How do you approach market research when your PMM team is under resourced and it's tough just to keep up with core responsibilities?

As a solo and founding Product Marketer (and total marketing team of 2 people), I feel this deeply..I have almost no time to truly dedicate to market research.

I personally like to use Gong because there is so much GOLD that already exists, and the filters and alerts you set up can highlight and help bubble up the most important pieces. For example:

• Create Keyword Trackers: Set up keyword trackers around key topics, competitors, or product features to identify recurring themes in customer conversations. This can reveal what customers care about most and help you align your messaging.

• Use Filters to Focus on Market Segments: Segment call data by industry, customer type, or deal stage to pinpoint unique needs across different audience segments.

• Tactic: Run a regular report with top-trending keywords and analyze shifts over time. For example, if you track "automation" vs. "efficiency," you might find these increase in importance at certain times of the year.

Check out some specific Gong filters I like to use in my "PMM Hacks Series" here.

If you don't have Gong, prioritize high-impact research questions. For example:

• Focus on What Moves the Needle: Start with one or two questions that align most closely with your strategic goals (e.g., understanding top competitor differentiators or customer onboarding pain points).

• Validate with Minimal Testing: If you’re testing messaging, try running quick social media or email A/B tests, where you can get a fast read on engagement or click rates without dedicating extensive time.

• Mine Existing Data: Use customer feedback, support tickets, and product reviews (I LOVE putting G2 reviews into ChatGPT to surface insights) as a rich source of insights. These channels can reveal common issues, desired features, or even language you can adopt in messaging.

• Use Automated Tools: Tools like Zendesk or Intercom can pull sentiment or keyword insights from support tickets automatically, which saves time and uncovers recurring themes without manual review.

And finally, some ChatGPT prompts I've found to be helpful just to gauge market trends (*caveat: BE SURE TO VALIDATE WHATEVER RESPONSES YOU GET!). I like to validate internally with sales and externally with customers (aka "Does this sound accurate?")

• "What are the main pain points and unmet needs of [target audience] in the [product category] market, and how are these evolving with recent trends?"

• "What are the current and emerging trends in the [industry] space that are influencing customer preferences and purchasing behavior?"

• "How has demand for [product category or feature] changed over the past year, and what market dynamics are driving this shift?"

• "What gaps exist in the [product category] market that could represent growth opportunities, especially in light of recent trends or competitor offerings?"

• "How are top competitors positioning their products in the [industry] and adapting their strategies to align with changing market trends?"