Publish an original research report that isn’t a big fat bucket of hogwash.
Got skeptical buyers? You need believable research.
build trust with buyers by publishing research that surfaces the truth.
Haus of Bold is a content marketing consultancy that helps B2B SaaS companies design and field surveys, pressure test their positioning, and publish the results as an original research report.
Trusted By
Through our Believable Research approach, we’ve helped dozens of B2B marketing teams create reports that make selling easier.
The Problem
B2b buyers are more skeptical than ever.
They’ve seen brands pull every trick in the book and now their bullshit detectors are on overdrive.
meanwhile, brands keep publishing questionable “research” and wondering why it doesn’t work.
Client Feedback
"Right after our report went live, we got a nice feature in Law360, a news source with over 2.8 million daily readers. Three months later, the report landing page is still one of the most visited pages on our website. We've even seen the report influence a handful of enterprise deals and renewals thus far! Firms want to partner with a thought leader, and this report has allowed us to showcase how committed we are to elevating the whole sector. We're using the report to fuel various marketing activities: we’re doing a roadshow, we’re teaching a CLE (Continuing Legal Education) class, and we’re publishing lots of derived content on various earned channels. It was great to have Erin's expertise on this project!"
Betsey Kinney, Marketing Manager at CaseStatus
Here’s why most research projects fail:
You’re a marketing expert, not a research expert.
You were never trained to design surveys or cross-tabulate data so you make mistakes without realizing it.
You cherry pick findings and bury the rest.
People read your report and think, “There’s no way every single finding came back in their favor. I don’t trust this.”
You’re scared to take a bold stance.
Instead of leading with a bold hypothesis, you say something tepid like, “We wanted to know how people feel about AI.”
You don’t partner with external Experts.
When you’re the only voice explaining why your research supports your claims, it’s just not believable.
believable research has methodological rigor and transparent reporting.
Our approach helps B2B brands avoid common mistakes that lead to “Trust us” Research, Amateur Research, and Hogwash Research.
Client Feedback
“Erin was highly instrumental in the creation of our Hiring Insights report. This report became the crown jewel for our company rebrand and messaging, and was a massive success!”
Cynthia Wakeford, Head of Content, Brand & PR at GoodTime.io
Client Feedback
“Over the years, Erin helped us create and distribute several proprietary research reports that contributed to millions of dollars in revenue. One report campaign, “The Impact of Behavioral Drives in a Remote Workplace," led to hundreds of sales qualified opportunities and contributed to $680,000 in closed won revenue! Beyond the hard numbers, she has that rare ability to take a raw idea and improve on it to create content that surpasses what you were originally envisioning.”
Thad Peterson, Director of Marketing at The Predictive Index
Why Us?
The Haus of Bold difference
Creating Believable Research that builds trust and credibility requires mastering two pillars:
1. Rigorous methodology:
In collaboration with our market research partner who has 30+ years of survey research experience, we design studies that yield clean, unbiased, and reliable data. Studies that stand up to scrutiny. Because credibility starts with the quality of your data.
2. Transparent reporting:
We make intentional choices — like publishing your survey questions verbatim — that communicate your company’s integrity while also demonstrating depth of expertise.
Our Approach
Instead of asking leading questions …
we design unbiased surveys in collaboration with survey research experts so that your study stands up to scrutiny.
Instead of setting out to prove your POV at any cost …
we approach research with genuine curiosity and a testable hypothesis.
Instead of presenting correlation as causation …
we clearly distinguish between what the data might show and what it might mean.
Instead of cherry picking stats and burying bad news …
we publish a believable narrative in collaboration with trusted external experts and customers to overcome skepticism and explain the why behind contradictory findings.
Instead of hiding our methods …
we share a detailed study methodology that includes our full list of survey questions along with respondent firmographics and demographics.
Instead of a boring data dump that reiterates what the charts show …
we write resonant narratives designed for PR pickups.
Instead of telling a surface level story …
we cross-tabulate questions to uncover richer insights within the data so your report demonstrates true depth of expertise.
the result
When buyers see you’re transparent about your study methodology and willing to share a few unexpected findings, they think, “finally, an honest company” not “great, another sales pitch.” And when they read a report with depth and nuance, they recognize your brand as a credible thought leader worth partnering with.
Our Process
Believable Research has three phases:
phase one: We align on research strategy and build your execution framework.
First, we meet for a 90-minute Report Strategy Workshop to flesh out your testable hypothesis and survey research plan. We’ll also plan for “what could go wrong” scenarios to de-risk the project. Then we’ll deliver a complete Research Report Playbook that serves as your central project management system throughout the engagement and beyond, so your team stays focused on the right objectives and you avoid the common mistakes that derail research projects.
Phase two: we collect your data and surface meaningful insights.
After establishing your research foundation, we collaborate with our expert market research partner to design and field your survey. We write survey questions optimized for response quality, organize them to form the questionnaire, field your questions to respondents, and clean your data. Then we identify trends and patterns within your data, and present the findings to you visually as basic charts — so you get actionable insights without managing complex research logistics.
phase three: we transform your findings into a persuasive marketing asset.
Then, we deliver a detailed outline that positions your insights strategically. Once everyone’s in alignment on how we plan to structure the report and talk about the findings, we create a 5,000-word report that includes expert quotes, formatting, and basic data visualization. We can also handle graphic design if you don’t the capability in-house.
