the data for future reference. This data is instrumental when making future strategic decisions for your business. You can easily share the data with your team if you want to.
10 – Use the Results of Your Survey
When a company has conducted a branded survey, they want a clear message that they’re listening to what consumers say and acting upon that feedback.
While there are many ways to do this, the key is to be transparent with what you’re doing and act on those feedback points. One way to do this is to ensure that the survey results are posted on the company’s website.
Another is to make sure that the CEO personally responds to every single comment and any concerns consumers have.
It’s crucial to use your findings from the survey to improve your brand experience. For example, if your brand’s website isn’t mobile-friendly, you should immediately work to rectify that problem.
After all, people visit websites on smartphones, tablets, and laptops. If your brand doesn’t provide a good experience for any devices, it could affect your business.
Conclusion
In conclusion, A brand survey asks your customers what they think of your brand. It may sound like a no-brainer, but surveys take time, resources, and commitment.
That being said, we believe the value of conducting brand surveys is undeniable. By asking your customers what they think about your brand and its attributes, you get feedback on the services and products they are using and experiencing daily. This helps you to grow your brand and improve your customer experience.
At the same time, conducting a brand survey can help your business identify and resolve problems with your current customer experience. The key is to find the right questions and collect responses that will help you understand your brand better.
