The currency of communications: using data to inform your PR strategy
We are in the data age. Access to audiences, their likes, dislikes, demographic profiles and contact details is the currency we trade in and which powers communication.
While high-profile privacy cases have shone a light on the agency we all have over our own data as everyday citizens, it’s become apparent that living and operating without sharing your personal data is nigh-on impossible. ‘10% off when you subscribe to our newsletter’ ring any bells?
Aside from the ethical considerations about how personal data is used, shared, stored and analysed (a separate discussion in itself), those of us who work in communications, PR and marketing need to have a handle on the data we are dealing with.
Data-driven decision-making offers the foundation for more targeted, impactful PR strategies and campaigns. In bygone days data (or audience insight) was only really available through consumer research firms and polling. While this route still has its value in campaign planning the direct access we now all have is unprecedented, but that in itself is only one part of the planning puzzle.
Data analysis skills are more important than ever and with access to data being one element, understanding it and drawing the right conclusions is another. Making assumptions and drawing quick conclusions after a cursory glance at social media insights is not going to cut it. It’s time for PRs to invest more not less in this area. And, a word of caution, overreliance on AI to do this job for you is unlikely to yield the golden nugget of insight which really makes a campaign pop in a world awash with AI-generated ideas, copy and slogans.
Start with audience insights
Focused attention on audience data allows businesses to move beyond assumptions to truly understand target market sentiments and identify opportunities.
Analysis of demographic data, buying behaviour, and online engagement patterns will elicit useful insights about customers. Free-to-use tools like Google Analytics and social media insights can reveal who your audience is, what content they prefer, and where they spend their time online. For example, analysing social media sentiment can pinpoint perceptions about your brand and highlight areas for improvement. You can also get a good gauge on what competitors are up to and make comparisons and find gaps which can be exploited through external communications tactics.
While stand-out content may be king and customising brand messages to align with audience behaviour ensures better engagement and stronger connections – arguably, data is the back office where the real work happens. The two need to work hand in hand to make impact, prompt engagement and generate sales or behaviour change.
2. The message behind the measurement
Data enables performance tracking of past and ongoing PR initiatives but it must be viewed objectively. Are your press releases generating media coverage? Are customers engaging with your blog posts or newsletter campaigns? Metrics such as click-through rates, earned media coverage and website traffic provide a tangible measure of your PR efforts’ success. However, rather than using data to justify past performance decisions or provide mitigating factors for poor impact, PR data has to be part of the story for the future. Planning with data rather than just using it as a retrospective reporting tool for the board is where the focus should be.
Many PR media software platforms (e.g., Meltwater or Cision) now offer monitoring of media mentions, backlink tracking and assessment of the visibility of your campaigns as integral to their offer.
Analysis should be circular and should be used to refine and adapt your strategies in real-time, ensuring campaigns stay aligned with goals and audience needs while they are still live.
3. Trend predictions to stand out from the crowd
Predictive analytics is a game-changer for PR professionals looking to stay ahead of industry trends. By analysing market data, social media trends, and competitor activities new opportunities or challenges can be anticipated.
For instance, if data indicates growing interest on a theme or topic within an industry brands can refocus themselves to promote content and take a thought leader stance faster than ever.
One thing that we often find brands fall foul of is not wanting to stick their heads above the parapet and make predictions and future gaze for fear of getting it wrong. My view is that failure to do this means you will blend into what’s already out there and therefore make no impact.
If a prediction doesn’t come to pass the world won’t stop turning and you’re unlikely to be held to account for putting new thinking and ideas into the market – it’s all about the positioning and having an opinion. We are in the age of beige with so much AI-generated content. So do what you can to work in technicolour.
4. Get personal
One-size-fits-all messaging has long been passé. If you’re not using data to personalise communication to individual customers or segments you probably shouldn’t be working in marketing and communications.
When was the last time (if at all) you created persona audience types using recent data and insight? These should be reviewed at least annually and probably more often (depending on the pace and nature of your sector). Data offers us the chance to really get to know our audiences, but be warned it’s a hard learnt skill not to apply your own tastes and attitudes onto target groups. As humans we are built to find commonality with each other, but resist and really lean into what the data says – not what you want it to say and focus on what your audience wants to hear (not what you want to tell them!).
For B2B corporates this is just as valuable, harnessing LinkedIn analytics can help target specific professionals or companies that align with your services. These personalised tactics ensure your message is impactful and memorable.
5. Goal setting
True data-driven PR hinges on the ability to set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and assess campaign Return on Investment (ROI), (yes, we love jargon in the marketing industry). Decide what success looks like but be holistic. Simple metrics don’t necessarily translation into commercial success. For example, increased website traffic might be a good target but if you get the traffic then people drop off as what they find on your site is not what they hoped for – then that’s a fail! Many talk about ‘enhanced brand visibility’ as a success indicator – but what does that mean? How will you know you have achieved that and don’t forget, you can only measure this if you identified a robust way of benchmarking this and had a benchmark to start with.
Engagement increases – where your audience actually does something which positively interacts with the brand, its social media channels or other content is a good marker and platforms like Hootsuite and Brandwatch offer industry standard engagement rates which can be useful.
Helpful resources
Luckily there is a plethora of tools you can use in your data-endeavours. Some have free access to basic features and others are subscription-based. Of course don’t forget the free-to-all embedded analytics through social media channels – these are always a good starter if budgets are limited.
