In Russ Green’s latest blog post, “We know who our customers are. Really?,” Russ described a real-life example of how a little insight can lead to a better strategy, which in turn, drove a better creative solution.

The one-on-one interviews were incredibly helpful and definitely provided us with insights that we could get only by talking with the experts.

For this assignment, another tool we used was online secondary research. With a little digging and patience, we discovered very relevant and useful materials. We found white papers, results from formal target-specific research and surveys. This additional information validated what we had discovered though our interviews. It also provided a broader sense of the critical issues and trends that will have significant influence in our target audiences’ decisions.

Online secondary research can be found easily. Here are some suggestions on where to start.

 Tips for finding Secondary Research online:

• There are many sources for online secondary research. Here are a few suggestions:
  • Articles, whitepapers and research reports or surveys found on trade publication and trade associations websites.
  • Trade publication and trade association-sponsored webinars.
  • Federal and state census websites also include valuable data that can be found in the Business and Industry sections. Information can be sorted using the NAICS code and SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) system. 
  • Much of what you find can be downloaded for free. Some sites my require you to register and ask that you simply provide your name and email address. Other sites may require more information in order for you to access their documents.
  • Some of the really valuable online research can be accessed only through paid, or subscription services. Do you have a library card? Many local libraries have access to these paid services and if you have a card, you can often get access to these documents at no cost.
  • Of course robust research study findings are available through online purchase. Depending on the topic, audience and complexity of the research, these reports can cost several hundred dollars.
• Be sure and evaluate any research you find. It may not be pertinent to your market, audience or industry and sources may have a vested interest and may provide broad sweeping statistics.
• Use more long tail terms when searching, try using keywords such as research, survey, study, statistics, etc. at the end of your keyword terms.

Guidelines for using Secondary Research:

If you use data gathered from online secondary research, be sure to follow these guidelines. Citing and attributing will add credibility to your recommendations.

• Cite & Attribute
• Author (organization, or person)
• Title of the Research Study or document
• Date