How today’s PR teams can turn numbers into narrative
PR’s reliance on data is only increasing, and it’s changing how PR teams work, informing everything from media outreach tactics to campaign strategies. In fact, the Cision Global Comms Report found that 42% of comms leaders are now relying more heavily on data and analytics – a significant uptick from 2023. But having access to data is one thing, unlocking value from it is another.
Despite the growing influence PR and comms have with the C-Suite, the ability to effectively demonstrate the impact of PR efforts remains. This has been an ongoing challenge – and one that our own IBA research found was a top problem for 40% of the C-Suite. So how can data fix this ROI conundrum?
Last month we explored the top data-driven practices in play but this time round we’re drilling down to identify the key areas where data can bring new value into the PR ecosystem.
- Press releases get visual with multi-media
Content is becoming more visually driven – with short-form content once again having it’s time in the limelight. In fact, research found that 8 seconds is how long marketers now have to make an impact on Gen Z buyers but it’s not just buyers that value a compelling visual. Journalists think about this too.
Though it’s essential press releases deliver attention-grabbing headlines and copy, images and data visualizations can help sell a story to a journalist in a more impactful way. If a press release draws on original research, it’s well worth pulling the key data points into line graphs, bar charts, or pie charts to tell a story visually.
Our enterprise software client saw first-hand how this strategy can impact coverage levels when we took a slice and dice approach to their original AI research. We repurposed the insights into a perfect mix of features, interviews, and press releases that targeted each of our client’s focus industries.
By letting the data speak for itself, we secured 26 placements in Top Tier industry publications. One manufacturing engineering publication took it a step further and built an interactive video to report on the findings – now that’s what we call making an impact!
- Credible facts and voices win favor with eagle-eyed journalists
According to Cision’s 2024 State of the Media Report, 37% of journalists rely more on data to shape their editorial strategy compared to last year. PR pros should bear this in mind when drafting pitches, as data and stats can add credibility that will help win favor and trust with journalists, and ultimately secure coverage!
Remember, facts are important to journalists who want their content to stand up against fake news and disinformation. This is where verified data, backed up by reliable sources, can add weight and authority.
Go to primary sources, not opinions
Talking of adding credibility, well-sourced data doesn’t lie and nor should your SME! It doesn’t matter the context – a media interview, event conference, or quotes in a feature opportunity – PR teams can support their clients’ SMEs by supplying them with relevant and accurate data that significantly enhances their credibility and helps them speak with authority.
Data not only helps to build trust with target audiences and the media, but also ensures that brand messaging is consistent and factually grounded. After all, don’t forget that journalists write about companies they trust, so a credible SME will be a journalist’s primary contact when seeking expert contributions.
- Track and Trace – measure what matters to quantify quality
Data without analysis is like a body without a soul. Together, data analysis is a great way to show value but many PR pros still struggle to find meaningful insights that back their efforts up. In fact, Cision’s 2024 Global Comms Report found 40% of PR teams rate their ability to demonstrate ROI of earned media as satisfactory, below average, or poor. That leaves major room for improvement!
Measuring data on PR campaigns – such as share of voice, website traffic, and sentiment analysis – can help teams gauge the impact of campaign efforts. These metrics help to demonstrate in real-time how PR activities contribute to business goals, such as brand equity, lead generation, or customer retention.
Tracked links created through UTM codes or website analytical tools such as Google Analytics and Bitly can take this one step further. Tracking links help PR teams measure what messaging and topics are working (and what isn’t), as well as platform or channel performance.
- The rest is not history – the data of the past can fuel future PR successes
Historical data can help PR pros not only measure performance but also look to see what strategies worked best or what messaging resonated the most with target audiences.
By analyzing data from previous campaigns, PR teams can identify what worked and what didn’t, then refine strategies moving forward. Going back to those tracked links, everything the audience does with placed content is a learning curve, though it can be easy to misinterpret the signals. With the campaign analytics from tracking links, you see more than just what triggered a reaction.
For example, if certain types of content or media outlets consistently generate higher engagement, PR pros can prioritize these in future outreach and ensure each new campaign is more targeted and effective than the last.
Lesson to the wise – don’t fall into the data well
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: having too much data for the sake of it is a wasted effort. Trying to measure too much will also cause issues. When there’s too much data to consider or endless stats crowbarred into copy, PR teams can unintentionally create misleading conclusions and hinder effective campaigns.
Messaging should always be kept as simple as possible and to the point. The key is to strike a balance between leveraging the right data, without succumbing to analysis paralysis and straight down the path to decision paralysis – if you can’t make sense of it, neither can the journalist!
A new data standard for PR
Data-driven insights will only be as valuable as the data itself. But when used effectively, data can drive measurable impact – enhancing media outreach and helping PR teams demonstrate ROI to the C-Suite.
Thought you couldn’t put a value on PR? Well, what about now? Let the numbers tell the real story!
Hannah Watson is PR Lead – Analytics at IBA International.
