Oh how I love research
let me count the ways.
The way that it tells a story
and the dividends it pays.
How it raises credibility
and makes one trust.
If you do it right,
Research is a must.
Research has always been a big part of what I do as a writer, marketer, and brand and customer experience advisor, but it's often in the background. Whether it's investigating facts or statistics to round out a piece of content, or interviewing customers for a brand audit, or internet stalking the right influencers for a marketing campaign, there's always some element of research in my day but it's typically in service to some other task.
Lately though I've been working with clients on more long-form, original research -- projects designed to formulate a point of view and develop a platform for thought leadership and sales enablement. While the initial goals for the projects were to increase awareness and engagement, I've been surprised at how my clients are now using the data to inform go-to-market strategies, target new verticals, and contribute something back to their communities. Research...the swiss army knife of marketing.
Why Should You Invest in Original Research?
Research means different things to different people, but here are the top benefits to me:
1. Asking the right questions informs your thinking. You're probably rolling your eyes at this one because it's so obvious, but think how often we do what just feels right, or what's worked in the past without vetting our decisions. Doing even just a little bit of research up front or testing at the end of a process can make your strategy, messaging, outreach and content stronger than it ever would be without it. If budgets permit, a higher level of research is usually well worth the investment, especially if you're trying to understand buying behaviors, vet a strategy, or refine positioning on an important topic, but some is better than none.
2. Data boosts credibility and trust - internally and externally. Everyone has an opinion these days, and people are becoming more and more skeptical of them. We've seen that loud and clear in today's political environment, but it extends to business as well. People want to know whose opinion they can trust, and if your opinion (or your strategy) is backed with credible research and real data, then people will be more willing to listen. Credible being the operative word here. If you're going to come out publicly and widely with data, make sure it's grounded in reality.
3. Statistics get attention. People are drowning in content. It's always been tough to get your content noticed, but it's getting worse as more interactions move online. Our email inboxes are overflowing -- Statista estimates 306.4 billion emails were sent and received each day in 2020. Blogs, which used to be a way people could differentiate, are now status quo. Wordpress users alone publish 70 million new blog posts every month! As people seek out facts, data can be a great way to get your voice out there. LinkedIn's internal marketing team found that status updates with a stat received 162% more impressions and a 37% higher click-through-rate than those without one.
4. Credible research elevates your authority. If you're trying to create a market, get press to seek you out for comment, or improve your share of voice, research can work wonders. When it comes to digital marketing, releasing original research can not only drive social engagement but also make your website an original data source, which helps with backlinks and search rankings. If you're disciplined enough to release research with a predictable cadence, like my client 10K has done with its annual Salesforce Talent Ecosystem research, it's fascinating to see that turning point where people start to seek you out for comment and information.
So Why Don't More People Do It?
Research is a lot like exercising. We know it's good for us and we know we should do it, but it takes time, energy, focus and (often) money. So instead we avoid it and make up excuses like "I'm just too busy," or "I'll get to it tomorrow."
Time, focus and money are in short supply at many companies, especially startups who don't have big budgets or need to move fast. Getting business and marketing leaders to part with their limited resources is tough, and putting together a business case for research projects (which can be expensive) is not as simple as making a case for other marketing investments. Original research often falls under the purview of brand, corporate marketing, PR or thought leadership, areas which are notoriously hard to track back directly to near-term ROI. While most good leaders understand these functions contribute immensely to awareness, reputation, culture and customer loyalty, those results are often seen over time. It's a lot easier to get funding for an email or social campaign where you can track every dollar back to a click, view or download. And while these are great short-term marketing metrics, it should be part of a broader mix.
Research doesn't have to be the focal point of your marketing program (although it can be), but it should be part of your program if it isn't already. According to a 2019 report from Mantis Research on the State of Original Research for Marketing, only 4% of respondents who had conducted original research in the last year said it hadn't met their expectations and 88% planned to conduct additional research in the next 12 months. With that many repeat customers, research has to be contributing something to the business and marketing program.
If you're ready to give it a try here are a few tips to get started.
Know why you're doing the research. Be clear about your goal from the start. Is it purely to get your name out there? Are you looking for objective input from a specific audience? Or just looking for a data point to defend your point of view?
Don't boil the ocean. Research does take time and planning to do right, but you don't need to get the answer to every question you have all at once (no matter how tempting that may be). Pick a topic, pick a question and start there.
Seek help from an expert. If your team doesn't have the skills (or the time), and budget is no object, partnering with a well known firm like Gallup, Harris, or Forrester brings instant support and credibility. If budget is an issue, like it is for most of us, I've had great luck with specialists like Dimensional Research. There are also great freelance data analysts out there if you are working with existing data.
Repurpose, reuse and repeat. If you spend the time and money to do research, make sure you're getting as much out of it as you can. Don't just put out a report and call it a day, find ways to repackage it and use it everywhere. This blog has a bunch of great creative ways to reuse research. If it's internal research, package the insights and share across your teams so everyone learns.
To go back to my exercise analogy, now might be a great time to work on building your research muscle. If you get into a cadence and make it a part of your regular routine, it's easy to get hooked. And while it might take a while to see the results, it is rarely a waste of time.
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