Reporters look for pitches that are both timely and interesting. So what can PR pros add to their pitches? One word: data. Data helps pitches stand out and adds value. No matter the industry, data-driven stories add a unique angle and give credibility to a source. Bonus points if your company releases its own data that can be used for outreach.
New Data Offers a New Data-Driven Story Angle
Startups often conduct their own research, so they have a treasure trove of existing data. Other times, they release data continuously that might align with current events. No matter the cadence, you won’t have to look far to find a good story. Let’s say your company is an employee listening company that releases findings on how layoffs affect employee mental and physical wellbeing when mass layoff stories overtook the news cycle. You have a timely news hook and can offer reporters a different angle that looks at how this affects employees who may be experiencing a form of survivor’s guilt. It also gives PR pros the opportunity to keep something in their back pocket when this angle is in the news again.
Data-Driven Stories Open Pitching Doors
Enterprise tech is a crowded space, for every piece of news, competitors are right there with you vying for the attention of reporters. For the monthly jobs report, inboxes for economy and workplace reporters are inundated with pitches promoting insights from job platforms highlighting the types of roles they have filled or have open across industries. Enter the data-driven story. At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the job market completely shifted. Some industries nearly shuttered whereas others experienced a once-in-a-lifetime boom. During this time, the monthly jobs report allowed the likes of LinkedIn, Snagajob, and Glassdoor to share job-related data offering a different perspective about how industries at a national or even local level might have been experiencing something completely different than what was being reported. If your startup releases data that aligns with a specific moment, it can be showcased as a source on a particular topic and simultaneously foster a relationship with reporters if it’s something they’ll be able to continuously share data on.
Present Data in Pitches For Higher Credibility
No matter what industry you’re pitching, you have to back up whatever you’re offering to reporters. Saying something is a trend or noting this is something they need to cover without sharing the why, does not cut it. Whether your firm releases its own data or your solutions/messaging aligns with data released by Pew, McKinsey, or Gallup, you need data to back up whatever you’re pitching. For example, if you’re pitching a wellness product that helps users measure their weight, balance, and posture without thinking about it, data outlining how 8% of US adults have chronic back pain helps emphasize your point and ties back to the product you’re pitching.
Data isn’t something that should be feared. Sure, it can be intimidating, but it’s an absolute game-changer when you’re trying to gain the attention of reporters.
About the Author
Brianna Bruinsma is a PR Account Director at Firebrand Communications. With over eight years of tech and consumer experience, she focuses on media relations and content creation.
