Is Your Research Self-Serving?
According to a CMO Council study, eMarketer, Ascend2’s Content Marketing Survey and other reliable sources, research is considered the most effective type of content marketers use to generate demand.
But not all research is created equal.
When deciding on a research topic, provide an honest assessment of whether the topic is of interest to your audience or your company. The purpose of research is to engage your audience, build your brand, generate and nurture leads, and provide sales-ready leads. We’ve conducted hundreds of Research-Based Marketing programs at Ascend2, and the data proves that research is extremely effective. But for the research to be an effective demand generation tool, you must take the time to select the appropriate topic.
Sergio Balegno, Partner/CEO at Ascend2, has created hundreds of surveys. That experience provides insight into what topics the marketing community responded to. Here are some tips to choosing a topic:
Don’t make the focus of your topic too narrow. The most popular research topic we’ve fielded in the last 12 months is Landing Page Optimization Trends. Why? It’s a tactic used by all marketers, and the benefits of an optimized landing page are tangible.
Be tactical – choose tactics. Tactics (landing page optimization, content marketing, email marketing, lead generation) are always of interest to marketers. The strategy is to take popular topics (like Landing Page Optimization) and align that topic to your services. For example, if you are a marketing automation company, having a research report on Landing Page Optimization allows you to connect the benefits of your automation tool to landing page optimization.
Don’t try to do too much with one research report. Less is more. You don’t need to answer all your questions in one research report. Be willing to say “no” when requests are made to add questions that expand the focus of your topic and increases the length of your survey.
Research works, and when you successfully navigate the process of picking the best topic, you will increase the impact it has on your overall marketing program.
What are the marketing topics that work for you? Help the community by sharing your experience.