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If you’ve been on LinkedIn lately, you may have noticed more posts that start something like “our latest research shows…” It’s clear that research is playing an important role in B2B content marketing lately, but in a world full of data, how do you gather insights that help you and your audience grow?
That's what we were wondering over here at Datalily. Since our whole process is based on creating content that’s backed by original, data-driven research, we did what we do best. We got the data. We surveyed 200 B2B SaaS marketing decision-makers to really dig into how original research is being used within marketing teams and what’s working.
We found that:
- Original research is driving strong ROI for content teams.
- Marketing research is now a monthly undertaking.
- The most successful content teams now have embedded data analysts.
- Marketers are becoming data-savvy with self-serve tools and AI support.
We’re excited to share the key takeaways from Datalily’s (first-ever!) State of Data-Driven Content Marketing report. Here’s what stood out most to our team, and what you can use to guide your marketing research strategy in the year ahead.
Research budgets are increasing
B2B marketers are doubling down on market research more than ever before. We’re talking a big uptick — 91% have increased their investments in proprietary research in the past year. And an additional 28% made significant budget increases. Considering what generic content is up against today, this shift tracks. With AI tools helping teams churn out more content than we know what to do with, original research stands as a true differentiator.
WHAT ARE TOP PERFORMERS DOING?
Companies with higher conversion rates from research-driven content (>30%) are about 3x more likely than average to allocate 75% or more of their marketing budget to content marketing. They know these increased budgets are paying off and are treating data-driven content as a key element to their growth strategy.
Pro tips for marketers:
- Solidify your goals before throwing money at research projects. What’s your overall goal? Is it to increase brand awareness, generate quality leads, or boost SEO traffic?
- Think of content marketing as a revenue center. After each campaign, measure new leads or customers, review feedback from your sales teams, and see whether there has been a lift in brand awareness or web traffic.
Original research reports generate the highest ROI
Content you create once (and continue to use for months) brings in more revenue and higher quality leads: original research reports are 3x more likely to generate the highest ROI than paid ads. This isn’t to say that there’s no place for paid in content marketing, but use it as a way to boost original content, rather than a standalone lead generator.
Original content is also bringing in more returns than product education, customer case studies, and thought leadership content.
Our report found that 88% of B2B marketing teams see positive ROI from research-driven marketing campaigns, and over 1 in 10 marketers see conversion rates exceeding 40%. These are the kind of numbers that get budget increases approved.
WHAT ARE TOP PERFORMERS DOING?
Companies with significantly positive ROI from research campaigns are 15% more likely than average to plan to invest in original market research or proprietary data in 2026 (55% vs. 48%).
Pro tip for marketers:
- Put your budget where the conversions are. Build out your primary campaign each quarter around original research and give it the funds to succeed. From there, you can promote your research report through paid channels to boost visibility.
AI is your data analysis and content personalization sidekick
The conversation around AI in marketing has gotten pretty noisy lately, but it’s worth discussing. The most beneficial use cases marketers have found for AI in content marketing are dynamic copy generation, market research, and data analysis and interpretation.
Teams that used to take months to go from survey to published report are now doing it in weeks. AI data analysis tools are eliminating the repetitive tasks that used to slow everything down. We found that 57% of B2B marketers are already using AI tools like Hex, ChatGPT, or Tableau for data analysis, but these tools aren’t intended to replace human insight.
Teams are also using AI for content personalization, by taking one set of research findings and generating multiple versions for different audience segments, channels, and stages of the buyer journey.
WHAT ARE TOP PERFORMERS DOING?
Companies that see significantly positive ROI from research campaigns are 18% more likely to use AI for content personalization and targeting. This is helping them create different content for different audiences, like regionalized campaigns, or mini reports for different verticals.
Pro tip for marketers:
- Let AI handle the gruntwork so you can bring the strategy. AI tools can help ideate survey questions, analyze the research landscape, or brainstorm copy variations. But be sure to implement clear guidelines on AI usage, and remember: ALWAYS fact-check.
Market research is part of the content cycle
The best kind of original research is the kind that occurs on a consistent basis. And considering how fast the SaaS landscape changes, it’s best practice to keep research as current as possible.
It turns out, others we surveyed feel the same: 50% reported they conduct market research for content marketing monthly.
To maintain that kind of cadence, you need to build a team equipped to conduct research and turn those findings into content. 21% of respondents said they added data analysts to their content teams to help bridge the gap.
WHAT ARE TOP PERFORMERS DOING?
Top-performing teams have turned research into a well-oiled machine. 62% of high-ROI companies work with content marketing agencies that have research capabilities. They've realized that the best research happens when content strategy and data analysis are integrated from day one, rather than being treated as separate activities.
Pro tip for marketers:
- Lean on agencies to lighten the load. To alleviate some of the pressure on in-house teams, partner with external creative or marketing agencies that are responsible for market research, data analysis, data visualizations, reports, and supporting assets like blog posts, social content, and landing pages.
Next year’s plan: More research, better results
Given how impactful marketing research is, it's no wonder that 86% of B2B SaaS marketers plan to increase proprietary research budgets next year.
The rise of AI search is changing how buyers discover and evaluate solutions. When someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity about industry trends, you want your research to be part of the knowledge base these tools draw from. Original research is helping surface content in AI-generated results because AI tools love authoritative, data-backed content.
WHAT ARE TOP PERFORMERS DOING?
96% of companies with positive ROI either increased or maintained research investments this year. This means they’re continuing to build on previous insights, track trends over time, and create content that shows longitudinal changes in their industry.
Pro tip for marketers:
- Data-driven content strategies are a marathon, not a sprint. Track ROI from campaigns after 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year to truly understand the results.
The future of content marketing is data-driven
The data from our report points to a shift in how B2B marketing operates. We're moving from an era where content volume mattered most to one where content authority is everything. The marketing teams that recognize this early and invest accordingly will have a massive advantage.
As Ron Dawson, Lead Brand & Content Strategist at HubSpot for Startups, puts it: "Original research isn’t just content, it’s strategy. It drives leads, builds authority, improves SEO, and fuels every team from product to sales. And data-driven storytelling is now table stakes in B2B SaaS."
The question now is how quickly can you get market research campaigns started, and how systematically can you scale them?
Ready to dive deeper into these insights and benchmark your approach against the industry leaders? Get your copy of the 2026 State of Data-Driven Content Marketing report to access all the data, frameworks, and strategic recommendations to help you revamp your content marketing strategy and drive revenue.
