To be successful in the PR business, you must be a natural born storyteller. That’s what good PR boils down to – having a good story and getting the right people to hear it. But that’s not to say you should neglect numbers in favour of words.
The most successful fintech PR efforts combine the art of storytelling with the science of data-driven insights. One report suggests 39 per cent of journalists are interested in collaborating on story angles involving exclusive research – which is six per cent higher than breaking news.
Why? The fintech industry thrives on innovation and trust, and research is a powerful tool for standing out in an increasingly crowded market. Beyond strengthening credibility and supporting authoritative messaging, data-driven insights create genuine news value, offering fresh perspectives that capture journalists’ attention.
Instead of simply stating that a solution addresses industry pain points, research proves their existence, quantifies their impact and provides the foundation for meaningful solutions, making the narrative more compelling and newsworthy.
That last part comes with a caveat though: data-driven insights only position fintechs as industry leaders if they offer something unique. It’s therefore imperative to design compelling surveys that have maximum impact.
Create a compelling survey
A well-designed survey ensures the insights gathered are not only unique, but meaningful, relevant, and engaging.
The first step is to identify your key objectives and target audience. Defining clear goals and understanding your audience will help ensure the research delivers valuable insights.
It might sound counterintuitive, but next think about the headline you want to achieve with your data. Then, craft relevant and engaging survey questions with the attention-grabbing angle in mind. Well-phrased questions lead to insightful, newsworthy responses that make your findings stand out.
For example, if your survey shows that 80 per cent of people hate Mondays – which lacks impact – frame your research to uncover a deeper, more compelling narrative that sparks interest and discussion.
Top tip
My top tip is to ask yourself and colleagues the questions before asking respondents. If they make sense and you can understand them, so will your respondents. A common mistake is asking questions that are not relatable to your audience and that cause confusion or a bias.
Crucially, for any study to be a true representative, and for the story to be reliable, it needs to survey enough respondents. There is no maximum limit, but many media outlets consider a 1,000 or 2,000 respondent sample to be most reliable. If you opt for 5,000 or 10,000, your accuracy will increase, and your story will enhance its credibility.
Remember that journalists are sceptical, and if the sample size is too small, the questions are poorly framed, or the survey is biased, they simply won’t take it seriously. At the Press Association for example, journalists will only consider a poll with a minimum sample size of 1,000 which also has a robustness in its methodology. That said, think quality over quantity. The aim of any research is to be as applicable as possible to the population for which it was conducted.
Any research can generate content, but not any content can generate interest
Once you have a solid set of survey results that have produced a great news hook, the next step is to send them out into the world. But data alone is not enough to make engaging content, especially if it’s not paired with compelling insights or expert analysis.
For your survey to be effective, the data must provide something meaningful, whether it’s an unexpected insight, a new shocking statistic, or a trend that challenges conventional wisdom. More importantly, the press release should clearly explain why the data matters.
Journalists and media outlets are inundated with pitches daily. To capture their attention, fintechs must present survey results in a way that is bold, newsworthy and impactful.
Ensure your press release has a compelling headline, highlights the key statistics, and creates an engaging narrative around the data. Where possible, it’s a good idea to support the information with infographics or other visually engaging formats. In the report previously mentioned, infographics (13 per cent) and data visualisation (11 per cent) were two of the top four most requested formats for stories.
Beyond the press release
When you’ve put a lot of resource into your survey, so it makes sense to maximise the results by using is to unlock further thought leadership opportunities.
Beyond media coverage, surveys can serve as the foundation for broader thought leadership initiatives and if search engine optimised can be leveraged for lead generation; so, think about how you can use your research to shape industry narratives and position executives as industry experts. This could be through content marketing, whitepapers and reports, all of which extend the value of survey data.
To maximise the impact of survey findings, think about distribution channels other than traditional media; amplify survey findings through online discussions, interactive webinars and direct engagement with target audiences.
Although surveys and data-driven insights are not a substitute for strong storytelling, they significantly enhance the credibility and impact of a fintech PR campaign. By integrating research into PR strategies, fintechs can craft more compelling narratives, grab media interest, and establish themselves as true thought leaders. The key is to strike the right balance between an insightful narrative and the numbers that support it.
