Original research and data content

Original Research & Data Content

Overview

This skill covers how B2B marketers can build content programs around original research, proprietary product data, and survey-based studies. It addresses sourcing data, structuring reports, distributing findings, and extending research across multiple content formats. All practices are sourced exclusively from Exit Five podcast guests across 7 episodes; no general best practices have been added.

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Building Your Research Foundation

Start with original surveys to generate journalist-worthy data. Run simple surveys using tools like Typeform to your existing audience. Offer swag incentives to drive participation and aim for 1,000+ responses. Use the resulting data as the foundation for PR pitches and journalist outreach — original research is more credible than company-generated claims and gives journalists a concrete reason to cover your story. As a secondary benefit, the survey process connects you directly with customers and reveals what they care about, informing your broader marketing strategy. (Source: Sylvia LePoidevin, Episode #306)

Hire a dedicated research role to mine first-party product data. Build a sustainable content engine by hiring someone focused specifically on extracting insights from your product data and conducting original research (surveys, analysis). Turn this data into storytelling and content. This approach differentiates your brand and drives organic reach, similar to how companies like Gong have built their content strategy. (Source: Sylvia LePoidevin, Episode #199)

Use your product's unique data to create exclusive, immediately actionable content. Analyze what your product collects that no one else has access to — call recordings, usage patterns, conversion metrics — and surface insights readers can apply within minutes. For example, analyze call recordings to extract sales tactics (e.g., which opening phrases keep prospects on the line longer), or use product usage data to identify behavioral patterns. This approach combines data credibility with product promotion: readers see the value of your product through the insights it generates, creating demand for the product itself. (Source: Udi Ledergor, Episode #237)

Use aggregated customer data to identify trends, validate product ideas, and support content before building features. If your product collects data across many customers (e.g., marketing spend, conversion metrics, customer journeys), use that data to identify patterns and publish research reports on those trends to build thought leadership. When considering new product features, use the same data to validate the idea and understand customer needs. This creates a virtuous cycle: data informs content (which builds trust), data informs product decisions (which are better informed), and product improvements generate more data for future content. (Source: Emir Atli, Episode #165)

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Structuring and Publishing Research Reports

Publish original research on a fixed cadence to build trust and establish authority. Establish a regular publishing schedule — for example, weekly on Tuesdays — for original research reports on topics relevant to your market. Expect 10,000+ views in the first week for well-distributed reports. Use the reports to support product decisions and establish your company as a data-driven authority. Retarget report viewers with ads to extend reach. (Source: Emir Atli, Episode #165)

Always include full methodology context in every research report. When publishing research, provide complete transparency: sample size (e.g., "150 companies"), customer profile (e.g., "B2B SaaS with $10K+ ACV"), geographic regions, sales cycle length, and how metrics were calculated. This allows readers to understand the context and limitations of the findings and apply them appropriately to their own situation. It also protects you from criticism that findings are being misapplied without context. (Source: Emir Atli, Episode #165)

Expect and embrace disagreement — controversy drives organic reach at no additional cost. When publishing original research with strong findings or contrarian takes, anticipate that some audience members will disagree publicly. Recognize that disagreement and debate increase organic reach and engagement: people who disagree will comment, share, and amplify your content. Do not polarize on purpose, but do not shy away from publishing data-driven findings that challenge conventional wisdom. (Source: Emir Atli, Episode #165)

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Using Research for Positioning and PR

Build your category point of view on research-backed problem statements and consequences. Create a bulletproof category narrative by starting with widely recognized but underdiscussed "elephant in the room" problems. Use research and data to quantify the problem and its consequences. Structure it as: identify the problem (e.g., "employees use unsanctioned SaaS apps"), quantify the risk (e.g., "68% of data breaches result from compromised access"), and present the solution path. This approach hooks buyers on the category before presenting your product. (Source: Melton Littlepage, Episode #223)

Validate market leadership claims with third-party research before making them public. When claiming market leadership (e.g., "most used B2B password manager"), hire a research agency to conduct independent research and validate the claim. Own the results and use them as the foundation for marketing claims. This provides credibility and defensibility for your positioning, especially in competitive categories where multiple vendors claim leadership. (Source: Melton Littlepage, Episode #223)

Develop proprietary research specifically to earn backlinks and build domain authority. Create original research, data, or studies in your industry that are worth linking to and citing. This content attracts natural backlinks from other creators and publications that want to reference your data, improving domain authority and brand visibility. Pair this with a distribution or digital PR approach to amplify reach and maximize link acquisition. (Source: Tom Whatley, Episode #224)

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Extending Research Across Content

Build a Custom GPT trained on your research reports to inject data into ongoing content production. Create a custom GPT with your proprietary research report uploaded to its knowledge base. Disable web search to prevent hallucination. Use it as an expert advisor to recommend three different ways to integrate specific statistics into existing content while matching your brand's tone and voice. Apply this across blog posts, sales decks, and thought leadership content. This approach extends the lifecycle of a single research report across 6–9+ months of content production. (Source: Jillian Hoefer, Episode #278)

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What NOT To Do

• Do not publish research without methodology context. Omitting sample size, customer profile, geographic scope, and how metrics were calculated leaves readers unable to contextualize findings and exposes you to legitimate criticism. Always include this information. (Source: Emir Atli, Episode #165)
• Do not let a research report be a one-time asset. A single report should fuel months of content across multiple formats and channels. Failing to build a system (such as a custom GPT or content calendar) to extract ongoing value from research data wastes the investment. (Source: Jillian Hoefer, Episode #278)
• Do not rely solely on company-generated claims for PR. Journalists need data they can cite. Without original research, your pitches lack the credibility hook that earns coverage. (Source: Sylvia LePoidevin, Episode #306)
• Do not avoid publishing findings because they might generate disagreement. Controversy is a feature, not a bug — it drives organic amplification. Shying away from data-driven contrarian findings reduces reach and impact. (Source: Emir Atli, Episode #165)
• Do not make market leadership claims without independent validation. Unsubstantiated claims are easily challenged by competitors and damage credibility. Commission third-party research to back any leadership positioning before going public. (Source: Melton Littlepage, Episode #223)

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Where Experts Disagree

No disagreements were identified among the contributing guests on this topic.

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Sources

Episode	Guest	Date
Episode #165	Emir Atli	2024-08-12
Episode #199	Sylvia LePoidevin	2024-12-05
Episode #223	Melton Littlepage	2025-02-27
Episode #224	Tom Whatley	2025-03-03
Episode #237	Udi Ledergor	2025-04-14
Episode #278	Jillian Hoefer	2025-09-01
Episode #306	Sylvia LePoidevin	2025-11-24