Publish a report that helps you sell without being salesy.
Client Feedback
“As a first time marketing VP with tons on my plate, it was such a relief to partner with Erin on multiple original research projects. She has a rare ability to turn complex data into clear, actionable insights that not only grounded our strategy but also gave me confidence in the direction we were taking. Together, we created anchor content supported by data that became the foundation for our content pillars, ultimately bringing clarity and focus to an otherwise cluttered industry and helping us stand out with a point of view that truly resonated.”
Robyn Hazelton, VP of Marketing at Intellum
Client Feedback
“A key part of our marketing strategy is original research reports. It has been incredibly valuable working with Erin on these reports over the past few years. Especially when it comes to surveys and collecting data, she knows the exact steps you need to create high-quality and reliable content. I continue to be so impressed by her ability to constantly think outside the box and push our marketing to be even better. She instantly knows what will resonate with our audience, and also helps coach you on her way of thinking so you can learn to do the same. I highly recommend working with Erin.”
Natalie Marcotullio, Head of Marketing at Navattic
Hey, I’m Erin!
I help marketing teams at B2B companies write original research reports that build trust and credibility without the frustration of pouring resources into a report that screams “I’m a sales brochure!” or “Built by amateurs!”
I’ve been in the content game for 15 years — ever since I landed my first editor role. Since then, I’ve worn a bunch of hats like:
- Content marketing agency leader
- Inc. 5000 B2B SaaS marketing director
- Freelance content strategist, writer, and editor
Over the years, I’ve taught hundreds of B2B marketers how to create original survey-based research reports. And I’ve written for a bunch of brands you probably know, like:
- Hubspot
- Drift
- G2
- Intuit
- And a Fortune 100 company that shall not be named
When I’m not up to my eyeballs in proprietary data, you can find me hunting for vintage Halloween decorations, schlepping my three kids around town, or clicking “been here” on Atlas Obscura as I travel the world visiting peculiar places.
Erin Balsa
Founder at Haus of Bold
Haus of Bold Pricing
Invest in research that pays off.
DONE FOR YOU
Panel Survey + Report
For teams that need us to find and survey authenticated respondents who meet specific criteria plus write the report.
Timeline: 3 MONTHS
STARTING AT: $30,000
Costs vary based on who you want to survey. We’ll provide a precise quote based on your specific criteria.
90-minute report strategy workshop
Survey design (one survey)
Survey programming
Survey fielding to an audience panel
Payment of respondent incentives
Data cleansing
Data analysis
Excel file with all results
PowerPoint decks with charts and cross-tabulations
Detailed outline
Up to 5,000 words of formatted report copy
Two rounds of editing
Research Report Playbook
Project management template
Advisory calls through launch day
Need help turning your report into derivative content? We got you.
Client Feedback
“An ace up my sleeve! Erin is adept at architecting a playground of content for your self-serve buyers to navigate and helping you build an empowered content team. I highly endorse her!”
Rowan Noronha, VP of Marketing at Showpad
FAQs
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Most projects take three months, but you’ll typically have final copy in hand within two months.
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Believable Research includes the following deliverables:
One (1) 90-minute report strategy workshop per Believable Research process
One (1) Google doc containing survey questions plus fielding to one audience
One (1) Excel spreadsheet containing survey data
Two (2) PowerPoint appendixes containing basic data visualizations of findings, including cross-tabulations
One (1) finding debrief call to align on how to frame findings
One (1) detailed outline explaining how the report will be structured and how findings will be presented
Up to 5,000 words of report copy, delivered inside a Google Doc and formatted
The Research Report Playbook, an educational resource
One (1) project management template, delivered as a Google Sheet you can upload to your project management tool
Bi-weekly consulting calls through launch day (optional)
One (1) 60-minute report design consulting session (optional)
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Yes! Erin is your direct point of contact throughout the project.
She handles report strategy, survey design, and project management — plus she advises your team.
Depending on timing and subject matter, Erin will write the report herself or have a trusted partner write your report.
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Lots of agencies and freelancers dabble in survey-based research while we specialize in it.
Because of this, we have the strategic, research, and execution expertise needed to create thought leadership reports that influence highly skeptical and educated buyers.Whereas others “wing it” and hope for the best, we have a signature approach: Believable Research.
Whereas others skip data quality checks and fumble through raw survey data, we partner with an expert market research firm with all the right credentials and qualifications. -
While we can’t promise specific results, we encourage you to scroll up the page and read our client testimonials. We’re also happy to put you in touch with a former client if you’d like to vet us more thoroughly.
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If you suspect this may be an issue, we’ll bring them into the process early on so you don’t get bottlenecked by approvals later on — or worse, told you can’t publish the finished report.
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Nope! Once you tell us who you’re hoping to survey, we’ll run a feasibility analysis and then present options at different price points for you to choose from.
We also offer optional project add-ons like graphic design, report repurposing, and extra survey design for marketing teams who want to survey more than one audience to surface misalignment.
And if you don’t know, now you know.
Got more questions?
No Thanks. I’ll just DIY it.
Cool. Enroll in The Research Report Playbook. It’s a self-paced course that’ll teach you how to create your own research report — plus manage all the moving pieces. The course includes our project management template, which you can upload to your favorite project management tool.
Join 250+ happy students. The course is rated 4.9/5 stars.