The Most Important Question Businesses Are NOT asking!

“How did you hear about us?”

One of the simplest and easiest questions to ask, is the one most businesses are not asking.

Data is our key to not only finding out more about our business but also about our customers and our marketing efforts. It helps us identify what’s working and what isn’t. By asking that one simple question, “How did you hear about us?” you’ll get a clearer idea of where you should be focusing your marketing efforts to capture new customers. In other words, it shows you where your ideal customers are hanging out.

No matter what marketing strategies you have in place, a “How did you hear about us?” question should always be available so that you can gather more accurate data.

Why is this question so important?

Imagine you’ve just thrown a lot of money at a Facebook ad in the hopes that someone will click on it and buy your product or service. You ask the question and the only answers you’re getting are things like “I found you on Google” or “A friend recommended me.” It’s quick to see that your Facebook ads are making little to no impact on your marketing strategy. What does this mean? Well, it means you can scrap it completely to focus on Google Ads, or you can rework the Facebook ad to see if it makes any difference.

When should you ask the question?

It’s not always easy to ask people what they think about a product or service or for honest feedback on your company. As important as it is to know, it’s a tough question to ask, and bad feedback can be hard to take. “How did you hear about us?” however, is a much easier question to ask while still providing you with a huge amount of information needed to improve your marketing strategies. But when should you ask?

After the first interaction with your customer is usually the best time to ask where they heard about you. Depending on your type of business, this can be done:

• After a telephone call
• Through an email sequence
• Through a signup or registration form
• Through a social media poll

What should you include as options?

Unless you’re on the phone, it’s always easier to give some options to people to choose from because it helps you collate the data more easily. After asking the question, consider the following options (if applicable) for them to choose from:

• Google
• Social Media
• Recommended by a Friend
• Flyer
•  Email
• Other

For others, make sure they have an option to write something. And if you’d like to know about specific social media platforms, you can choose the ones you are using the most.

As a business, gathering data and doing annual marketing reviews is important. Consider adding this one simple question to get further insight into all your efforts and to help you find greater reach. You might be surprised at the answers.