Recently, I saw an article on PRNewser that offered four ways to get reporters to read your email. The tips are certainly helpful, but once you’ve caught their eye, how do you get media attention for your clients? In other words, what type of content are reporters looking for?

The answer is simple: data. Reporters and media outlets need data and insights to tell a better story that their audience wants to read.

So how do you get your hands on this data in order to provide it to them in your pitch? You probably think you have one of two options: 1) scour the Internet for relevant stats that already exist or 2) conduct a free survey on a DIY survey platform.

As a former PR pro myself, I remember these seeming like the only options, and frankly, they are limiting. When you piece together random stats for a pitch, it doesn’t quite tell your story in the right way. On the other hand, when you conduct a survey through a DIY platform like Survey Monkey among your network of family and friends, the data itself is usually biased, and the data quality is hit or miss, at best.

The great news is that you can generate your own unique, customized data (i.e. insights and stats) by conducting research among respondents who are unbiased and within your target audience. I realize this may sound intimidating, but stay with me.

At Lab42, we want to help you develop a survey that meets your needs (whether we write it or help you edit an existing survey). Then by tapping into our extensive, ever-growing pool of fresh respondents, we use social media to connect with nearly any target audience, including the general US population, moms, Millennials, and much more. Depending on the target audience, you’ll get results within 3-5 days.

After all, we know how the news cycle works– when you need data, you need it fast. We’re here to help you generate data that catches a reporter’s eye and validates your client’s story. The end result is press coverage and happy clients.The best part is that you never have to feel “stuck” again when your client is looking to get some media attention but doesn’t have a big newsworthy story in the pipeline. The data you gather from your own survey can be turned into compelling insights and stats for any outreach effort, whether it’s a press release, general email pitch, or even blog posts and social media updates. Here’s an example of how our own research and infographic on Pinterest & the Holidayswere picked up by CNBC, The New York Times Style Magazine and Washington Post.

 Extra credit
Going beyond press outreach, you could gain a deeper understanding of your client’s customer base through your own research. Taking it one step further, imagine the excitement of a prospective client if you showed up to a new business pitch with fresh insight into their customer base. They’d certainly be curious (if not dying!) to learn more.If you would like to learn more, we’d love to hear from you! Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at info@lab42.com.