Original Research: The Unsung Hero of Content Marketing

@clare_mcd | @michelelinn • #CMWorld
ORIGINAL RESEARCH:
The Unsung Hero of Content Marketing
Clare McDermott & Michele Linn
Mantis Research
@clare_mcd | @michelelinn

Most think of “original research” as …
- Benchmarking surveys
- Salary guides
- Industry surveys
- Customer surveys

Let’s think bigger, weirder, quirkier …

@clare_mcd | @michelelinn • #CMWorld7
I see data. All the time. Everywhere.

In this session:
1. Why consider research?
2. Inspiring & entertaining examples
3. How to get started
4. Avoiding common research pitfalls

1. Why consider research?
2. Inspiring & entertaining examples
3. How to get started
4. Avoiding common research pitfalls

LEAD the conversation
(instead of following it)

Original research solidifies your
position as a thought leader …
It’s content no one else will
have but everyone will want to
share.
- Margie Agin, Centerboard Marketing
“

EARN backlinks
(yes, in 2018)

Authoritative research and
reference content are the…
two types of content
consistently getting links
and shares.
- Steve Rayson, founder, BuzzSumo
“

BUILD an audience
(that wants to hear from you)

One key reason we were able
to build an audience for CMI
so quickly and successfully
is because of our annual
research.
- Joe Pulizzi, founder, CMI
“

WIN new customers
(what more is there to say?)

There is a clear correlation
between reading the report
and being ready to make a
purchase.
- Andrea Fryrear, Agile Sherpas
“

Polling & Mini-
Surveys
Analyzing
Owned or 3rd
Party Data
Benchmarking
Surveys
Data Hubs
Assessments

LendEDU
Background:
Loan refinancing company.
Primary target: young debt-holders.
Objective:
Need to create greater awareness
about the company, particularly
among Millennials.
Method:
Monthly polling; publishing results to
grab attention on key issues.

LendEDU
1. Surveyed 672 active Bitcoin users.
2. Question:
How did you fund your Bitcoin investment?
3. Published results to blog.

Poll: Some
Investors Use a
Credit Card to Buy
Bitcoin and Then
Carry Over the
Balance
“

COVERED BY…
1. Bloomberg
2. Zerohedge
3. Bitcoin.com
4. Fortune
5. Forbes
6. Time
7. The Daily Beast
8. So. Many. More.
300+ backlinks

LendEDU continues to
publish survey-based
research and analyses
of 3rd party research.

Simple Texting
Background:
SMS Marketing Company
Objective:
Build brand awareness
Method:
Little experiments with 3rd party
data

Oh My Green
Background:
Concierge service for corporate
kitchens
Objective:
Uncover fun insights from
customer data.
Method:
Publish findings to blog to boost
traffic.

PwC
Background:
Big four accounting & consulting
firm
Objective:
Conduct one annual survey that
generates insights across verticals,
industries, roles & regions.
Method:
Gold-standard CEO survey; now in
its 21st year.

PwC
Country-level reporting

PwC
By role (e.g., talent management)

PwC
By industry

Litmus
Background:
Email marketing technology
Objective:
Uses research to position itself as
thought leader & super-charge
editorial calendar.

Pornhub Insights
Background:
Ya’ know …
Objective:
Create (S)SFW content from a
mountain of user data.
Method:
Slicing & dicing internal data to find
interesting insights.

80k+ engagement
250 domain links
6,125 external links
Global audience

@clare_mcd | @michelelinn • #CMWorld3
Pornhub Insights

Skyword
Background:
Enterprise content marketing
platform
Objective:
Use in-person assessments to
spark conversations
Method:
Mobile survey at conferences; use
12-month results to publish
research

Don’t fall into the trap of simply
presenting your data as is. Find the
story behind your data – that’s what’s
meaningful.
Numbers alone are forgettable, but
when you use them to tell a story, they
reinforce an emotional appeal with
data-driven evidence. It’s the best of
both worlds.
- Rachel Haberman, Skyword
“

Choose a type of
research that
aligns with your
goals

You lead the
conversation!
SALES
SUBSCRIBERS
LEADS
MEDIA
MENTIONS
BACKLINKS
EDITORIAL
CORNERSTONE
SPEAKING
GIGS GUEST POSTS &
PODCAST INVITES

Mini-Surveys
& Polls
Benchmarking
surveys
Topics Timely Evergreen & aligned to brand
Effort Modest Substantial
Frequency One-off or ongoing Annual
Best for - Backlinks
- Media mentions
- Backlinks
- Sales
- Cornerstone for editorial
- Leads and subscribers
- Podcast interviews
- Speaking gigs
- Media mentions (possible)

Focus on the right
topic

Is this interesting to my audience?

+
Does it align with my brand’s story?

+
Does it align with my brand’s story?
+
Has this already been covered?

Find the stat
Frequently asserted
+
Rarely supported

Disprove common assumptions
Frequently asserted
+
Untrue

New Category = State of the Industry

Crowded Space = Find a niche

Plan atomization
from the start

BLOG/GUEST
POSTS
VIDEOS
RELATED CONTENT
WEBINARS
ASSESSMENTS
INFOGRAPHICS

Blog posts

Guest posts
IDEAL FOR
• Backlinks
• Thought leadership
Tool Idea:
Buzzsumo

Webinars
Source: Edison Research / Triton Digital
IDEAL FOR
• Subscribers
• Leads
• Thought
leadership

Source: National
Restaurant Association
Videos IDEAL FOR
• SEO
• Backlinks

Online assessment
Source: Skyword
IDEAL FOR
• Subscribers

Infographic
Source: Udemy
IDEAL FOR
• Backlinks
• Social engagement

Related, gated content
IDEAL FOR
• Continuing the
story from your
research
• Getting
subscribers or
leads
Source: State of Marketing Strategy Report 2018 (CoSchedule)

REMEMBER:
You are testing a
hypothesis …
(be curious … not a
marketing jerk)

Source: State of Marketing Strategy Report 2018 (CoSchedule)

TEST. YOUR.
SURVEY.

Have a point of view
(be you … not a string of data
points)

Don’t let paralysis
lead to inaction
(you’ve got this)

The untapped potential of research will only
last so long

[Original research] may take
10x the effort to create, but
you’ll likely see 100x the
results of a typical article.
- Andy Crestodina, co-founder, Orbit Media
“

Questions?
Get your research cheat sheet –or share
more about your research project:
michele@mantisresearch.com
Subscribe to learn more about creating
your own research:
mantisresearch.com/subscribe

Original Research: The Unsung Hero of Content Marketing

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