Blog Post

Building a marketing strategy without research is like building IKEA furniture without the manual. You might end up with a shelf—or you might be sitting on what’s supposed to be a table.

I’ve worked with brands for nearly a decade, and the same question always comes up:
“How do we know what the right move is?”

My answer is always the same: Start with the research.

Here’s how I use market and competitor insights to build strategies that don’t just look good in a deck but actually drive results.

To keep things simple (and actionable), here’s what I’ll be covering:

• How I define the “right” goal before diving into data
  
• How to spot your real competitors—not just the obvious ones
  
• Ways to pull meaningful insights from noisy customer feedback
  
• How I find gaps competitors miss
  
• Turning all this into a smart, no-fluff marketing strategy
  

Let’s get into it.

Guessing is for game shows. Not your marketing plan.

When I build a strategy, I don’t rely on intuition alone. I start with real evidence—what customers are saying, what competitors are doing, and where the market is heading. This approach doesn’t just keep me confident in my decisions; it keeps the team aligned and the budget well-spent.

If you’re new to this, I recommend reading Market & Competitor Research 101. It’s a solid starting point to understand how this fits into your overall growth goals.

Before I touch a single spreadsheet, I make sure I know why I’m doing the research.

A vague goal like “understand the market” won’t cut it. Instead, I ask questions like:

• What do we need to know to enter this market with confidence?
  
• Where are we currently losing ground—and why?
  
• What are our competitors doing that we’re not?
  

When the goal is clear, everything else becomes easier to filter, sort, and act on.

If you need a roadmap for setting your first goal, my beginner’s guide lays it out simply.

Let’s clear up a common myth: your competition isn’t always who you think it is.

Sure, you might think your biggest rival is the shiny, well-funded startup down the street. But sometimes, it’s something as boring as Excel. Or an intern with time on their hands.

That’s why I research both direct and indirect competitors.
Direct competitors offer similar products. Indirect ones might solve the same problem in a different way.

Need help sorting out who’s who? I talk more about identifying competitors over in this breakdown.

Customer reviews. Sales calls. Reddit threads. User interviews.

I treat all of them like breadcrumbs leading to valuable insights.

Here’s what I look for:

• Patterns in praise (“easy to use,” “fast support”)
  
• Recurring complaints (“confusing pricing,” “slow onboarding”)
  
• Unmet needs (“I wish it had…” is marketing gold)
  

Don’t just skim the five-star or one-star reviews. The three-star ones usually have the most constructive feedback.

This is where Market Research 101 comes in handy. It walks you through both qualitative and quantitative techniques I rely on.

This part’s fun (for me, anyway).

I analyze:

• Product features and pricing tiers
  
• Messaging and positioning
  
• Their presence on review sites
  
• User feedback they aren’t addressing
  

For example, if I notice every competitor hides their pricing and customers are frustrated by that, guess what? I’m going to recommend you be upfront with pricing. Instant edge.

I also use tools to speed up this process. If you’re not sure where to start, I’ve reviewed my go-to tech stack here.

Market gaps aren’t usually flashing neon signs. But they’re there—if you know what to look for.

I often find:

• A price point competitors ignore
  
• A user segment no one’s targeting
  
• A feature that’s missing across the board
  

You don’t have to invent something groundbreaking. Just identify something useful that’s been overlooked.

If you want to learn how I do this step-by-step, check out my post on finding market gaps.

This is where the magic happens—if you’ve done the work.

I take everything I’ve learned and build a plan that:

• Positions the product clearly and confidently
  
• Targets real pain points, not assumed ones
  
• Highlights what we do better (even if it’s one small thing)
  

This isn’t a guessing game. It’s mapping opportunity to action.

I’ve written more about this approach in this article, if you want to see it in action.

A strategy sitting in a Google Doc doesn’t change much.

I make sure the whole team knows what we’re doing and why. That includes product, sales, marketing—even leadership.

If you’re not actively sharing what you’ve learned, you’re limiting the impact of your insights.

For tips on how to turn findings into team-wide action, see this guide.

Let’s be honest—people mess this up all the time. Here are the usual suspects:

• Trying to research everything at once
  
• Ignoring the “boring” competitors
  
• Getting lost in data and forgetting the original goal
  

Stick to the plan. Keep it focused. Keep it human.

Every smart strategy I’ve built started the same way—with research. Not the sexy kind. The honest, patient kind that takes time to pull apart and translate into action.

If you’ve been relying on gut feelings, I get it. But your competitors? They’re not guessing anymore. And neither should you.

Need someone to help you make sense of your market and your competition? That’s what I do best.

Let’s build something that actually works