Build Industry Authority With an Original Research Report

Authority inspires trust in your target audience while setting you apart from all competitors, but it can be hard to build, especially in a saturated industry. That’s why you should consider an original research report.

While most competitors keep churning out generic opinion-based content, you’ll stand out with data-driven insights packaged around a fresh angle.

Not only will this boost your reputation as a credible thought leader, it’ll also result in all kinds of additional opportunities, from better-quality leads to media coverage and partnerships.

So, we’ll show you how this works in practice and how you can get started (and don’t worry: you won’t need to hire an expensive agency).

What is an original research report?

An original research report is a primary source of data, usually in the form of a detailed account written by the person or business that conducted the study, research, or survey. 

What should you create it about?

The goal is to put together something that’s extremely relevant to your industry and target audience and, ideally, that feeds into your products or services.

For example, a business coach could create an original research report around “Biggest Mindset Shifts of 6-Figure Entrepreneurs”, whereas a financial advisor could focus on “Financial Confidence by Age and Gender”.

5 ways in which original research builds your industry authority

The best part? You only need to create one original research report to unlock lots of benefits. 

1. Original research brings something fresh to the table

• Backed by data – An original research report is based on actual numbers, stats, and direct input. So, because that’s much more credible than opinion-based content, it’ll help you build trust faster
• One of a kind – Everyone can churn out a piece of content based on whatever comes to mind. Lots of blog posts and articles, in particular, are just repeating what everyone else is saying. Not many businesses will put in the “effort” to go beyond that and actually back up their claims, though! That’s why an original research report can really set you apart from your competitors and industry peers: you’ll share unique insights and be known for your angle and stance

2. These insights give immediate value to your audience

• Relevant resource – A well-researched original report highlights real challenges, trends, and questions within your industry. So, it’ll bring a ton of value to your target audience, whether that’s by giving them answers and actionable advice or by simply showing them they’re not the only ones experiencing that problem
• Setting the right tone – Your original research report will make people see your content as a trusted and reliable source, compelling more of them to keep engaging with it

3. Original research readers can become high-quality leads for your business

• Speaking to the right people – When you create a relevant original research report, it’ll attract people who are already interested in your sector or who experience the same challenges you highlighted. In other words… your target customers! So, by positioning you as a thought leader and problem-solver, your new report will encourage more readers to reach out and invest in your solutions
• Lead-capture and CTAs – To get the most out of it, use your new original research report as a lead magnet: offer it for free in exchange for your audience’s contact details. Then, keep nurturing them with automated emails that feel like a natural continuation of what you presented in the report itself. When the time is right? Offer them a relevant call to action, like booking a consultation with you

4. It’ll boost your media and industry status 

• Being referenced – As teased before, an original research report is a primary source of data. That means more people will want to link to it (which will also boost your SEO), quote it, and use it as a reference: journalists, writers, relevant industry media… So, this will increase your brand awareness, visibility, and authority
• Attracting additional opportunities – To name a few, your new original research report can help you secure more speaking engagements, create mutually beneficial collaborations, or get invited to contribute to guest articles and podcasts

5. You can create sales and marketing strategies from your own data-based evidence

• Getting to know your audience – When collecting data for your original research report (which we’ll cover soon), you’ll get to ask questions to your target audience. For example, who they are, what they’re struggling with, their biggest misconceptions about your industry or… anything that’d be relevant in your case. And guess what? You can totally use their answers to fine-tune your marketing and sales messaging, really matching your audience’s situation and needs
• Getting the very most out of your research – You can repurpose your new report in so many ways: infographics, blog posts, social media content, videos, decks that your sales team can reference when talking to prospects… This will amplify its impact and give you plenty of useful material!

How ScoreApp helps you create an original research report and get leads at the same time

Now you know just how much of a difference this will make for your business, but how can you create your original research report?

First things first, you need new data. So, does that mean you must invest thousands in an agency? Not at all. With ScoreApp, you can get your own data fast and in a budget-friendly way while engaging your audience. 

Plus, not many people will want to waste their time answering a boring survey (and we can’t blame them). Instead, when you present it as a quiz or a more visually attractive survey, more and more of your target customers will want to help.

Here’s how it’ll work in practice and how ScoreApp makes things easier for you:

• Create a tailored quiz, survey, or assessment to collect insights for your original research report – To gather data for your original research, you have two main options:
  – Presenting it as a quiz that also offers valuable results to your audience (for example, “Share Your Experience with Embracing AI as a Marketer, and Discover Your Marketer Profile”)
  – Designing a standalone but compelling survey. In this case, consider leading with why someone’s contribution matters (for example, “We know you’re not the only one struggling. Mental health is a big challenge for many solopreneurs but talking about it is still a stigma. We want to change that. So, can you help us uncover the reality behind that polished veneer by sharing your experience, all confidentially?”).
  Either way, with ScoreApp, you can use our intuitive drag-and-drop builder or customize a template to create your original research quiz or survey within minutes 
• Attract more participants – Reach and compel more people to complete your market research quiz or survey. Use a visually attractive and professional-looking landing page, adding it to your website and linking to it EVERYWHERE, especially in your marketing content
• Capture leads – Your ScoreApp quiz will ask for your participant’s contact details, allowing you to stay in touch. For example, you could tell them you’ll send their quiz results via email or, since they’re contributing to your research, they’ll be the first to receive your new report 
• Segment and nurture your audience – ScoreApp will also divide your participants into groups based on their answers. By connecting it to your CRM or email marketing platform, you can then use this data to nurture each segment in a more personalized way, turning some research participants into paying customers
• Review your data – Ready to create your report? Our analytics make it a breeze to review all your quiz or survey answers, compiling data and spotting trends!

Establish yourself as an industry leader: use ScoreApp to collect insights for your original research report

An original research report is one of the best and fastest ways to build authority and trust, sharing a data-backed resource no one else has.

When you use ScoreApp to collect data for it, you also get to grow and engage your audience while turning some of them into paying customers… even before your new report is ready!

So, start collecting those valuable insights for your original research: create your ScoreApp quiz or survey today and for FREE.