Why Original Research is Essential for Effective B2B Marketing

In a 2019 survey, 40% of the respondents said they had published results of original research within the last 12 months. The survey also found that companies using original research for marketing purposes are generally satisfied with its performance. Sixty percent of the respondents reported that it had met or exceeded their expectations, and 88% said they plan to conduct additional research in the next 12 months.

Overall, data indicates that a significant number of B2B companies have made original research an integral part of their marketing efforts.

B2B Marketing with Thought Leadership Content

B2B companies can now leverage comprehensive thought leadership content for marketing purposes. Numerous studies have shown that business buyers find thought leadership content valuable, and that it influences B2B purchase decisions at every stage of the buying process.

Content Must Be Novel and Authoritative

Over the past several years content creation has accelerated a lot. With the appearance of swathes of content, it is difficult for marketers to create content that will stand out. Content that establishes thought leadership can do just that. You should look for two attributes in real thought leadership.

Novelty — Real thought leadership content provides information and insights that are genuinely novel. This is content that uncovers or presents information in a way that adds something new and relevant to a certain topic or industry niche.

Authority — Every piece of content you provide needs to be credible, but thought leadership content must meet a higher standard. Since thought leadership content advocates novel ideas, it’s essential for content creators to support claims with data and evidence in a compelling way.

Original Research for Thought Leadership

In order to be able to create novel and authoritative content, B2B companies need to conduct original research. Original research play an important role in the development of real thought leadership content. First, original research on a specific topic is necessary to gather new information and identify new patterns or developments that make thought leadership content novel. Secondly, publishing original research instantly positions a company as a thought leader in the industry and becomes an example to follow.

B2B companies can and should embrace original research within their industry and utilize it for B2B marketing.