Why Marketers Should Mine Company Data for PR Campaigns

At Walker Sands, we work with a ton of data. It’s a very effective tool to reach reporters and our target audiences, especially with business-to-business companies that don’t have a consumer angle or household name attached to their brand.

Sure, your company’s experience is invaluable – and your clients know that. But if you can’t mention those client projects and testimonials on record, it’s difficult to get your message and expertise out there to people who are less familiar with your brand – think untapped prospects, employees and other key stakeholders. Data solves that problem.

When you can back up your company’s claims with data that provides fresh insights, you immediately position yourself and your company as an expert. You also help your audience and potential clients uncover new trends that impact their customers, industries and businesses.

Data studies increase brand awareness, get you covered in the news, drive leads and provide a foundation for a wide array of content opportunities to keep your audience engaged.

Here are four tips for making the most out of your data:

Mine Internally First

The days of big data give companies access to a goldmine of metrics and information. By analyzing these and comparing your findings to information the industry is talking about, you may uncover important trends that you can use – for free – to pitch to the media, publish a whitepaper, host a webinar, share in email marketing campaigns and provide a basis for speaking engagements and sales collateral.

BizBuySell.com Insight Report is a great internal data success story – the quarterly economic research report is covered by 20 business journals every release.

If you have no internal data, then commission an affordable consumer study. You’d be surprised at how impactful a small investment in a consumer survey can be for both your marketing and sales efforts.

Think Outside the Box, but Make it Relevant

The best data uncovers new trends and information that impacts your target audience. For example, if you’re an eCommerce provider, survey consumers about a new trend that will be beneficial for retailers to know like using mobile in store or showrooming. Find out what other types of studies are out there before you go full force into a data study so you can be sure to position yours effectively.

Stay Committed

Do it regularly – a quarterly data study can do wonders for your content marketing, public relations and sales efforts. When you release data on a regular basis, reporters and your audience come to expect it, and you get more out of it every time.

Get Your Executives Involved

Executives have valuable insight that will make your data more meaningful. Sprinkle your content with quotes and informed perspectives of key leaders in your company with a strong knowledge of and experience with the topic you’re analyzing. Make sure they are properly trained on how to read and understand data – your PR firm can be a big help with briefings and explaining the impact of your data.

Data is a great tool to jumpstart your PR and marketing efforts. In many cases, it’s an untapped resource for companies looking to establish their expertise and stand out from the competition.