Wield the power of original research for B2B content marketing

Learn how to expertly utilize original research in your marketing content to boost your brand authority

For business-to-business (B2B) marketing, producing unique content that stands out from the sea of competition is essential. 

As artificial intelligence (AI) is making its way into every industry, content can easily be reproduced or mimicked. That’s why it’s important to conduct your own research to find specific, up-to-date facts and figures that AI could not. As a result, utilizing original research can make your business stand out amongst competitors and boost your brand authority.

Continue reading to learn why original research is essential for B2B content marketing and how to create content that stands out. 

What is original research?

Original research is a type of primary source, which means it’s an immediate, first-hand account of a subject or originally created content. Original research can provide brand authority to your business and proof that your business is knowledgeable. 9 out of 10 companies who do original research found that it’s successful [1].

For B2B marketing, utilizing original research throughout content (blogs, case studies, videos, social media posts, etc.) is a popular strategy, but is still not as common as it could be.

Why should my team utilize original research?

Your content must be viable and well-researched for clients and fellow business leaders to rely on you as a knowledgeable source. You can add validity and reliability to your content by adding external links, qualitative and quantitative data, survey results, and quotes from thought leaders that relate to the context of the subject. 

How to use original research

For B2B content marketing, many blog topics have been overused and recycled. B2B content marketing can benefit from using credible sources and diving deeper into a topic to make it more specific. Narrowing down a broad topic can make your content stand out, which can also improve your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.

If you’re looking for a place to start, one of the most effective and simple ways to utilize original research is by adding statistics to a piece of content to legitimize your main points. 94% of marketers agree original research elevates their brand’s authority in the industry [2].

For example, a managed IT services company may have a marketing team that decides to write a blog on why small businesses need to improve their cyber security protocols at their company. Instead of simply saying, “You should improve your protocols because we’re the experts and we say so,” the content writers can find statistics from original research studies on the percentage increase in ransomware attacks over the past year, the percentage of cyber attacks that target small business, and the estimated costs in damages that a business faces after a cyber attack. By adding these facts throughout the content, readers will find the article more trustworthy and valuable.

How you can take original research a step further 

In addition to incorporating original research in your content, your business can also create its own original qualitative research through the form of case studies. 

An effective marketing case study tells the story of your client, including who they are, the challenges they faced, and how you helped them overcome those obstacles to be successful. It positions your client as the hero, while highlighting your unique selling propositions (USPs) through the solutions you provide.

Additional Resource:

Why you need digital marketing case studies for your business

How we can help

At Different Perspective, we want to see your business thrive. With nearly two decades of experience, our marketing team can produce informative, relevant, and entertaining content for B2B organizations including case studies, blogs, social media posts, website copy, infographics, ebooks, and more. 

Do you need B2B marketing support? 

Explore our ongoing agency support services page.

Sources:

1: Orbit Media Studios | 5 Examples of Original Research in Content Marketing: How to Be the Primary Source
2: Drive Research | What is Original Research in Content Marketing?