It’s very well known and been said by several Digital PR and content marketing specialists – Public Data is the ‘cheap’, ‘low budget’ option when it comes to creating and running a campaign.
But do we underappreciate the value of data available out there?
I love data, any data, I browse the internet just to look for interesting data that I can take a note of and possibly use in the future when a relevant campaign comes up. It’s weird, but it also helps you come up with some great ideas.
Public data can be used as a foundation for a small or big campaign which, trust me, will deliver the results you are after. I have never heard a journalist telling me that they are not publishing the story because it’s based on public data, on the other hand, you are giving the press data, and stories based on it, with assets that visualise the data (in an easy and clear way) and saving them a lot of work and time they would have to invest in research if going through the data themselves.
Where to find public data?
Well, there are a few places, here is a handy list
Data.gov – Find Open Data
You can also use Google Public Data Explorer
You can also request a freedom of information
You can see data that are being used by journalists every year, mainly from the ONS or any other relevant authority that releases their annual reports. So, if you filter these and look further I guarantee you’ll find some very interesting data that no one used just yet and it’s just there, waiting to be included in some great campaign.
Thinking of using public data for your next campaign and need help with the analysis, planning or outreach? Let’s have a chat.
