Complete Guide to Instagram Stories for Marketers in 2026
By Sabrina DorronsoroJan 27
Good market research can be your lifeline when you feel like you’re drowning in data.
We live in a world overflowing with information. For marketers and insights professionals, figuring out what really matters proves a significant challenge.
Thankfully, market research is here to help. It’s how brands collect insights about their target market and audience to make smarter decisions.
Once upon a time, research meant in-person focus groups, cold calling, and paper surveys. Those methods still have their place, but now they’re joined by a whole new set of tools and techniques.
From social media listening to AI-powered analytics, modern market research is more dynamic than ever.
What is market research, and why is it so important?
Market research is the process of gathering and analyzing information about your industry, customers, and competitors to guide your strategy. In plain English, it helps you understand your market so you’re not flying blind.
Through market research, you can uncover what consumers need or want, identify emerging market trends, assess your competitive position, and discover growth opportunities.
Think of market research as a compass for your business decisions. It can confirm if there’s demand for a new product, reveal why a marketing campaign did (or didn’t) work, and help you craft messages that actually resonate with your audience.
In short, it eliminates the guesswork in marketing. For anyone in a marketing or insights role, having solid research is indispensable – it’s the difference between launching a campaign that flops and one that hits the bullseye.
Qualitative vs. quantitative research
Before we dive into the methods, it’s worth noting two main approaches you’ll encounter: qualitative and quantitative research.
Qualitative methods (think focus groups or interviews) dig into the “why” – the stories, opinions, and motivations behind consumer behavior.
Quantitative methods (like surveys or sales data analysis) focus on the “how many” or “how much,” giving you numbers and statistics.
Both approaches are valuable, and the best insights often come from a mix of the two.
These 10 market research methods form the backbone of effective market research strategies.
Continue reading or jump directly to each method by tapping the link below.
10 Effective Market Research Methods (Updated for 2025)
The methods below include both qualitative and quantitative techniques. Which ones you choose will depend on your goals, budget, and the questions you need to answer.
There are different types of market research. Some mean undertaking primary market research (collecting data straight from the source), while others count as secondary research (utilizing existing data). Some are desk research tasks, others will involve getting out and about.
Take a look and see which might fit your situation.
1. Focus groups
Focus groups are one of the most well-known qualitative research methods, and for good reason. You gather a small group of people (usually between six and 10 participants, either in person or via video call) and lead a guided discussion about your topic.
This could be anything from reactions to a new product idea, opinions on an ad campaign, or general attitudes about a brand or issue.
Why use focus groups
The beauty of a focus group is the group conversation. Participants can bounce ideas off each other and build on each other’s comments. Often, someone will mention an insight or feeling that sparks a whole new discussion. This natural back-and-forth can reveal motivations and opinions that wouldn’t surface in a strict Q&A format.
Of course, focus groups have their challenges. A few outspoken people might dominate the conversation, or the discussion can wander off on tangents.
A skilled moderator is key – they’ll make sure everyone gets a chance to speak and that the conversation stays (mostly) on track.
Keep in mind, too, that group settings can introduce bias: people might echo others’ opinions or hold back their true thoughts because they’re in a group.
Despite these drawbacks, a well-run focus group can feel like uncovering hidden gems of insight straight from your consumers’ mouths.
2. Surveys
When you think of market research, surveys are probably one of the first methods that come to mind. Survey research is really useful for getting quantitative data – percentages, averages, trends you can graph and analyze – you can use them for qualitative research too (with free text boxes).
You can send surveys online (via email, web links, or social media), hand them out in-store, or even display a questionnaire in a mobile app. With so many easy-to-use survey tools available, it’s never been simpler to gather feedback at scale.
Why use surveys
Surveys are incredibly versatile. You can ask closed-ended questions (like multiple-choice or rating scale items that are easy to tally up) or open-ended questions (where people write their opinions in their own words).
A good survey strikes the right balance – for example, a few yes/no or rating questions to gather clear metrics, plus an open-text question to capture nuances and suggestions.
It’s also crucial how you ask. Well-written questions (that are clear and unbiased) will get you much more useful answers than confusing or leading ones.
These days, surveys have become smarter, too. Some platforms use AI to help analyze all those open-ended responses, automatically grouping common themes or sentiments so you don’t have to read through hundreds of answers one by one. This is primary research at its finest.
3. Social media listening
Billions of people share their unfiltered thoughts and feelings on social media every day – it’s like a continuously running, worldwide focus group happening online.
