Using data to inform your digital PR campaigns is an excellent way to establish credibility and trust with your readers and even with the journalists publishing your content. Fake news is everywhere and journalists have to try even harder to find credible stories that relate to their readers.
Being the source of this information can even help boost your brand’s reputation. So, what’s the best way to approach creating data-led campaigns?
The importance of data in digital PR
Data-led campaigns not only pique audience interest by uncovering new angles but also provides concrete answers through numbers and statistics. These are particularly impactful with original data. These campaigns also contribute to SEO efforts. A campaign with insightful statistics aligns with Google’s E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) requirements.
When featured in national or other authoritative publications, it encourages readers to click through, ultimately leading to increased user engagement, click-through rates and conversions.
Why should you adopt data-led campaigns?
Here are some practical reasons why more and more digital PR strategies involve data-led campaigns.
- Ideation
Data is a wellspring of fresh ideas. By exploring available data sources, you fuel ideation sessions and uncover unique angles that might have otherwise remained unexplored. It sparks conversations and helps you get creative in campaign planning.
- Creating more angles
Diversity is the key to success. Data-led campaigns open doors to multiple angles, expanding your list of potential journalists and publications. This diversity not only enriches your campaign but also widens your reach, allowing your message to resonate with various audiences.
- Building trust
Journalists appreciate a good story, especially when it comes with ready-made data. A well-executed data-led campaign provides journalists with a unique story that also saves some time.
- Storytelling
While words can convey stories, data paints a vivid picture. Once you analyse the research, data-led campaigns write their own headlines. The numbers and statistics become the narrative, offering an enticing story that resonates with your target audience.
- Flexibility
Data-led campaigns don’t always demand extensive datasets. Whether through surveys, search volume tools, or quick data sources, there’s flexibility in approach. This adaptability allows you to create successful data-led content even with limited resources or tight timelines.
Sourcing data
Getting the right information and the most up-to-date information is key when creating data-led campaigns. There are a multitude of ways to find data online as well as sourcing data yourself, but it all starts with an idea. Once you have an understanding of the kind of story you’d like to tell, then you can break it down into the best type of data that would support that story.
You can obtain information from public bodies by asking politely. This is called a freedom of information request. However, these can take some time to be reviewed so make sure you leave a large enough window to get this completed.
Other methods of data collection include using Google Trends to see what people are searching for online. You can also ask people directly about individual topics through online surveys. Alternatively, for relevant information, have a look at your company data and see what internal figures are hiding a potential story.
Lastly, explore free information from sources such as YouGov or ONS (Office for National Statistics). These sites have lots of information to make your campaigns interesting and varied. By keeping it simple and practical, you can be on your way to building campaigns that people will really connect with.
For more information about the world of digital PR, head to the It Works blog. Alternatively, get in touch to give your campaigns the expert treatment.