{"id":45295,"date":"2024-07-24T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-24T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/?p=78398"},"modified":"2024-07-24T10:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-07-24T10:00:00","slug":"dont-start-an-original-research-project-before-answering-these-8-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/?p=45295","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t Start an Original Research Project Before Answering These 8 Questions"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><\/div>\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/questions-to-ask-original-research.png\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"><\/div>\n<p>Original research creates a unique differentiator in your content marketing program, but not everyone or any AI tool can do it successfully.<\/p>\n<p>Before you ever pose a question, you must know why you\u2019re creating it (i.e., how it will help your audience and your brand), which formats you\u2019ll use to package the findings (i.e., blog articles, e-books, webinars, videos), and how you\u2019ll distribute the content you create from the findings. You also must ensure that it fits within organizational constraints, including budget, staff, and expertise.<\/p>\n<p>But that\u2019s not enough.<\/p>\n<p>Conducting high-quality research requires an understanding of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Research methodologies and objectives<\/li>\n<li>Sampling procedures<\/li>\n<li>Questionnaire design<\/li>\n<li>Project management<\/li>\n<li>Data analysis<\/li>\n<li>Reporting<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That said, before you ever launch a survey, answer these eight questions to build the project on solid ground.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. What is your objective?<\/h2>\n<p>Begin with your <a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/articles\/linkedin-profiles-audience-research\">audience in mind<\/a>. The research should provide valuable insights for them. Research conducted for self-serving purposes could turn people off.<\/p>\n<p>Be clear about what you want to study \u2014 and why.<\/p>\n<p>For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/ahamediagroup.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Aha Media<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/mantisresearch.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mantis Research<\/a> conducted research to help marketers at health care providers understand&nbsp;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.)<\/p>\n<p>They shared the study results in webinars, social media posts, blog posts, and more. (Check out this article on CMI about it: <a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/articles\/health-care-plain-language-study\/\">New Study Reveals Clear Writing Tips for B2B Marketers<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Is the data already available?<\/h2>\n<p>Once you\u2019re clear on the objective, look for any secondary research \u2014 published information \u2014 on your subject.<\/p>\n<p>Limit the time spent on this phase so it doesn\u2019t 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\u2019s internal information, such as marketing stats, sales data, etc.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>If you proceed with an original research project, your objective(s) determines the methodology.&nbsp;Qualitative research&nbsp;(e.g., <a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/articles\/mastering-interview-process\/\">personal interviews<\/a>, focus groups) or perhaps a quantitative study (e.g., <a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/articles\/data-great-storytelling-examples\/\">surveys<\/a>) \u2014 or a combination of the two \u2014 may best suit your objective.<\/p>\n<p>To generate credible results, you can\u2019t wing it. A high-quality, original research project for content marketing takes time, expertise, and budget.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve been managing original research projects for the last 15 years.&nbsp;The single most common problem I see from people who are just getting started with research is that their <a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/2021\/05\/better-experience-survey-takers\/\">survey design<\/a> does not unearth any interesting themes or stories,\u201d says Clare McDermott, founder of Ravn Research.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe best research uncovers friction \u2014 insights that are surprising, uncomfortable, or expose some type of weakness\/failing. Designing surveys for storytelling takes experience. That\u2019s 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.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Among the questions to answer:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Who will manage the project? Do you have a qualified staff member with time available, or will you <a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/articles\/framework-agile-content-operations\/\">need to outsource<\/a> it?<\/li>\n<li>Who will design the qualitative survey instruments (e.g., moderator guide, screening questionnaire, question\/discussion guide), recruit the participants, and conduct the interviews?<\/li>\n<li>Who will design the quantitative questionnaire, program and host the survey, collect, tabulate, and analyze the data?<\/li>\n<li>What survey tools will be needed?<\/li>\n<li>Who will write and design the report? Will it be done in-house or will you outsource it<\/li>\n<li>Who will develop the strategy for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/articles\/actions-research-marketing\/\">creating content pieces around the insights<\/a>&nbsp;and distribute the findings?<\/li>\n<li>How much will it cost?<\/li>\n<li>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?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you don\u2019t have the <a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/articles\/core-roles-content-team\/\">expertise on the team<\/a> to answer these questions, you should invest the time (and money) to learn or find someone who does.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Do you have a quality list?<\/h2>\n<p>How will you find the people who can provide the insights you\u2019re looking for? You could use your&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/articles\/calculating-value-per-subscriber\/\">subscriber list<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Your choice will be based on your objectives.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019t, seek outside assistance.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. How will you interpret the data?<\/h2>\n<p>After the data has been collected, edited, cleaned, and coded, you move into the analysis and writing phase.<\/p>\n<p>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?<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>A word of caution:<\/strong>&nbsp;Your report\u2019s text and visual presentation \u2014 as well as its written methodology \u2014 affect the market\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. What type of content will you create?<\/h2>\n<p>Your goals will inform your choice of&nbsp;content formats. Consider developing these types around the original research findings:<\/p>\n<p>In your format selection process, also evaluate the resources necessary to create, distribute, and manage that content.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. Will you gate the research?<\/h2>\n<p>Based on your research project\u2019s goals \u2014 and prior to releasing the content (e.g., primary report, e-book) \u2014 decide if you will require recipients to provide contact or other information to receive the results (i.e., <a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/articles\/gate-content-brand-trust\/\">gate it<\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Since CMI\u2019s first research report in 2010, we have never gated our annual marketing trends report. The research\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019re not sure, try some A\/B testing or gate the research for a limited time to see how it performs.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">8. Are you prepared for the attention?<\/h2>\n<p>Be ready for the questions your findings will bring. Be prepared to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Explain the methodology and interpretation.<\/li>\n<li>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:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/articles\/guide-research-templates\/\">A Step-by-Step Guide to Get More Eyes on Your Research<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li>Respond to questions and comments on social media.<\/li>\n<li>Reply to requests for interviews \u2014 talking about your research is a great way to generate interest in it.<\/li>\n<li>Be open to new ideas and questions offered by people who read the research. Feedback can be useful when planning your next research project.<\/li>\n<li>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?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>TIP:<\/strong>&nbsp;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.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ready for research<\/h2>\n<p>No one-size-fits-all approach exists for original research in content marketing programs. Go through these eight steps to assess your brand\u2019s situation and think through various scenarios. Then, you will know if it\u2019s possible to execute internally and\/or outsource portions, as well as how it fits into the overall content marketing strategy.<\/p>\n<p><em>See all of CMI\u2019s original research reports from its central&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/contentmarketinginstitute.com\/research\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">hub<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"cmi-cta content-box-green default\"><em>Get the latest Content Marketing Institute research reports while they&#8217;re hot \u2013 <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/cmi.media\/contribemail\"><em>subscribe<\/em><\/a><em> to the<i><span> daily or weekly newsletter.<\/span><\/i><\/em><\/div>\n<p><strong>HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski\/Content Marketing Institute<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>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\u2019re creating it (i.e., how it will help your audience and your brand), which formats you\u2019ll use to package the findings (i.e., blog&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45295","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45295","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=45295"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45295\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=45295"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=45295"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/marketingnewsbox.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=45295"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}