Original research as a growth channel for B2B tech brands

Every B2B technology company says it wants to be a thought leader. Very few have anything to say that a competitor couldn't publish next week. A piece on HubSpot's blog by Semrush's content and product marketing lead explains how that company turned original research into a repeatable growth channel, and the lessons translate well to much smaller teams.

What's happening

Semrush used to run data studies whenever someone had an idea and time to spare, usually one or two big reports a year. As AI reshaped organic search and traffic became harder to forecast, the team made research an official program with an owner, a topic pipeline, a production process and a distribution engine.

The key moves, in our summary:

• Make it official. Secure a budget line, a senior sponsor and a named owner in marketing, plus a counterpart with time in the data team.
• Plan topics strategically. Tie each study to brand positioning, product priorities and the questions customers ask most.
• Insist on practical value. Every study should explain why a finding matters, what it means for the reader and how to act on it.
• Systemise production. Use briefs, agreed turnaround times and different workflows for data-science studies, expert collaborations, marketer-run surveys and co-branded studies.
• Plan distribution before launch. Repurpose into video, sales decks, newsletters and carousels, pitch media ahead of release and lean on employee and executive accounts.

The article cites research by Kevin Indig finding primary-research pages earned 3.3 times more AI citations per page than other content. It also describes a co-branded study with LinkedIn as Semrush's most viral research to date.

What it means for B2B tech and Microsoft partner marketers

Most Microsoft partners and SaaS firms sit on more data than they realise: anonymised patterns from hundreds of implementations, help desk trends, licensing and adoption benchmarks, and the questions customers ask at every workshop. Very little of it is ever published.

That is a missed opportunity, especially in Australia, where local data is scarce. Many marketing claims about Australian businesses rely on US or global figures. A partner that publishes a credible view of Copilot readiness among Australian mid-market firms, or security maturity in local not-for-profits, immediately gives journalists, analysts and AI engines something to cite.

The co-branding lesson also suits the partner ecosystem. A joint study with an ISV, a distributor or an industry association combines data neither party could produce alone and doubles the distribution.

One caution: a survey of 40 customers is an anecdote, not a benchmark. Be honest about sample sizes and methods. Credibility is the whole point.

How to put it to work

1. Pick one question your buyers keep asking. Your presales team will know it. Make the study answer it.
2. Choose a feasible method. A short survey of customers, event attendees or a community list is often enough to start. Events are underrated research engines, since a live poll at a roundtable can yield a usable dataset.
3. Write the "so what" first. Draft the three recommendations you hope to make, then check whether the data supports them, and change them if it doesn't.
4. Package for reuse. Produce a short report, an ungated summary page with clear headings and FAQs, a sales slide, a LinkedIn series from your experts and a media pitch.
5. Repeat annually. Year-on-year comparisons are what make research a franchise.
6. Measure broadly. Track mentions, backlinks, AI citations and influenced pipeline, not just downloads.

How UBE Marketing can help

UBE Marketing is the marketing agency Alvin Paronda founded in Sydney for B2B technology firms that want to be known for their thinking. We design and runs research-led content programs for B2B technology firms, from survey design and event polling through to reports, launch campaigns and event marketing. If you want a flagship study that sales and media will use, explore our B2B marketing services or contact us.