Conducting market research from the diaspora is an essential step for successfully taking advantage of opportunities in Nigeria while being thousands of miles away.
But hereโs the challenge: how do you conduct meaningful market research from London, New York, or Toronto?
The answer lies in building a systematic approach to remote market research that leverages both digital tools and your diaspora network.
This article will show you exactly how to do it.
1. Digital Analysis
You want to start with what you can observe online. Nigeriaโs digital footprint has exploded in recent years, giving you unprecedented access to market insights.
You can use tools like Hootsuite or even free Facebook and Instagram search functions to monitor conversations around your industry. Look for complaints, desires, and unmet needs expressed in Nigerian groups and pages.
Then take it further by analysing search patterns specific to Nigeria using tools like Google Trends. You want to know what people are searching for? When do certain topics peak? This reveals genuine consumer interest, not just what people say they want.
Next, you want to study existing businesses in your space. Check their social media engagement, website traffic (using tools like SimilarWeb), and customer reviews. Pay attention to what customers complain about most.
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2. Survey Your Network
After conducting a digital analysis, you want to survey your network.
Your family, friends, and professional connections in Nigeria are your next research goldmine. But donโt just ask them what they think about your idea.
Instead, create a simple 10-minute phone interview script. Ask about their daily challenges, shopping habits, and pain points rather than directly pitching your solution.
Join relevant Facebook/WhatsApp groups (professional, alumni, interest-based) and observe discussions. Note recurring problems and frustrations.
Then, you want to connect with professionals in your target market. Most Nigerians are open to helping diaspora entrepreneurs with genuine research requests.
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3. Conduct A Formal Survey
Now create a structured survey that goes beyond your immediate network. The key is making it feel valuable to respondents, not just extractive.
Here are a few tips to help you get good insights at this phase:
- Offer something valuable in return. This could be a summary of your findings, a useful resource, or even a small gift. Respect peopleโs time.
- Use a mix of quantitative (multiple choice, rating scales) with qualitative (open-ended) questions. And ask about current solutions they use, budget allocation, and decision-making factors.
- Use SurveyMonkey or Google Forms to create your surveys, but donโt rely solely on your social media for distribution. You can partner with local influencers, professional associations, or even university networks to reach diverse demographics.
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4. Validation Through Pre-Sales
The ultimate market insight is whether people will pay for your solution. And the best way to gain that insight is by creating a minimum viable offer to test real demand.
You can do that by:
- Building a simple landing page describing your solution. And using Facebook or Google ads targeted at Nigerian audiences to drive traffic and measure conversion rates.
- If youโre launching a physical product, offer pre-orders at a discount. The number of people willing to pay upfront tells you more about demand than any survey would.
- For service businesses, offer a limited pilot programme to a small group. Their feedback and retention rates provide crucial validation data.
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Action Steps
Market research can be overwhelming, it takes effort and time but it is a crucial step for a successful market entry especially if youโre in the diaspora without first-hand understanding of the Nigerian market.
But you donโt have to do it yourself. At Doing Business In Nigeria, we offer market entry services where our team provides specialised reports, market analysis and competitor intelligence to help you make informed decisions about entering and operating in the Nigerian market
Contact us today to save you stress and get expert market research done-for-you!
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