A Complete Guide to Using Original Research to Elevate B2B Content Marketing
By Theresa Meis
#10. Promote, promote, promote: Publishing a research report should never be a one-and-done campaign. Make sure you continue to leverage your research findings by promoting the report across various channels and through different content formats to reach a broader audience and maximize the impact of your research.
Our friends at Content Marketing Institute have also drafted an excellent self-assessment for marketers who are considering diving into original research: Don’t Start an Original Research Project Before Answering These 8 Questions.
Learn to stop worrying and love B2B original research
Publishing a marketing research report is an excellent way for your company to share the next Big Idea with your industry. At TopRank, we’ve helped companies bring their research to life, as well as published our own proprietary insights.
Some highlights from this last year of report drafting include:
- The TopRank 2023 B2B Influencer Marketing Report: Elevate & Ignite
- Sprinklr and LinkedIn’s Proving the Power of Brand
- HubSpot’s The Intersection of Marketing, Data and AI
Interested in learning more about how we can help you develop a marketing report based on original research? Contact us.
Let me know if this sounds familiar: You’re drafting a masterful thought leadership piece and want to back up your thesis with a strong data point. After a bit of searching, you find the perfect one! But when you click through to the source, it takes you to one of those “Billionty Best Statistics For Marketers” lists.
Okay, so you find the stat again, click through, and it takes you to… an older stat round-up list.
Many (many…) frustrating clicks later, you find you’re back in 2012. Maroon 5 is topping the charts, London’s hosting the summer Olympics, and the stat you’ve been chasing is no longer relevant.
If you’ve ever found yourself at the bottom of the dreaded stat source rabbit hole wishing you just had reliable data – do I have a solution for you!
Original research. At TopRank Marketing, we’ve partnered with several big brands on ambitious original research reports that have driven amazing results for lead gen and brand awareness. We’ve got tips to share from our experience.
Your guide to B2B original research
Publishing your own marketing research reports, on the surface, may appear daunting — they take budget, time, and certain skills to do well. That’s why we’ve broken down the benefits and best practices of conducting B2B original research.
B2B original research influences your bottom line
Here are a few high-quality data points that drive home the value of publishing your own marketing research:
- 84% of deals are already won or lost before vendors even know they’re on the radar.
- Research reports are a sought-after form of content. 55% of B2B buyers regularly consume research reports, and rate them as the most valuable type of content when evaluating purchasing decisions.
- High-quality research and data are the top factors that motivate B2B buyers to express interest in a sales conversation.
In short: Your buyers are looking for your company to be the voice of authority and to offer insights that make their jobs easier, ahead of ever contacting your sales team.
“Early-stage positioning can reduce the number of vendors that buyers consider before they arrive at the 70% Constant… and affect which vendors are top-of-mind when it’s time to engage sellers.” – The 2023 B2B Buyer Experience Report, 6sense
Brand benefits of B2B original research
From strengthening thought leadership to giving your customers information they’re hungry for, publishing your own research data has a number of benefits:
Becoming the primary source
Being the source of a data point or unique research positions your brand as the authoritative origin of valuable information. …read more
Source:: Top Rank Blog