How Social Media User Testing Shaped a Product Launch: A Case Study
When Heartfelt, a generational storytelling service, approached us about pre-launch research, they had already completed initial testing of their core product features - recording capabilities, guided interviews, and video editing. However, they recognized that scaling their service and building their social media presence required additional insights. Here's how we used social media-based user testing to strengthen their launch strategy.
The Challenge: Testing at Scale
Heartfelt's service is deeply personal - it helps families capture and preserve their stories across generations. While controlled testing provided valuable initial feedback, the team needed to understand how their service would resonate with real families in natural settings. Some questions we sought to address included:
- Who initiates the sign up for a paired interview? The older relative or the younger family member?
- How do we best manage and incorporate family provided photos/videos to complement the live interview?
- How does on site recording versus web recording impact the final film?
Our Solution: Authentic User Testing Through Social Media
Rather than recruiting through traditional research panels, we developed a strategy that would mirror real-world discovery and adoption:
Influencer Partnerships
- Partnered with Instagram influencers who authentically aligned with family storytelling themes
- Influencers served as question hosts, offering the practice opportunity with their followers
- Each partner received a family film as part of the process, creating genuine testimonialsReal Family Testing
- Vetted paired family members through The Social Question's project management methods
- Coordinated cross-generational schedules and managed the complete testing process
- Gathered authentic feedback throughout the experience
Key Insights Uncovered
The process revealed valuable insights about marketing family-oriented services
Authenticity in Action
Real families provided genuine stories and reactions that no scripted content could replicate, creating powerful marketing assets for future use.Multi-Generational Learning
We helped identify specific communication approaches that resonated across age groups, crucial for a service connecting different generations.Influencer Marketing Preview
The research process offered a lower-pressure environment to understand influencer partnerships, including informational meetings with agents to understand future marketing costs and expectations.
Impact on Launch Strategy
This approach helped Heartfelt:
- Identify key messaging that resonated with target users
- Develop authentic marketing content from real experiences
- Create a network of engaged early adopters
- Refine their user experience based on real-world feedback
Taking This Approach Further: Content Connections
Want to try this approach but not sure where to start? Our Content Connections methodology offers a structured way to tap into authentic consumer conversations through influencer partnerships. This proven approach has helped brands like Heartfelt gather crucial insights while building genuine connections with their target audience.
Content Connections specializes in:
- Strategic influencer collaboration for research purposes
- Instagram Stories engagement for authentic feedback
- Comprehensive analysis through our proprietary ScribeQ™ technology
- Detailed reporting that transforms responses into actionable insights
This methodology is particularly valuable for:
- Research teams new to social media
- Startups exploring influencer marketing
- Brands seeking authentic consumer perspectives
Ready to explore how social media-based user testing could benefit your product launch? Let's connect and discuss your specific needs.
Want to experience a Heartfelt family film of your own? Use code ‘100Kayte’ for $100 off any extended films package.
*Note: This case study has been shared with permission from Heartfelt. Some details have been generalized to protect proprietary information.*
