Original Research Masterclass for Content Marketers
A step-by-step course for marketers to learn how to plan, produce, and promote an original research project.
This course is no longer available.
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Course overview
Make your content marketing stand out with original research
Are you sick of:
- Creating blog posts that never get read
- Writing the same POV and opinion pieces over and over again
- Not ranking for competitive keywords
- Not growing your followers or traffic or getting press/links or earned media
- Getting passed over for promotions
- Feeling stuck creatively
The best way to get traction in your content marketing program and career is to stand out.
Research is one way to do that, but less than half of content marketers conduct their own research. There’s a gap ready and waiting for you.
I've done dozens of original research projects throughout my career, of all levels of complexity, and they not only elicit results that leadership loves, they have become my primary portfolio pieces.
Join this cohort-based course to learn *exactly* how to incorporate original research into your strategy, and why original, hard-to-create content is the way forward for impactful marketing. Research is a proven tactic to increase traffic, backlinks, social mentions, earned media, and thought leadership.
At the end of the 8-day course, you will have a:
- topic, both decided and vetted
- full project plan and timeline
- solid start on your data collection
- network of other content professionals
Who this course is for
01
Content marketers who want to level-up their content program (and careers) with original research, but don't know where to start.
02
Writers who are sick of creating the same blog posts over and over, and want a tactic that will stand out and perform.
03
Marketing professionals who are in a creative rut and want a new approach to content, campaigns, and performance.
What you'll learn in this course:
How to plan, design, and develop a research projectÂ
You’ll learn types of research you can do, you'll decide on (and validate) your topic, and you'll start planning the project with a provided template.
How to collect and analyze your data
You’ll learn how to collect and analyze your data, and decide between survey, first-party, or third-party. You'll start collecting data, and have a plan for analysis.
How to present and launch your findings
You’ll learn how to develop a story from your findings, create the final assets, and launch your distribution (or marketing) plan.
Course syllabus
32 lessons • 2 projects
Week 1
- đź“„
Article: How to incorporate survey research into a content marketing strategy
- đź“„
Quick Maven tutorial
- ✍️
Share your research idea
Submit by Nov 1 - đź“„
Research Plan Template
- đź“„
Presentation Deck - Session 1
- ✍️
Define your data collection method
Submit by Nov 3 - đź“„
Presentation Deck - Session 2
- đź“„
Writing survey questions
- đź“„
Sample size calculator
- đź“„
Statistical significance calculator
- đź“„
How to analyze survey data without a PhD in math
- đź“„
How to analyze survey results like a data pro
- đź“„
How to analyze survey data
- đź“„
Another how to analyze survey data
Get Started!
Let's get you comfortable with Maven and what to expect in the coming sessions.
Session 1 - Project Planning & Prep
Tools and resources to support our first live session. Feel free to browse prior to the live session, but we'll also cover everything together.
Session 2 - Data Collection & Analysis
Resources to support our second live session. You may review before the session if you have time, but we'll also cover everything together.
Week 2
- đź“„
Promoting your original research: 29 ways to make your best marketing content visible
- đź“„
Session 3 Presentation Deck
Session 3 - Compose, Create, and Launch
Supporting materials for our third, and final, live session. Review ahead-of-time if you can, but we'll also discuss during the session.
Bonus
- đź“„
Recording of Session 3
- đź“„
Recording of Session 2
- đź“„
Recording of Session 1
- đź“„
State of original research in marketing report
- đź“„
Orbit Media annual blogger survey
- đź“„
2020 marketing salary guide
- đź“„
Web design standards vs. website best practices
- đź“„
Backlinko Google search results analysis
- đź“„
State of the cannabis industry 2021
- đź“„
Cannabis industry statistics 2023
- đź“„
The 2023 hiring insights report
- đź“„
The state of influencer marketing 2023
- đź“„
More than just a [FirstName]
- đź“„
How much does $35 worth of cannabis cost?
- đź“„
Age matters: A guide to cross-generational marketing
- đź“„
Age is an attitude: Marketing to the boomers+ generation
- đź“„
2020 cannabis consumer demographics
- đź“„
Vangst Job Report 2023
Zoom Recordings
Here are the recordings from the 3 live sessions.
Examples of original research projects
Several example research reports to inspire your next project. From PDFs, to landing pages, to blog posts ...
What students are saying
Meet your instructor
Amber Erickson, MA
Amber Erickson, MA
It all started with a journalism degree from Boise State University. Then a seemingly unusable master’s degree in holistic health studies that ignited a love for research.
After a decade+ as a writer and content marketer at B2B SaaS companies, I've become bullish about creating value for readers. Research and unique guides have been my career bread-and-butter and I'm stoked to share this expertise.
Content marketers and writers, this course is for you.
Course schedule - 4 live sessions + 'homework'
3-5 hours per week
Wednesday, Nov. 1st
1:00pm - 2:00pm EDT
Module 1: Laying the Groundwork
Thursday, Nov. 2nd
1:00 - 2:30 EDT
Module 2: Project Planning + Prep
Tuesday, Nov. 7th
1:00 - 2:30 EST
Module 3: Data Collection + Analysis
Thursday, Nov. 9th
1:00 - 2:30 EST
Module 4: Marketing + Graduation
Pre- and post-session work
2 hours per week
To get the most out of this course, you're encouraged to do the actual work as we go. This means working on your project plan, researching your topic, building your team, starting the data collection process, etc. Plan for a couple hours per week.
Learning is better with other other content marketers
Active hands-on learning
This course builds on live workshops and hands-on projects. Do the work while you learn about it.
Interactive and project-based
You’ll be interacting with other learners who have similar challenges. We'll use breakouts, peer-to-peer feedback, and optional workshops to set you up for success.
Learn with a cohort of peers
Join a community of like-minded people, who have a similar job role, who want to learn and grow alongside you.