Social listening is the practice of monitoring social platforms (using tools like Consumer Research and Brandwatch Social Media Management’s Listen module) to track mentions of specific keywords, brands, or topics, and then analyzing that data for valuable insights.
Instead of asking people directly for their opinions, you’re eavesdropping (ethically!) on the conversations they’re already having publicly.
Why use social listening
Social listening is fundamental to how brands research markets because it plays out in real-time. You can see what consumers are saying this very minute about your product or a competitor’s new launch.
Social data is also largely unsolicited and genuine – people talk about what they care about, without the pressure of a formal survey or interview. That means you often get more honest insights.
Say you launch a new flavor of soda – a social listening analysis might reveal that people love the taste but dislike the packaging, or that a certain demographic is really driving the buzz. You could even zero in on specific market segments.
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4. Interviews
Interviews are as straightforward as it gets. Unlike surveys, interviews are personal and in-depth, and allow you to explore the “why” behind someone’s answers before asking follow-up questions based on what they say.
Interviews can take place face-to-face, over the phone, or via video call – whatever gets the conversation flowing comfortably.
Why use interviewsThis method shines when you want detailed insights. If you’re trying to understand the customer journey, a one-on-one interview can let the person walk you through their entire thought process in their own words.
You can hear the emotions, the priorities, and the hesitations that might never come up in a multiple-choice survey.
Interviews are great for exploring sensitive topics or complex decision-making processes where nuance is key.
That said, interviews can be time-consuming and costly. It’s not easy (or cheap) to interview hundreds of people one by one.
The best approach is to plan your questions carefully, keep them neutral, and practice active listening. If done well, interviews can yield rich stories and revelations that inspire truly customer-centric strategies.
5. Experiments and field trials
Sometimes the best way to learn is to try something and see what happens. That’s the idea behind experiments and field trials in market research.
Instead of just asking people what they think they’ll do, you set up a scenario to observe what they actually do when a variable changes.
In a classic experiment, you change one element and see how it impacts something else. For instance, you could alter the price of a product, the color of a website button, or the wording of an email subject line to test what drives more engagement or sales.
Field trials are experiments done in a natural environment rather than a lab.
Imagine a grocery store testing two layouts: one week, they arrange the aisles one way, the next week, they change it up to see which setup makes shoppers buy more.
Because these tests happen in the real world, you get to see genuine behavior.
Why use experiences and field trials
The big upside to experiments and field trials is the ability to discover cause-and-effect. You can say, “Option A led to a 20% increase in sales compared to Option B,” which is gold for decision-making.
For example, you could use Brandwatch Social Media Management to A/B test different versions of your campaigns across platforms, and track through analytics which leads to the most engagement.
6. Observation
Observation is a research method where you watch people in a natural setting to understand their behavior.
Think of it as the “fly on the wall” technique. Instead of asking consumers what they do or want, you see it firsthand. This could mean observing shoppers in a store, watching how people interact with a product in their home, or even tracking how users navigate through a website (using tools like heatmaps).
The goal is to capture what people actually do, not just what they say they do. Sometimes there’s a big difference. For example, a customer might say they always compare prices online before buying, but an observational study in-store might show that many grab the first brand they recognize on the shelf. Observational research often reveals these kinds of gaps between stated preference and actual behavior.
Why use observation
One strength of observation is its authenticity. When people aren’t being directly questioned or pressured, they tend to act more naturally, providing you with raw, genuine insights. And you don't even have to observe a person in real life; instead, you could have a look at social media to see how people are using your product.
But there are some catches. If folks realize they’re being observed, they might change their behavior (even unintentionally). And doing observation well can be time-intensive – you might spend days or weeks just to get a few key insights.
Despite the challenges, observation can be incredibly enlightening, especially for things like usability testing (watching someone use your app or website) or understanding the customer experience in a retail environment.
7. Competitive analysis
Market research isn’t just about customers in a vacuum – it’s also about knowing your competition. Competitive analysis is a strategic method that involves studying your competitors to understand their activities and how you compare.
Essentially, you’re trying to get inside your rivals’ heads (and their data) to inform your own business decisions.
How do you do a competitive analysis?
It usually starts with defining who your competitors are (sometimes it’s not as obvious as you think – a company offering a different product could still be competing for the same customer budget or attention).
Once you have your list, you’d look at various aspects of their business and marketing: What products or services do they offer, and at what price points? What does their marketing strategy look like – are they big on SEO, pumping out social media content, getting tons of PR coverage? How about their customer sentiment – are people happy with them or complaining?
