RESEARCH-LED MEDIA COVERAGE: THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
You’ve run a survey, created a data-led story, and watched as the coverage rolled in over about two weeks. Then you took the curtain call, switched off the lights and exited the stage. But in earned media, the show is far from over and your campaign doesn’t have to be a one-hit-wonder. There’s a simple way to make a survey story have legs weeks, months and sometimes years after its initial release: by making it evergreen.
Why go (ever)green?
An evergreen story angle has multiple advantages. With newsrooms continuing to shrink, reporters are always looking for relevant and engaging content they can use or repurpose. Regardless of what’s happening in the world, they’ll still need to fulfill their story quotas. That’s where evergreen stories come in. They’re not tied to a specific holiday, giving them a longer shelf life and wider appeal to publications.
Our research-led story for Questis on money etiquette was originally released in April 2022 and continues to see coverage over a year later. Reporters were pulled in by stats exploring people’s hesitancy to discuss their finances with others, with one using this research as part of a broader “outdated money tips” article. This 2023 LA Weekly article also cites the Questis story, as well as a Life Happens study from the previous year — including a link to their research findings published in the press section of their own site.
Extend the life of seasonal content
Even if a story itself is timed for a specific holiday or date peg, including evergreen components will play a big role in its longevity — and they’ll certainly help it retain value in the event its release is delayed. This is especially useful for holidays with a short coverage window. For example, a Valentine’s Day story quickly loses news value after the day itself, but stats on how many dates it takes to make a relationship “official” will continue to attract reporters (pun intended). They can always pluck out those evergreen data points for a story of their own further down the line.
We partnered with HelloFresh on a food waste story that launched for Earth Day. While the release timing was strategic, the stats themselves were evergreen. So it’s no wonder the story continues to see pick-up two months later.
When we worked with Tabasco on a summer grilling story, it included generational comparisons on cooking and how long things take to master. However, it also featured America’s favorite foods on the grill, which were repurposed in list form by a reporter a year after the story’s launch. Talk about data that continues to sizzle!
The not-so-secret life of data
Once you’ve run a PR survey, the data is usually good for about a year. So why not make the most of it?
Evergreen research is as sustainable as it sounds. You can repurpose it for blog posts, social media, newsletters — the works!
Here are just a few ideas to give your research-led story and data a second life:
Blog posts or landing pages
Social media content
Press releases or brand newsroom posts
Email newsletters
E-books
Linking to a blog post or landing page within the story’s initial release is highly encouraged. Since backlinks are never guaranteed in earned media, including a link that has newsworthy content relevant to the story may encourage a reporter to include it.
Showcase your data and infographics or provide further information on a dedicated webpage, in the style of online educational gaming platform Kahoot!, insurance company Lemonade or real estate investment platform Cadre.
SEO benefits
Your media coverage can appear on SERPs (search engine results pages) close to and long after the original publication date.
If you publish your research findings on your brand’s website you can also help amplify your story across your own marketing channels — building brand awareness and credibility, while improving your site’s SEO. By covering topics that resonate with your target audiences, your research-led content can attract traffic for an extended period of time, particularly when it’s evergreen.
Aleksandra Vayntraub
Senior Editorial Account Manager, 72Point Inc.