How asking activities have a big influence on your marketing success
 
Childhood is a time of magnificent growth in all areas of development. One of those areas is the growth of intelligence. Therefore, we often see child ask about everything over and over again. They always want to know, they do exploration to satisfy their curiosity. So that many parenting experts advise parents to encourage them to ask in order to improve the development of their intelligence.

In the field of marketing, you can apply this asking activities. Surely not only do asking without planning, but there are strategies for doing this. So that these asking activities can generate power and great beneficial for your company. I mean the power in terms of market share, cash flow strength, profit strength, strength to win the competition. That’s why the title of this article is the power of asking in marketing world.

What is type of question you should ask?

There are two types of classification of question.  First is question based on object ( destination ), second one is question based on purpose or intention.

 
Based on the object, the question was divided into two, they are the question for internal and question for external. 

Based on purpose, the question is divided into: the question to get feedback from stakeholders (surveys, questionnaires), the question for decision making (for example, to decide the appropriate action to solve problems).

Asking Activities Case Studies

You want to know if your ads that spread across multiple media are effective in increasing sales or not. 

Background 

Suppose you've put your ad in a X magazine, Y newspapers, and Z radio. After a few weeks, you found that charts sales increase 10%. 

Problems

After some time you decide to cut the advertising budget in conventional media, so that you will focus on media that generates more sales and then implementing the strategy of word of mouth through social networks that have been formed.

Solutions From this case study, you have to know that this question is for the customer (external) and aims to determine the conversion rate on some advertising media that you distribute.

Strategies
  
You must make a plan to be executed. Remember your goal and make align with the question.

Some of best practice is: if your product niche is intended for women, in the name of minimalist marketing spirit, you do not need to ask about the gender of the respondent questionnaire. And there are more samples to create a question to ask and get the data for analysis.


Sample questions
 
I will address some questions that could be asked to people who has already bought your product. Simple question is more preferred by respondents, for example:

- Do you use this product before?
- If not, where did you know about this product?
- And so on ....

Performing asking activities

Now I discuss about the strategy to do this activity. You can do the two approaches, first is meet customer directly and second is ask via social media. 

You can choose one approach or run both, it depends on the resources you have.

The first approach
You can mobilize people to ask customer at the store that sells your product. After came out of the store, you can offer a gift and ask them directly.

The second approach

You can interact on a social media, such as twitter. By using the tag (for example: #survey), and give gifts like make an interesting avatar, or send a gift, and so on for the responder who answer and mention you with the tag #survey.

Finally, you got the data. You must perform analysis, formulate them for decision making, and deliver report what marketing media channel produce high conversion rate and what media produce low conversion rate. 

So that management in your company can decide what advertising media must be stopped for saving advertising budget.

Conclusion
 
The right questions will result appropriate conclusions and solutions. Therefore you should apply the asking activities best practices.


see: how to marketing plan by self-asking