Content research

Whether you’re seeking state-of-the-art research debriefs as a precursor to content creation, or for research to kickstart a new content campaign, the common thread running throughout is data… clear, actionable and interesting data. In this vein, content research is a dual opportunity to convert data into stories, depending on the scope of your campaign or your specific content strategy.

Content can make or break a research campaign. Similarly, the research you use to inform new content will also dictate its success as a coherent and interesting story. Below are Arlington Research’s five top tips designed to help you align research with content in a more considered and robust way:

• Have clear SMART content objectives: specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound.
• Design a representative sample: always ensure that your chosen research agency designs a sample that is representative of the population and uses a high quality panel for your project.
• No waste, no bias: ensure your chosen research agency designs a questionnaire that answers all your content objectives in an unbiased way.
• Assess market research standards: your research should comply with ESOMAR Market Research international standards.
• Clear analysis: your chosen research agency needs to make reporting insightful, easy to read and easy to understand.

As well as ensuring that your research is designed with an end story and engaging content in mind, our team of content directors can take your research and help shape your content for all manner of audiences. This includes sales prospects, employees, channel partners, analysts, customers, stakeholders and consumers from all walks of life.

It’s important to remember that content isn’t just what you put out to the media. It either follows on from research you’ve conducted as part of a campaign, or that you need to actually inform the content in the first place. Either way, research and content go hand-in-hand, regardless of the end use and audience. Therefore, our data and story-based approach to research perfectly lends to:

• Press releases, bylines and thought leadership articles
• Video scripts
• Web and DM content (downloads, infographics, websites)
• Copywriting (editorial and advertising)
• Whitepapers
• Speeches, presentations, and video scripts
• Blogging and social media content
• E-books and management reports
• Storyboards, exhibition stands and displays
• Case studies

For good stories to be created, research and content must be part of the same process, and that’s why we have a dedicated content arm to aid with all campaigns. Through this approach, we can truly bring your stories to life!