Dedicated research and analysis—invest internally, or not?

If content driven by proprietary research is the holy grail of client engagement, it behooves you to have the right resources and analytical capabilities on board. But hiring even one full-time analyst with relevant skills is rarely advantageous, nor the most economical choice.

Data-driven content helps you build a reputation, earn credibility, and attract clients in niche markets for which your services are the best fit. But acquiring that data can be elusive, especially for small businesses and B2B companies breaking into niche or international markets.

When it comes to research, in-house investments often fall flat. That’s because research efforts require flexibility—they need specialization, dedication, and availability when it comes to immediate demands.

According to Chron, the cost benefits of internal research teams are minimized by limited perspective and limited data channels available to them. Even next-gen methods like predictive analytics and artificial intelligence are limited to the data available, which typically ties into only online activity and existing customer behavior.

5 Reasons You Should Outsource Your Research and Content Initiatives

So, what’s missing? You’re not getting insights from your customers directly.

Here are five ways outsourcing research and analytics capabilities gives you those advantages with direct insights solicited from your customer base.

1. Targeting and subject matter flexibility

Dedicated external services build their business models around a wide range of targeting capabilities. That means they’re your best research option for engaging those markets you can’t access in-house.

You will also see greater flexibility in terms of research subject matter and content. With the right partner, you can build surveys that cover the exact areas of focus to frame your products and services in a positive light. Use their content experts for proprietary assets that make a big impact at the top of your inbound marketing funnel.

2. On-Demand resources and aggressive timelines

Dedicated partners are more responsive and provide timelines to meet your unique demands. That means more opportunities to expedite research and content development. Internal teams with additional workloads can’t compete.

You can kickoff campaigns immediately with an external partner. Dedicated analysts have the know-how to build surveys quickly and collaboratively to meet short-term and long-term content goals. You may find internal teams are lacking in these highly specific capabilities.

3. Specialized skillsets and methodologies

Research partners pride themselves on adopting industry methodologies you simply cannot achieve in-house. Because they need to meet demands for a wide range of clients, they have the skillset to optimize data assets and empower your marketing campaigns.

4. Better sourcing capabilities

Greater reach aligns with those methodologies. External partners have greater familiarity with industry standards, including what sample sizes will best represent realities in your target markets. That means data that really drives value when you deliver content to prospects.

These teams may also have expert contacts you can leverage as contributors to your report. And they can acquire the right qualitative data to flesh out your content in a meaningful way.

5. More value with zero overhead

Internal resources add overhead, and they might not always have the right resources at hand. Outsourcing those capabilities minimizes costs as you invest only in specific, targeted projects and content initiatives.

Get Your Data Initiatives on the Right Track

Whether you just want perspectives from a unique data sample or you’re ready to launch a powerful, content-driven marketing campaign, dedicated external teams are at your disposal. That’s what we offer at rand&rand—years of research and content expertise at your fingertips.

Check out a sample of our work to see what’s in store for you. Then, contact an analyst, jumpstart your initiatives, and engage new markets with unique and competitive fervor.