October 27, 2022
Press Press releases shoot hither and yon across the universe of the Internet like a massive meteor shower, each one looking a lot like the other. To get noticed by a stressed-out reporter or harried editor, you must make your press release stand out. Or provide something the other press releases aren't delivering. Something like valuable data and statistics. A good reporter knows it's essential to tell a good story, but you must have the data to back it up.
And if your company develops lots of juicy data over the course of doing business, you’re in the catbird seat. For example, if your R&D team is working on developing a treatment for Dry Eye Disease, they’ve probably captured a metric ton of information and statistics about the ailment.
Exciting for the folks in the lab, but possibly Snoozeville for the rest of us.
Package it for Reporters
The key is to wrap that data up into an easily digestible and compelling story. Anyone can recite statistics and data but build a good story with the data as a backbone, and you are golden. Data stories use data, visualizations, and a narrative to help readers understand a topic quickly and easily and can communicate complicated information to a broad audience. For example, tell the story of one patient whose life has changed due to your company's Dry Eye Disease treatment. Use your statistics to show how many more patients could be helped. Describe the process of how you arrived at your novel treatment and how the data helped you get there. Include some data graphics like charts and graphs, and your release becomes even more engaging and provides the reporter with images to break up the text and add visual interest.
Reporters dig data stories because the data provides background information they'd do as a part of researching the story. Also, they're different from many press releases, which read something like: "Company X is excited to announce the launch of their newest and most innovative medical device to date." It's got a bit more meat on its bones for a reporter to sink their teeth into.
Plus, when you're pitching the story, you can describe your data sets so the reporter knows you've got lots of good base material for the story. Have a good story to pitch to the media but not the time or capacity to write the press release? Drop us a line, we can help!
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