Sample Questionnaire: Thought Leadership Marketing

Thought Leadership marketing is the art of positioning your company as a leader in its field through best-in-class content. The goal of thought leadership marketing is not to create sales heavy content, but to provide an entry point to your business by branding yourself as an expert. When the time comes to hire a company, yours will be at the top of their mind.

Below are sample questions that focus on asking your customers questions about their experiences and expectations from your industry/market. Keep in mind that thought leadership surveys typically do not produce case studies since we’re not creating a customer story of their experiences with your company/product.

Note: It’s okay to sprinkle in a few company/product specific questions. You want your surveys to maintain a cohesive theme so we suggest including these towards the end of your questionnaire.

 

QUESTION 1

Question type: Choose-Many                    

Which [security software] brands are you currently using?

• [Include your product name here]
• Symantec
• Avast
• FireEye
• Viavi

 

QUESTION 2

Question type: Choose-Many

Which of the following brands do you consider when purchasing new [security software]?

• [Include your product name here]
• Symantec
• Avast
• FireEye
• Viavi
• Other

  

QUESTION 3

Question type: Choose-Many 

What do you like best about your current [security software]?

• Easy to use and maintain
• Reliable product
• Excellent customer support when issues arise
• Good ROI for the price

 

QUESTION 4

Question type: Choose-Many

Is there anything you don’t like about your current [security software]?

• Product doesn’t live up to expectations/poor performance
• Cost is too high for the value
• Untimely support when issues arise
• Complicated to use/low adoption from end-users

 

QUESTION 5

Question type: Choose-One

Does your security software detect threats with high accuracy and provide you with the necessary information to stop an attack?

• Yes
• No

[Note: You’ll be able to cross-tab this question with another question asking what solution they’ve used or are considering --> “85% of customers who use FireEye [competitor] agree that the software does not detect threats with high accuracy and provide them with the necessary information to stop an attack.”]

  

QUESTION 6

Question type: Choose-Many

Why would a simple interface for managing your [security software] matter to you?

• Designed for all levels of users regardless of technical proficiency
• Prevents costly operator errors
• Enables quick job processing

 

QUESTION 7

Question type: Choose-One

Would you buy a different brand if it offered a way to [automatically detect and alert you to threats caused by suspicious activity or software malfunctions]?

• Yes
• No

  

QUESTION 8

Question type: Choose-One 

How often do you inspect the quality of your [threat detects]?

• Multiple times a day
• Once a day
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Never
• I don’t know / Not applicable

 

QUESTION 9 

Question type: Choose-Many

What are your most important service needs when implementing and using your [security software]?

• Installation
• Technical training for employees
• Resources for expanding adoption within the organization
• Knowledgeable and a trusted support team

 

QUESTION 10

Question type: Testimonial

What has been the greatest impact [Company Name/Product Name] has had on your organization and/or day-to-day role? Please quantify or give examples if available.