In an age of inbound marketing driven by SEO content, tweets and daily blog updates, it's tough sometimes to justify the time-consuming task of research. But, being a content writer by trade, I usually fight for research. Why? Because I know from experience that good online marketing -- the kind that helps prospective customers find you and want to do business with you -- is NOT synonymous with "fast and cheap."
Research-Based Content Can Increase Website Traffic, Links and Retweets
The truth is that, online or offline, you can produce far more effective content if you develop your writing based on solid research. This research can take the form of client interviews, customer interviews, demographic data, custom surveys or various web searches. The bottom line is that you will get much more out of your content (i.e., increased website traffic, increased links, increased retweets, increased Facebook likes, increased LinkedIn shares, etc.) if you allow the time for proper research and content development based on that research. People share content that is backed by good research.
It's a Myth that Good Content Writers Function on Intuition
I have the following quote taped to the wall above my computer. As archaic and unlikely as it sounds, the quote is from an American Association of Advertising Agencies 1979 publication titled The Relationship of Copywriting and Research (YES, we can still learn from "old school" marketing experts.) The quote helps give me the strength and the words to help anxious clients rethink research and assign value to it -- even if it does "slow down" the process somewhat.
...It is a myth that the copywriter functions best on "intuition." Although a good copywriter can write good copy for any subject, research is the secret to producing accurately targeted and effective copy...
What Do You Think?
Does the relationship between content and research make sense? Does well-researched content help increase website traffic, links and retweets? Please share your thoughts in the comments section. As always, thanks for reading.