The 8 Most Common Questions About Using Survey Data for Thought Leadership (And Our Straight Answers)
- Justin Ethington
- 7 days ago
- 5 min read
Let’s be honest for a second:
If you’ve ever wondered “Is using custom survey data right for us?”, you’re not alone.
In fact, after reviewing some recent consultation calls with marketing leaders from SaaS and tech companies, we noticed a clear pattern.
👉 Everyone is pretty much asking the questions.
And these aren’t surface-level inquiries - they reflect the real concerns, hopes, and fears content leaders are navigating in today’s crowded B2B landscape.
So today, we’re doing something different.
We’re answering every burning question that comes up on our calls - right here, right now.
If you're even thinking about using survey data to drive your thought leadership, this is your cheat sheet.
Let’s dive in 👇
1. “What exactly do you do? How does this work?”
The Big Fear Behind This Question: I can’t risk investing in something that won’t work - I need to understand what I’m buying.
We get this question almost every single time.
Here’s the clearest way to explain it:
TrendCandy runs done-for-you custom surveys designed to generate dream headline data - the kind of insights your buyers, media contacts, and industry influencers can’t ignore.
We handle the:
Survey design (around trending, headline-worthy ideas)
Targeted respondent sourcing (from professional, verified panels)
Data collection and analysis
(Optional) content creation - like infographics, social posts, reports, or ebooks
You tell us (or we research) the topics your audience cares about. We then generate original data to create brand new insights that get engagement, build trust, and open doors with the media and buyers.
It’s simple, structured and powerful.
So powerful in fact, we guarantee the results:
We guarantee two 2 things - at least 3 paying customers attributed to our services AND double content engagement, or we will keep working at no charge until we reach those KPIs.
2. “Who do you typically work with?”
The Big Fear Behind This Question: I don’t want to be your guinea pig.
We mostly work with B2B SaaS and tech companies.
Specifically, marketing and content leaders like:
VPs of Marketing.
Directors of Content.
CMOs.
Marketing Managers.
Heads of Marketing.
If you’re leading the charge on content strategy and want to stand out and prove ROI, you’re our people.
Our clients range from Fortune 100 giants like Adobe and Zoom to fast-growth SaaS startups.
Be rest assured, you won’t be our first rodeo.
3. “Where do the survey respondents come from?”
The Big Fear Behind This Question: This will only generate something meaningful with quality respondents.
Let’s be crystal clear here: we don’t use ads or social media to recruit random participants.
All of our respondents come from closed-loop professional panels - networks that specialize in verified, qualified professionals.
We use screeners to ensure you’re getting the right job titles, company sizes, regions, and we filter out low-quality participants.
This is enterprise-grade data collection.
We’re obsessed with respondent quality because we know your reputation depends on it.
4. “How much does this cost?”
The Big Fear Behind This Question: If I spend this money, will I be able to prove ROI?
Our projects typically range from $9,000 to $14,000 depending on:
Number of respondents.
Depth of the insights needed.
Whether we’re doing content creation or just raw data / headline generation.
There are also some lower budget options available for smaller scale projects.
We also offer add-ons like professionally designed infographics, report writing, and custom lead-gen tools.
But here’s the key bit of information: our surveys are designed to give you a year’s worth of high-value content.
One of our clients said it best: “It was the easiest ROI we ever proved.”
You won’t need to research your next content idea again.
5. “How long does the whole process take?”
The Big Fear Behind This Question: I’m under pressure to deliver yesterday. Will this drag on forever?
Great news: most surveys are wrapped up in 2-3 weeks.
If we’re also creating content assets like infographics or reports, that might add another few days.
So in under a month, you’ll have original insights to fuel your social posts, PR, ebooks, blog content, and internal decks.
No bottlenecks. No bloated timelines. Just fast, effective execution.
6. “Can you help us with content too, or just the research?”
The Big Fear Behind This Question: If I don’t get help executing, this data will just collect dust.
We hear this a lot: “I love the data… but we’re slammed. We don’t have the bandwidth to do anything with it.”
We’ve got you.
Our team offers full content packaging options, including:
Professionally designed infographics.
Headline-ready reports.
Executive decks.
Social posts.
SEO ready blog articles.
Email drip sequences.
Even gated ebooks to drive MQLs.
But if you’ve got an internal content team and just want the raw data, that works too.
We’re flexible. You’re in control.
7. “Do you offer any ongoing lead-gen tools?”
The Big Fear Behind This Question: How do I make sure this data doesn’t just make noise - but drives leads?
Yes - this is one of our favorite innovations:
We offer a self-assessment tool post-survey.
Here’s how it works:
Your prospects answer 5 - 7 questions related to your survey topic.
They instantly see how they compare to your benchmark data.
You capture their contact info + what they care about.
This drives repeatable, high-quality inbound leads long after the survey is published.
It turns one-time content into an evergreen lead-generating asset.
8. “Can we use our own respondents or mix them with yours?”
The Big Fear Behind This Question: I’ve got a list of niche prospects - can we make this cost-effective?
Totally.
We offer hybrid models, where we use our vetted panels to fill the gaps and you bring in your own contacts.
This is especially helpful if:
You want to survey your customer base.
You have niche titles that can’t easily be accessed.
You’re budget-conscious and want to reduce respondent fees.
Just tell us what you’re working with, and we’ll build the right sampling strategy for you.
Final Thought: Why These Questions Matter So Much
Behind every one of these questions is a deeper emotion we’ve seen in every call:
👉 Fear of irrelevance.👉 Fear of content being seen as “just marketing.”👉 Fear of disappointing senior executives.👉 Fear of putting out one more piece of content that gets ignored.
We get it.
You’re not just creating content - you’re staking your professional reputation on your strategy.
That’s why our approach isn’t just about “doing a survey.”
It’s about giving you the confidence to publish work that’s backed by data, trusted by buyers, and respected by your industry.
Because when your content actually says something new - people listen.
Which is why we have that guarantee in place (we’ll generate you at least 3 paying customers
AND double your content engagement, or we’ll keep working at no charge until we reach those KPIs).
Want to talk this through?
If any of these questions are on your mind, let’s chat.
We’ll help you figure out whether a survey makes sense for your team, your goals, and your budget.
And if it’s not a fit? No hard feelings.
But if it is - you might just create the most valuable, shareable content you’ve ever published.
We’d love to answer your ninth question, whatever it is…..
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