In this week’s #ContentChat, Erika Heald joined research strategist and Mantis Research co-founder Michele Linn to explore how content marketers can go beyond the trend report and maximize the value of proprietary research. Michele explains her five R’s of repurposing original research and shared practical frameworks to generate value from research-driven content long after the launch.
“I created something called the Five R’s of Repurposing Research. The easiest one is reuse; taking something like a stat or chart and turning it into a quick social media post. But the most powerful is reflect; using research to start a deeper conversation.”—Michele Linn
“Hopefully, the questions you’re asking in research are things no one else is covering. That’s how you become the go-to resource for your audience.”—Erika Heald
Watch the full conversation on YouTube or read the highlights below.
Design Research With Repurposing in Mind
Michele emphasized that impactful research starts with strategic planning. Instead of thinking about channels or distribution at the end, she recommended building a research framework upfront. This framework acts as a table of contents for your project, guiding both your survey questions and how you organize the final report.
“I always create a research framework [with] your main topics or table of contents for the research. It gives structure, avoids scope creep, and helps tell a cohesive story in the end.”—Michele Linn
Erika echoed the importance of original insights, noting that too often marketers try to outdo competitors by copying their questions rather than creating fresh angles.
“There’s this urge to replicate a competitor’s study just so we don’t have to quote them. But we miss the chance to tell a differentiated story.”—Erika Heald
By involving your PR and content teams early in the survey development process, you ensure the data serves multiple goals: newsworthiness, SEO value, and thought leadership. Michele noted that writers often provide insightful framing suggestions that can shape survey questions in more engaging and useful ways.
The Five R’s of Repurposing Research
Michele walked through her Five R’s model as a strategic lens for maximizing research assets:
- Reuse: Republish visuals or stats on social
- Reflect: Use data to spark dialogue on LinkedIn
- Remix: Combine research with other insights
- Reimagine: Translate data into new formats (frameworks, infographics)
- Results: Highlight outcomes or tie-ins to customer success
“It’s about using research not just to publish once, but to learn, to build relationships, and to start meaningful conversations.”—Michele Linn
Each “R” enables marketers to approach their research from a fresh perspective. Reuse and reflect are particularly effective for thought leadership and audience engagement, while reimagine and remix offer scalable pathways to multi-channel content development.
“When we think about repurposing, it’s not just about turning a stat into a chart. It’s about figuring out what your audience is wrestling with and finding meaningful ways to talk about it.”—Erika Heald
Build Frameworks from Your Research
Turning research findings into usable models makes the data more actionable and reliable. Michele shared how branded frameworks elevate your insights by giving them a visual identity and clear structure that can support future content.
“Your framework could be as simple as looking at what people who self-identify as successful are doing differently, and testing for that. Or it can be a full model with multiple categories and benchmarks.”—Michele Linn
Frameworks also help combat internal content chaos. When aligned across departments, they ensure marketing, sales, and product teams are telling the same story, grounded in validated research.
Proprietary Research as a Thought Leadership Accelerator
The conversation also covered the role of research in thought leadership and internal alignment. Research isn’t just a marketing tool—it can fuel product innovation, sales enablement, PR pitches, and executive communication.
“If you want PR to support your report, involve them from the start. Ask what insights their contacts care about, and do the same with your writers.”—Michele Linn
“I’ve seen so many siloed projects where a research vendor is hired, then PR is brought in at the end. It’s so much more impactful when the story drives the research, not the other way around.”—Erika Heald
Additionally, when companies commit to a recurring research series—as Andy Crestodina has done with his annual blogging survey—they become known as the go-to authority on that topic. Michele stressed that maintaining the freshness of stats is key to keeping credibility and impact.
Repurposing in Action: Case Studies
Michele shared how brands like Formstack used a single research study across blogs, podcasts, webinars, and more—sustaining content creation for an entire season. This not only drove engagement but built a cohesive brand narrative.
“Formstack did a great job with their State of Digital Maturity study. They used it across channels—webinars, podcasts, social. It’s still referenced today.”—Michele Linn
“Why have one episode about the survey when you could have 10, each diving into a specific finding with a relevant expert?”—Erika Heald
Erika and Michele closed the chat by urging marketers to build research processes with reuse in mind. From the first survey question to the final shareable visual, every step should be intentional.