There are tools that can help make competitive analysis easy. For example, Brandwatch Benchmark can monitor competitors’ website traffic, social engagement, and even share of voice in online conversations. And sometimes, simply signing up for a competitor’s newsletter or reading their customer reviews can provide eye-opening insights.
(P.S. We’ve written a whole guide on competitive analysis techniques, so feel free to check that out for a deeper dive.)
8. Public data sources
Not all research data has to come from your own efforts. There’s a wealth of information out there in the public domain – and it’s growing every day. Tapping into public data sources can be a cost-effective way to bolster your secondary market research, especially if you’re on a tight budget.
What kind of data are we talking about? Government databases are a big one: think census data, economic indicators, or public health stats. These can provide you with reliable, large-scale data on demographics or trends.
There are also industry reports and whitepapers published by research firms or trade associations that are sometimes free (or available at a library).
“Open data” is a term you might hear – it refers to datasets made freely available for anyone to use. For example, local governments might release transportation usage stats, or a research group might publish survey results for others to analyze.
Further market research tools can be derived from APIs (application programming interfaces), which enable various platforms to pull in data programmatically – for example, by fetching social media trend data or Google search trends to gauge consumer interest.
Why use public data sources
Using public data does come with a couple of cautions. First, always consider the source – is it up-to-date and trustworthy? (Data from a respected government body or research institute is usually solid, but a random internet poll might not be.)
Second, it might not be tailored to your exact question, so you often have to interpret or combine data sources to get the insights you need.
However, when used wisely, public data can add context and credibility to your own findings. And best of all, much of it is free!
9. Hire a research consultancy
Sometimes, doing all the research yourself isn’t feasible, whether due to time constraints, lack of internal expertise, or the scope of the project. In these cases, one effective method is to outsource both primary and secondary research.
There are plenty of market research companies out there. You can commission a consultancy to design and execute a study for you from scratch. Bespoke research can be expensive, but you get the benefit of professionals handling the heavy lifting (and you’ll often receive insights that your team might not have uncovered on its own).
Another approach is to buy existing research. Subscriptions or one-off reports from companies like Mintel, Euromonitor, or Statista can give you access to industry data and trends without having to wait.
These publications often cover a wide range of topics, including market size and growth forecasts, as well as consumer behavior patterns in specific sectors. It’s like skipping straight to the answers, which can be a huge time-saver.
The obvious trade-off when you “buy” research is cost. High-quality reports or consulting projects can be expensive.
You also want to ensure the research aligns with your needs – a generic industry report might not answer your more specific questions. But when budget allows, leveraging external research can significantly speed up your insight-gathering process. You get data delivered to you in an easy-to-digest format, so you can spend your time strategizing what to do with those insights rather than gathering them from scratch.
10. Analyze sales data
Last but certainly not least, don’t overlook your own sales data as a research tool.
Sales and customer data are like a treasure trove sitting right in front of you. It tells the story of what your customers are actually doing – what they’re buying (or not buying), how often they purchase, how long they stay subscribed, and so on. By analyzing this data, you can uncover patterns and trends that inform your market strategy.
These insights can guide decisions on marketing campaigns, inventory management, or even new product development. If you see many customers buying Product A and Product B together, it might be worth marketing them as a combo or investigating why that pairing is popular.
Sales data analysis is often quantitative, but it can answer qualitative questions too, like “What features are driving repeat purchases?” when combined with other data (say, product reviews or customer surveys).
Why use sales data
These days, companies are taking this a step further with predictive modeling. By feeding historical sales data into machine learning models, businesses can attempt to forecast future demand or identify which customers might churn (stop buying) before it happens.
This kind of analysis can be incredibly powerful, letting you act proactively – for instance, reaching out with a special offer to at-risk customers to retain them.
Whether or not you’re using advanced analytics, regularly digging into your sales data is a must. It’s concrete evidence of what works and what doesn’t, and it can validate (or challenge) the findings from your other market research efforts.
Time to conduct market research
Wrapping up, the core methods of market research – from focus groups to data analysis – remain as important as ever. But how we execute them is evolving with technology and cultural shifts.
The best strategy for market research in 2025 is to blend tried-and-true techniques with innovative new tools. Don’t be afraid to experiment with emerging methods, whether it’s incorporating video responses into your surveys or letting AI help sift through mountains of data.
Market research is all about understanding people and industries. By staying curious and adapting to new trends, you’ll keep getting the insights you need to make marketing decisions with confidence. Happy researching!