How to Build a robust, Results-Driven Media Relations Campaign By Utilizing Data

Examples of companies utilizing data for media relations

Deloitte, a prominent UK-based company with nearly 200,000 professionals in independent firms throughout the globe collaborates to produce audit, consulting, risk, and financial advisory experience for clients and produces valuable surveys that inform business practices for entire industries. Their ongoing Global Risk Management Survey is picked up by tens of thousands of media outlets. However, data is commonly acquired and distributed by smaller businesses, too, as an efficient media relations content strategy.

One of our clients at Fletcher Marketing PR, Tellico Village, a senior living community in East Tennessee, conducted a resident survey on retirement trends that were then utilized to supply a series of reports releases and bylined articles utilizing the info. Senior living publications found this original data informative for their audience, which led to media pickup and also the ability to then repurpose the published articles as social media, blog, and email marketing content.

How to determine what data to amass for your campaign

The best approach is to start out at the top — not at the start. give some thought to what your audience and stakeholders will value foremost. Is there an issue within your industry or among your customers that must be solved? Here's an example: Inbound marketing and CRM software company, HubSpot, performed an inbound marketing trend report with data collected from over 1,600 businesses to produce their audience with valuable information to make better marketing strategies. Since their customers depend on their products and services for marketing and sales, selecting a survey to secure data associated with marketing insights was effective, since consistent with Muck Rack, there are over 10,000 media mentions for his or her report.

Methodology for securing original data

The type of marketing research utilized to amass the info depends on the goal and knowledge you're progressing to inform. A survey is best when acquiring quantitative data and consists of a collection of inquiries to gain insight. Proprietary data, also referred to as owned data analytics, is another sort of quantitative data that's captured through owned sources like CRMs or other analytics tools within the organization. Whereas attention groups or interviews are more conducive to qualitative data that's non-numerical and supported insights, behaviors, interactions, or observations.

While it's straightforward to access proprietary data for media relations, it's often helpful to rent a third-party marketing research firm to conduct surveys, focus groups, or interviews. Ensuring the info is accurate and bought in an unbiased way is critical. Since the info is wont to demonstrate thought leadership and credibility, leaving the acquisition to experts who can properly structure the survey, focus groups, or interviews and analyze the results scientifically is helpful.

Distribution and reaping the worth of credibility and thought leadership

Once a news release with the information and significant findings is drafted and distributed to the media, either via earned media pitching or a release on the wire — or for the simplest results, a mix of both — the following step is to totally leverage the results and publicity. While awareness of the findings is helpful, confine in mind that the first goal is to be positioned as a reputable thought leader. Sixty-five percent of buyers say thought leadership significantly influenced their perception of an organization for the higher. And when it involves sales conversions, thought leadership plays a crucial role.

A content preferences study found that B2B buyers increasingly search for credible "show-and-tell" experiences to drive buying decisions. The study found that 77% of buyers will consume a minimum of three pieces or more of content before ever speaking with a salesman, and therefore the top content formats are supported through thought leadership with half including survey reports. So, repurposing the results as a range of various content pieces may be thanks to effectively increase the ROI of the campaign. Content pieces to spice up 

credibility and thought leadership can include the following:

• Blog posts

• Podcasts

• Webinars

• Email blasts

• Social media posts

• White papers

• Infographics

In addition to content, a further benefit is that data results can function as a pitching opportunity to achieve access to speaking engagements, industry panels, interviews, serving as a guest on podcasts or as a guest blogger or perhaps appearing as an expert on broadcast news. It is emphatically stated that data may be a pathway to credibility. After all, author and professor of statistics, W. Edwards Demming, once said, "Without data, you're just another person with an opinion."