Top 5 tips for running PR surveys

PR surveys are a great way to secure broadcast or media exposure for a brand. Done well they can add depth and insight to a story and really boost your chances of securing great coverage.

Below are our 5 top tips for getting the most out of your PR surveys:

1. Identify the audience

Before getting to work on a PR survey, the target audience must be identified; who does the brand want to reach out to and which media outlets will be targeted? Our parent group 4media group, use PR surveys to support stories across print, broadcast and digital and our in-house experts have a great understanding of which stories would work in different publications.

2. Get the news hook nailed first

The most important part of generating a PR survey is coming up with the creative idea. In order to land coverage in , the research needs a strong news hook that is objective and credible. This could be a topical issue which you want to gauge the public’s opinion on, a problem which demands a call to action, or a new angle that hasn’t been covered before. Of course we cannot predict how the results will come out, so there could be several possible headlines, and it always helps to have a back-up.

3. Think in headlines

When writing the survey, think of every question in terms of the headline that you would like to achieve from it. For a strong, punchy stat, use a single choice question, keeping it simple and direct. Generally, avoid open-ended questions, unless looking for a funny/personal response or short anecdote. Multi choice questions work well for comparing a list of ideas against each other. In line with MRS guidelines, leading questions, where the respondent is encouraged to answer in a certain way, should never be used.

4. Bigger isn’t always better

When it comes to sample size, the ideal number of respondents depends on the segment of the population being surveyed and the scope of the project. For general population surveys, a sample of 2,000 is always recommended to make the data credible and reliable. A larger sample size is unlikely to impact the coverage gained, unless it is a more in-depth study. For a niche demographic, 1,000, 500, or even less may suffice – as long as the sample used is relative to the size of the demographic within the population.

5. Get the most out of your data

A well-designed survey is likely to result in a wealth of interesting data. While it can be tempting to include all of this within a press release, it is much more effective to use only the most relevant and newsworthy stats to back up the story. Consider how the data can be re-purposed for different channels; such as creating eye-catching infographics for social media channels, blog posts, or even a white paper.

If you want to run a PR survey to supplement a broadcast day or campaign, our experts can help.