Episode 156

156 Becky Lawlor - Trailblazing Content: Transforming Ideas Into Gold

In today’s SaaS Fuel Expert Series, Jeff sits down with Becky Lawlor, a seasoned expert in content marketing and primary research for B2B tech brands.

Becky emphasizes the importance of conducting competitive analysis and original research for developing thought-leading content. She discusses debunking the myth of needing a large budget for original research and highlights the value of well-crafted survey questions to understand audience pain points and challenges. Becky also shares insights on leveraging research data for various content formats and the potential impact it can have on securing speaking engagements and industry recognition.

Join us as we delve into the strategic approach to survey development, data analysis, and the significance of the quality of responses over the exact size of a survey sample. If you're looking to elevate your content marketing game, this episode is a must-listen!

Key Takeaways

00:00 Conduct interviews for high-quality low-budget content.

04:52 Author emphasizes value of internal thought leaders, research.

10:18 Strategize PR and lead gen with targeted topics.

12:58 Interpretation, programming, analysis of survey data essential.

17:15 Understand odds, list challenges, allowing for input.

20:46 Survey size depends on audience, purpose, b-to-b.

22:49 Using panels for audience surveys can be costly.

25:06 Surveying specific high-revenue companies ensures accurate responses.

29:50 Conduct competitive analysis before creating marketing content.

33:23 Consider DIY qualitative research, agencies less expensive.

35:38 Craft a clear, concise, and unbiased story.

39:42 Consider being honest with unexpected data.

42:25 Active on LinkedIn and redpointcontent.com available.

Tweetable Quotes

"I think you wanna know which one is your priority and kind of start there. And then you want to pick a topic that's going to engage on that." — Becky Lawlor 00:10:53

"If you are surveying a B2B professional audience, even if it's widespread, like just marketers or IT. Those are consumer-based panels. And the way they're kind of getting to the B2B professional is, like, they're just asking consumers essentially, like, Are you a consumer who actually happens to have a job in it or happens to be a marketer?" — Becky Lawlor 00:23:34

"So I do think it's important, to have at the start what is called screener qualifier questions And make sure that you really usually, you'll need 2 or 3 of those to really kind of say this this is the person that I wanted to talk to, and they meet, And have, those qualifications." — Becky Lawlor 00:27:13

"I craft a storyline for every survey I write in advance. That may shift, but I at least know that the survey questions are gonna answer the story. You know, they're gonna fill in the storyline." — Becky Lawlor 00:36:00

"The kind of leads back to the answer to the first question which was originality. And is that where you've seen content really take off. It's not just making content because we all hear that all the time, but it's making original content and using primary research to do that." — Jeff Mains 00:02:41

"There's definitely stories inside there. And so making sure that the questions are right or really kinda set up to pull out those stories. That makes a lot of sense." — Jeff Mains 00:14:28

"We shouldn't get too hung up on size or it has to be a certain thing. It's really getting quality and making sure you have enough of whatever that sample size is that you're really getting deep enough in to get the right answers." — Jeff Mains 00:22:20

SaaS Leadership Lessons

1. Emphasize Originality: Becky Lawlor underscores the importance of creating original and unique content that stands out. SaaS leaders can apply this by prioritizing originality in product features, marketing strategies, and customer engagement approaches.

2. Leverage Research: Incorporate primary research into content marketing and product development strategies to gain industry authority and better understand customer pain points and challenges.

3. Strategic Survey Development: Prioritize well-crafted, clear, and concise survey questions to ensure meaningful data collection, aligning with a clear narrative strategy.

4. Data Analysis for Insights: Understand the significance of framing survey questions and conducting data analysis to glean actionable insights for content creation and customer targeting.

5. Repurposing Content: Recognize the value of repurposing survey results for various content forms, such as social media posts, webinars, infographics, and blogs, to maximize the impact of original research.

6. Building Industry Authority: Use original research to elevate the brand's authority in the industry and gain recognition and leverage, as exemplified by Becky's client's research being cited by Gartner.

7. Quality Over Quantity: Understand that the quality of survey responses is more critical than the exact size of the sample, and ensure that research efforts focus on obtaining meaningful and actionable insights.

8. Budget-Friendly Research: Debunk the myth of needing a large budget for research by utilizing cost-effective tools, hiring budget-friendly agencies, and leveraging available resources for primary research.

9. Flexibility in Survey Design: Adapt survey questions to make it cognitively easy for respondents, include an "other" option, and limit open-ended questions to maintain completion rates and gather insightful data.

10. Clear Goals and Strategy: Prioritize strategy and clear goals when conducting surveys and leading research efforts, ensuring that all research activities align with specific business objectives and customer needs.