Where to Find Great Data for Your Press Release
A successful press release must walk a fine line between hard news and storytelling. Sometimes that balance can be difficult to find. One of the best ways to find balance is to write your press release from a storytelling approach and then to go back and fill it in with relevant and informative pieces of data. That means, of course, doing your research after you’ve written the press release. To make this approach easier, it’s useful to have a “go to” list of resources for the most up-to-date facts and data. The following ideas will help you begin to compile your own list.
- Company Reports – If you’re a publicly held company then you already have a good bulk of informative data. You can quickly access sales, staff, growth, and other important information that the media may want to know. Keep in mind that the data you provide in your press release must be relevant to the story and information that you’re sharing.
- Your Sales Reports – If you’re not publicly held then sales reports and internal documents may have the information that you need. Connect with your CFO and get the most up-to-date information to share in your press release.
- Your Competition – Head on over to your competition’s website. You can access their company reports if they’re publicly held. You might also want to check out their media page. They should have industry and company data published on their page. If you use anything from their website, make sure you check the source that they’ve cited. Make sure the information they’re sharing is accurate and then source the data from the primary (original) source; don’t source your competition in your press release.
- Industry Publications – Every industry has at least a few publications. These are magazines or active and notable blogs that people in your industry turn to for information. Yes, it may be that you’re actually pitching your press release to one of these publications, and that’s okay. You can kill two birds with one stone and research the publication while you’re digging for relevant facts for your press release.
- Industry Researchers – Some industries have organizations dedicated to researching the industry. For example, there are many marketing consultants and consulting groups that publish annual marketing research reports. The manufacturing industry also has a handful of businesses whose primary focus is to research and educate other industry professionals. These consultants and researchers can be a vital source of up-to-date information.
Finally, talk to the upper-level managers in your company. They probably have their finger on the pulse of your industry and may know the best places to find the most up-to-date and relevant data to use in your press release. You might even use their feedback in a quote in your press release to add authority and credibility to the content.
Call us today to speak to one of our PR specialists: 1-800-713-7278
