Tips for Starting Your Own Data-led PR Campaign | Insights

In the world of digital PR, data is king, and it’s not hard to figure out why; there’s something innately captivating about compelling figures and statistics. Our brains are wired to latch onto numbers — they stick with us in ways that even paragraphs of the most dazzling copy fail to emulate. 

A data-led PR campaign offers readers something tangible to hook onto. It also increases appeal to journalists, providing context-rich material to build stories around. By way of proof, a survey from Data Journalism revealed that 7 in 10 data journalists believe data provides reliability and contextualisation to a story. 

Journalists can make or break your campaign’s success, and presenting them with meaningful data-backed insights gives your story the edge it needs to stand out. Read on for actionable tips on how to start crafting a data-led PR campaign that cuts through. 

1. Define your objective(s)

Every PR campaign, whether data-led or not, begins with a purpose. Before embarking on research or ideation, you need to establish a few things:

• What message do I want to convey?
• Who is my target audience?
• What action or outcome am I hoping to inspire?

You might be tasked with purely increasing visibility, or it could be an exercise in improving lead gen. Dialing this in is key because it will inform what type of data you’ll be searching for, and how you’ll end up using. 

Defining your objective will guide your data collection and storytelling strategy, ensuring your campaign stays focused and impactful.

2. Research & ideation — find a topic that will resonate emotionally or intellectually (or both)

This is where you’ll decide which type of story is best-placed to achieve the objective you’ve settled on. Think about who you’re writing for, who you’re writing to, and what insights will generate the most buzz. Whether it’s shocking statistics, heartwarming connections or thought-provoking comparisons, you want data that will capture the hearts and minds of readers and journalists. 

Here are some tips on how to approach the research and ideation phase: 

• Look at emerging trends within the industry to identify gaps or opportunities 
• Brainstorm creative ways to package or visualise your data for maximum impact
• Map out how your data supports your objectives and connects with your audience’s interest

It’s important to think outside the box when it comes to this stage; data is objective, but storytelling isn’t. The way you frame your insights influences how they’re received. Explore unconventional angles to stand out from the crowd. 

3. Decide if you’re collecting data

Sourcing existing data is often quicker and less resource-intensive than creating your own. In today’s hyper-information age, there’s no shortage of available datasets — you just need to know where to look. 

• Public data: government databases and publicly available datasets can be treasure troves of information. In the UK, Freedom of Information (FOI) requests can unlock valuable insights across all sorts of industries, and we’ve used it ourselves to power some of our most impactful data-led PR campaigns. 
• Google Trends: you can use Google Trends to highlight topics that are gaining traction, whether in real-time or over a specific period. There’s a lot of room to be creative here, and you’ll need to be — this information is available to everyone, so leveraging it in a unique, fresh way is key. 
• Client databases: your client may have untapped data that’s ready-made for storytelling. Sales figures, customer feedback, website analytics and more can all be repurposed into compelling stories. Especially relevant if the main thrust of the campaign is to drive conversions, or shout about success stories.

4. Or creating it yourself

While sourcing data tends to be the easier option, data-led PR campaigns structured around your information you’ve created can perform better. That’s for a few reasons. Original content is favoured by the SEO gods, so it tends to rank higher, and by generating your own data, you can tailor your narrative to suit your campaign goals. 

Additionally, you need to keep in mind just how many press releases journalists receive. The more fresh, the more unique your data is, the more likely it stands out. 

• Surveys and polls: online survey tools like SurveyMonkey or Typeform make it easy to gather original insights. Craft questions that align with your campaign’s theme and target audience — remember, your answers will only be as good as the question you ask.
• Experiments and case studies: while these are generally more costly to produce, running an experiment or case study can lead to exciting, compelling figures with increased relevance to the brand or product you’re promoting. 

5. Decide how you’re going to use your insights

Collecting data is only half the battle. The true differentiator of a successful data-led PR campaign lies in how you use that data to tell compelling stories and capture your audience’s attention. A well-crafted narrative, tailored to your audience and strategically amplified, is what turns raw numbers into transformative results. 

• Create a narrative: anchor your data to a larger story that resonates with your audience. A statistic is just a number until you show people why it matters. 
• Segment your approach: if you think your data would be more impactful sliced up to target different demographics, consider a segmented approach. 
• Targeted outreach: don’t just send your press release out to everyone in your contact list — identify the right media outlets and journalists for your story. Data that appeals to local interests or niche audiences can hit harder.

Running a successful data-led PR campaign for loveit coverit — how we used data to drive interest and sales

When award-winning insurer loveit coverit tasked us with increasing interest in their brand, we knew a data-led PR campaign would be the way forward. With a focus on one of their core markets, gadget insurance, we set out to craft a campaign that was targeted, relevant and impactful. Here’s how we did it: 

Finding the story

We wanted to drive a story that would resonate emotionally, and we quickly landed on the issue of phone theft — a fear that nearly everyone holds. But instead of simply presenting nationwide statistics, we took a more granular approach. 

We used a FOI request to access phone theft data by region. The thinking behind this was simple: the concept of phone theft is worrying in its own right, but knowing specific figures about your local area hits even closer to home (literally). 

Building the campaign 

Armed with region-specific data, we segmented the campaign into tailored press releases for regional publications. We were able to localise our messaging, in turn increasing its relevance and appeal to both readers and journalists. 

The results

Our approach paid off handsomely. In addition to high pick-up rates from regional publications, our story was featured in outlets with high domain authority (DR) such as Yahoo News UK, the Evening Standard and AOL. 

By leveraging localised, relatable data, we turned dry, impersonal statistics into headlines that resonated with readers across the UK. 

Data is king, but how you use it is key 

Data-led PR campaigns can be powerful tools to increase visibility, drive interest and boost sales. But creating one that sticks the landing — and stands out from the crowd — necessitates a combination of dogged research, inventive ideation and leveraging data intelligently. 

You need to be creative with your storytelling, but you need to be creative with your data, too. Whether you’re sourcing data or conducting original research, it’s crucial to remember that data isn’t just about numbers — it’s about what story those numbers tell. 

If you’d like some help crafting a data-led PR campaign from a data-driven digital PR agency, we can help.