Top 5 Reasons to Conduct High-Impact Research in 2016

Should you be doing research this year? Absolutely! Even if you did it last year, your findings could already be outdated. Tech, culture, competitors and your audience change so rapidly that you need to measure in weeks, not years. Here are five actionable reasons to conduct research this year that will DO something for your business:

1. Answer Bigger Business Issues. Think of your biggest business challenges right now. Do you have a clear understanding of your target and their needs? Could your processes be more efficient? Research will help identify the roots of a problem so you can move quickly to remedy
2. Deliver Insights at the Speed of Decision-making. You’re being asked to make decisions faster than ever. The good news is that today’s research is moving at the speed of your decision-making needs, so there’s no need to postpone research due to time constraints.
3. Provide a Future View. Doing research now will keep you ahead of the curve as industry trends inevitably change. The strongest companies are those that consistently monitor the pulse of the market and are prepared for sudden shifts.
4. Generate a 360-degree View. Target audience research is often the first and only research conducted. But not looking at the comprehensive business picture can set you back. Take time to research what’s going on with your internal business strategies, your competitors and general market shifts.
5. Impact the Business. Research is not restricted to marketing. Key findings can help to inform decisions all the way to the top. Ultimately, research is not about data. It’s about insights that lead to strong recommendations that affect business decisions. When we know the “why,” we can craft the smartest ways to say “how.”