Original research creates a unique differentiator in your content marketing program, but not everyone or any AI tool can do it successfully.
Before you ever pose a question, you must know why you’re creating it (i.e., how it will help your audience and your brand), which formats you’ll use to package the findings (i.e., blog articles, e-books, webinars, videos), and how you’ll distribute the content you create from the findings. You also must ensure that it fits within organizational constraints, including budget, staff, and expertise.
But that’s not enough.
Conducting high-quality research requires an understanding of:
- Research methodologies and objectives
- Sampling procedures
- Questionnaire design
- Project management
- Data analysis
- Reporting
That said, before you ever launch a survey, answer these eight questions to build the project on solid ground.
1. What is your objective?
Begin with your audience in mind. The research should provide valuable insights for them. Research conducted for self-serving purposes could turn people off.
Be clear about what you want to study — and why.
For example, Aha Media and Mantis Research conducted research to help marketers at health care providers understand the impact of plain language in B2B health care marketing materials. Do readers prefer plain language? Are they more likely to act on the information? (Spoiler alert: Clarity is indeed a competitive advantage.)
They shared the study results in webinars, social media posts, blog posts, and more. (Check out this article on CMI about it: New Study Reveals Clear Writing Tips for B2B Marketers.)
2. Is the data already available?
Once you’re clear on the objective, look for any secondary research — published information — on your subject.
Limit the time spent on this phase so it doesn’t get expensive. Depending on your topic and objective, the volume of potential resources could be big. A basic internet search or prompts into a generative AI tool can lead to industry association data, libraries, government reports, etc. Also, look at your brand’s internal information, such as marketing stats, sales data, etc.
If you discover good existing research, you may find it sufficient to use and properly cite for your content marketing objective instead of conducting new research. On the other hand, your discoveries may identify gaps your research could fill.
If you proceed with an original research project, your objective(s) determines the methodology. Qualitative research (e.g., personal interviews, focus groups) or perhaps a quantitative study (e.g., surveys) — or a combination of the two — may best suit your objective.
To generate credible results, you can’t wing it. A high-quality, original research project for content marketing takes time, expertise, and budget.
“I’ve been managing original research projects for the last 15 years. The single most common problem I see from people who are just getting started with research is that their survey design does not unearth any interesting themes or stories,” says Clare McDermott, founder of Ravn Research.
“The best research uncovers friction — insights that are surprising, uncomfortable, or expose some type of weakness/failing. Designing surveys for storytelling takes experience. That’s not to say people should not experiment with research, but it does help to sign on experts who can advise at the survey design stage.”
Among the questions to answer:
- Who will manage the project? Do you have a qualified staff member with time available, or will you need to outsource it?
- Who will design the qualitative survey instruments (e.g., moderator guide, screening questionnaire, question/discussion guide), recruit the participants, and conduct the interviews?
- Who will design the quantitative questionnaire, program and host the survey, collect, tabulate, and analyze the data?
- What survey tools will be needed?
- Who will write and design the report? Will it be done in-house or will you outsource it
- Who will develop the strategy for creating content pieces around the insights and distribute the findings?
- How much will it cost?
- What are your ROI goals? Are they financial, metrics-based, or something different? For example, do you want to attract X number of new visitors to view the findings on your site who will convert at a rate of Y% to email subscribers? Or do you want to generate X number of qualified leads from the research-focused content who will convert at a rate of Y% to sales?
If you don’t have the expertise on the team to answer these questions, you should invest the time (and money) to learn or find someone who does.
4. Do you have a quality list?
How will you find the people who can provide the insights you’re looking for? You could use your subscriber list, partner with another company, rent a third-party list, use a list-on-demand feature in survey software, and pay for access to a panel of prescreened participants.
You can distribute the survey in multiple ways. At CMI, we usually send survey invitations by email to a known audience of interest (e.g., B2B marketers who use content marketing). Other options include embedding a survey link on your website, including a link in blog posts and newsletters, running banner ads that link to your survey, or distributing a link on your social media channels.
Your choice will be based on your objectives.
Rather than getting into all the pros and cons of list options and survey distribution methods here, I stress the importance of understanding sampling and methodology and having the expertise to address these issues. If you don’t, seek outside assistance.
5. How will you interpret the data?
After the data has been collected, edited, cleaned, and coded, you move into the analysis and writing phase.
The research methodology will have an impact on the analysis. For example, an in-depth analysis of qualitative data requires different skills than analyzing quantitative data. Do you have this talent on staff? If not, who will analyze the findings for you?
It’s beneficial to have several people see the data. Someone might observe something that another person missed. This analysis may also reveal findings that require further research.
A word of caution: Your report’s text and visual presentation — as well as its written methodology — affect the market’s perception of your study. Ensure that the writer and designer have sufficient understanding of communicating research effectively, such as not making conclusions unsupported by the data and visualizing it in an easily understood way.
6. What type of content will you create?
Your goals will inform your choice of content formats. Consider developing these types around the original research findings:
In your format selection process, also evaluate the resources necessary to create, distribute, and manage that content.
7. Will you gate the research?
Based on your research project’s goals — and prior to releasing the content (e.g., primary report, e-book) — decide if you will require recipients to provide contact or other information to receive the results (i.e., gate it).
Since CMI’s first research report in 2010, we have never gated our annual marketing trends report. The research’s goal is to attract and build an audience by providing helpful information to content marketers, not to collect leads. The research helps us build relationships with site visitors, many of whom become newsletter subscribers.
If you prioritize collecting leads over the possibility of turning off the potential audience, ensure that your findings are so valuable that people will happily give you their contact information. If you’re not sure, try some A/B testing or gate the research for a limited time to see how it performs.
8. Are you prepared for the attention?
Be ready for the questions your findings will bring. Be prepared to:
- Explain the methodology and interpretation.
- Field public relations inquiries. Contact your media relations person as you plan the study to identify how they can help advance the reach of the findings. Check out these tips from my colleague Amanda Subler: A Step-by-Step Guide to Get More Eyes on Your Research.
- Respond to questions and comments on social media.
- Reply to requests for interviews — talking about your research is a great way to generate interest in it.
- Be open to new ideas and questions offered by people who read the research. Feedback can be useful when planning your next research project.
- Keep your sales team in the loop. Determine what your team should do with prospects who learn about your products/services through the research-related content. How will your team move these people to the next step in their relationship with your company?
TIP: Stay abreast of similar research conducted by competitors. Review their methodology and results so you can intelligently discuss the overall research in your industry with your audience and team.
Ready for research
No one-size-fits-all approach exists for original research in content marketing programs. Go through these eight steps to assess your brand’s situation and think through various scenarios. Then, you will know if it’s possible to execute internally and/or outsource portions, as well as how it fits into the overall content marketing strategy.
See all of CMI’s original research reports from its central hub.
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Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute