What role do numbers play in our world of words?

Any PR company worth their salt will pay careful attention to the results of every single activity that they carry out. Whether the focus is audience reach, column inches, key term citations, click throughs or website traffic, these measurables should then feed back in to the objectives set, to ensure progress in the right direction. The numbers that matter to one organisation will be different for the next, of course, but the important thing to note is that analysis is crucial. Gone are the days when PR is just a ‘nice to have’ service without specific targets to meet.

But there’s more to our penchant for numbers.

Journalists are increasingly demanding stats, facts and figures in the content they receive. Perhaps it’s because of the explosion of big data, and the volume of metrics that companies now have at their fingertips. Or perhaps it’s because the media are quite simply fed up of receiving press releases proclaiming the launch of the next ‘unique’ product or service. Either way, numbers are in high demand.

And there are lots of numbers out there to include. For example:

• If we’re talking about business growth we’ll detail turnover and profit specifics, as well as the size of the workforce, investment levels, the extent to which these figures have changed over time, and projections moving forward.

• Rather than making general claims such as ‘vast cost savings’ or ‘increased productivity’ we’ll state specifics. These figures don’t just evidence anecdotes – they grab attention too!

• We even encourage clients to source new stats that the media may not have seen before. Credible short surveys or pieces of research can uncover fresh industry findings which don’t just give journalists a new angle to run – they help position our clients as insightful, authoritative thought leaders too.

As a technical PR company, it’s perhaps unsurprising that we eagerly hunt out the specifics of a brief. We love depth, detail and a point of difference. But really, any credible PR agency should do the same, if your campaigns are to stand out.

Want to talk about your vital statistics? Contact us on 01484 489333 or email office@scribapr.com.