How Surveys Can Lead to Major Media Attention

Surveys. What advantages can they give you? Keep in mind that media outlets love survey data, especially when it reflects current trends. In an increasingly digital world, data is everything, and surprising numbers always make for a good story. A survey that is timely and yields interesting results is a great asset to share with the media and has a good chance of getting picked up.

However, there are tons of surveys out there. How do you get yours to stand out? For greater impact, consider co-branding with a target media outlet to boost credibility as well as visibility. We did this for a client who fielded a survey on how different generations connect with direct-to-consumer brands. It got feature coverage and led to a series of additional surveys for that outlet.

Here’s a checklist of questions to think about. These have helped us land our clients’ survey data in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, The Today Show, and CampaignUS:

• Is your data counterintuitive or unexpected?: A good survey doesn’t just confirm what we already know; it also surprises us and raises more questions.

• Can you validate a belief in a previously unsubstantiated trend?: It’s newsworthy when data can put a number to something most of us believe to be true but can’t prove.

• Is it relevant to what the press is reporting on now?: Timeliness is important. If it’s not relevant, it won’t get published.

• Does your story tie back to your business? The subject of the survey should be tied closely enough to your business that it reinforces your company’s message.

A good survey should uncover data for a hot topic and if it also provides new, relevant insights, that will increase your chances of wider coverage. Present results to show what problem your data is solving in just one to two sentences. Even better — create an infographic that visually represents key data points.