How to Start Researching a New Market
Entering a new market is like jumping into a group chat with 10,000 strangers and trying to decode the conversation without embarrassing yourself.
Who’s frustrated? Who’s loyal? What’s everyone really saying when they think brands aren’t listening?
That’s where OneCliq’s Consumer Insight Engine (CIE) comes in.
It listens to thousands of real conversations from Reddit, YouTube, forums, and more so you can uncover pain points, desires, regrets, and emotional undercurrents without spending weeks on desk research.
Let’s walk through how to do it using one of the most secretly chaotic industries out there: home internet providers.
Step 1: Find the Frustration (That No Survey Will Ever Tell You)
Ask OneCliq:
“What’s making people complain about their internet provider?”
Suddenly, you’re no longer guessing, you’re in the middle of a digital town hall. Here’s what real people are saying:
“Why am I paying $90 a month for this speed?!”
“Support ghosted me for 3 days.”
“Why does my ‘unlimited’ data get throttled every night?”
This isn’t sanitized survey data. This is real emotion, in real time.
Insight Drop:
68% of Reddit users discussing internet providers mention billing issues within the first 5 comments. CIE surfaces patterns like this in seconds with no manual tagging or sorting needed.
These moments are more than just rants. They’re roadmaps to product fixes, messaging pivots, and campaigns that actually resonate.
Step 2: Spot the Selling Points (and the Regret Signals)
Ask OneCliq:
“What makes people choose one provider over another?”
Now you're seeing what actually influences decisions beyond price tags and flashy ads.
Here’s what stands out again and again:
✅ “Upload speed was the game-changer for my Zoom calls.”
✅ “They gave me stable pricing—no promo drama after 12 months.”
✅ “Their support actually picked up the phone. I was shocked.”
People aren’t just shopping but they’re calculating emotional ROI: peace of mind, predictability, and respect.
But here’s where it gets even more powerful:
“I thought the fiber plan would be faster.”
“Didn’t know router rental wasn’t included.”
“Honestly, I regret switching.”
These are the post-purchase pain points that often go unspoken until it’s too late but CIE catches them in real time.
CIE Tip:
Use keywords like regret, should’ve, or never again to surface buyer remorse and identify messaging gaps.
This is how you build campaigns that not only sell but prevent churn, too.
Step 3: Spot What’s Hot (and What’s Just Hype)
Ask OneCliq:
“What internet trends are people actually talking about?”
Boom, you’re instantly plugged into emerging narratives across Reddit, YouTube, and forums. It’s like having your ear to the ground… but at scale.
Here’s what the CIE reveals:
- Fiber = Beyoncé status. Everyone wants it, not everyone can get it.
- 5G home internet is the new cool kid—some users are obsessed, others say it’s overpromised.
- Mesh Wi-Fi setups are the go-to for gamers and WFH pros who need full-house coverage.
Insight Drop:
Mentions of “fiber” have increased by 42% in consumer forums year-over-year.
If you’re building positioning or a campaign, this is your moment to lead, not lag.
CIE doesn’t just tell you what’s trending, it shows you what’s accelerating, polarizing, or about to break.
That’s how you stay one step ahead of the conversation.
Step 4: Find the Final Straw (a.k.a. The Switch Moment)
Ask OneCliq:
“What finally pushes people to switch internet providers?”
You’re not just seeing complaints anymore, you’re spotting tipping points. The moments that make people walk away, cancel contracts, or rage-post online.
Switching Triggers Found by CIE:
- “The installer no-showed on move-in day.”
- “Outage during my Zoom interview. I’m done.”
- “My bill jumped by $40 overnight. No warning.”
These are more than minor annoyances, they’re dealbreakers. And they’re dripping with emotion: betrayal, frustration, relief.
Pro Tip:
Use CIE to compare how people describe switching moments. You’ll spot words like finally, couldn’t take it anymore, or felt scammed. These words give you emotional ammo for your messaging.
When you understand the “last straw,” you don’t just acquire users.
You rescue them with offers and messages that speak to their moment of pain.
Step 5: Find the Shared Pain (and Flip It Into Your Superpower)
Ask OneCliq:
“What do people complain about no matter which provider they use?”
This is the stuff that no one seems to get right and that means opportunity.
Top Industry-Wide Frictions (CIE Highlights):
- Installation delays that leave customers waiting for days.
- Confusing billing and surprise charges.
- Long hold times with support—or worse, no support at all.
These are structural weaknesses.
Which means: if you fix just one of them, you instantly stand out.
Fun Fact:
The phrase “hold music” shows up more often than “customer service rep” in online complaints. That’s not just a pain point, it’s a punchline.
Strategy Cue:
If you’re entering a crowded market, you don’t have to outspend the competition, you just have to out-care them.
Step 6: See Who’s Winning the Popularity Contest (and Why)
Ask OneCliq:
“What are people really saying about the top brands in this space?”
You’ll hear it loud and clear, brand reputations are built (and broken) in online threads, not boardrooms.
Here’s what the CIE picked up on:
Real Quotes Pulled by CIE:
- “Xfinity is fast… but sneaky with the fees.”
- “Verizon Fios = no drama, just speed.”
- “Spectrum’s fine, unless you ever have to call them.”
This is unfiltered, unpaid, and unprompted. And it’s marketing gold.
Why? Because these kinds of verbatims help you:
- Shape better comparisons in your messaging
- Predict objections and loyalty signals before they hit
- Craft positioning that speaks to what people actually value
CIE Tip:
To surface endorsement language or peer-to-peer referrals, scan for phrases like “I always recommend…” or “If you’re choosing between…”
This is the stuff that drives decisions behind the scenes and now it’s in your hands.
Ready to Explore a New Market the Smart Way?
With OneCliq’s Consumer Insight Engine, you don’t need surveys, spreadsheets, or second guesses.
You get real talk, from real people, instantly.
Whether you're launching a new campaign, pitching a client, or rethinking your brand positioning, CIE helps you uncover emotional truths, buyer triggers, and trend signals in minutes, not months.
TL;DR — What You Can Learn with CIE:
✅ What’s driving real frustration
✅ What makes people say yes (or no)
✅ What’s trending now—and what’s fading
✅ The emotional triggers behind switching behavior
✅ Who’s winning trust (and who’s losing it)
Instead of building strategy on assumptions, build it on insight.
Start Listening Smarter
Start your free trial — no credit card needed.
Need help crafting your first query? Your Customer Success Manager is a message away.