You Too Can Create Newsworthy Research Marketing Articles | May 2 Ryan Kerrigan Jersey , 2003 Take a close look at the front section of ... ... and you'll often find little articles ... results of some study or poll ... by some private company or other. Research d
Take a close look at the front section of specialized magazines, and you'll often find little articles highlighting results of some study or poll conducted by some private company or other. Research data is also often cited by general-interest publications like USA Today and network newscasts. You don't need a Fortune 500 sized budget to undertake a newsworthy study, or to receive coverage for it, either to your industry or the general public.
The scope and rigor of a study or poll are usually not the criteria governing whether or not it's considered worthy of attention. Rather, reporters and editors judge the newsworthiness of research according to its pertinence for their audience Jordan Reed Jersey , its novelty and its surprise quotient. If the study results seem likely to provoke a "Wow!" or "Interesting!" in the audience, then they have a good shot at earning media coverage.
Working backward, then, to how you would design a research question or poll with a promising potential for ink and air time, here are some guidelines.
* The answer to the question is not obvious and not already known.
* Those interviewed would want to know how others answered the question.
* It pertains to a topic that is either perennially or currently of interest to a particular audience or the general public.
* It's probably a qualitative question rather than answerable with "yes" or "no."
* The answers will subtly promote you Josh Norman Jersey , the sponsor of the research, without seeming overly self-serving.
For instance, if you're a moving company, asking "What quality would you rank as #1 in importance when you're looking for a moving company?" would not be as compelling as "When you're moving, what household item are you most concerned about getting lost or damaged?" If you're a chain of Italian restaurants Trent Williams Jersey , a good question would be "Which Italian dish gives you the greatest feeling of nostalgia?" A management consultant might profitably ask executives, "What mistakes do you see your vendors making in today's down economy?"
As for how many people you need to query for your study, it might be less than you think. One hundred, give or take a few, may be perceived as plenty Adrian Peterson Jersey , especially if the population you are asking is a relatively exclusive one. When Internet stocks were booming, a newsletter publisher got featured on CNN and CNBC with his findings about how little stockbrokers knew about the Net. He interviewed 103 brokers for his study. Usability guru Jakob Nielsen got wide coverage for a study of 20 journalists' inability to find company information at corporate Web sites.
When you have your questionnaire or interview results, spend the effort necessary to make your data sound catchy. The newsletter publisher headlined his press release, "Want Advice on Which Internet Stocks to Invest In? 'You're Better Off Asking Your Teenager Than Your Broker,' says MBA Professor's Survey." Jakob Nielsen announced his findings equally effectively with the attention-getting headline Alex Smith Jersey , "Corporate Websites Get a 'D' in PR."
Direct Answers - Column for the week of September 23, 2002
My husband has a twofold addiction problem, drinking and drugs. In the six years we have been married, he has had periods of sobriety, but they don't ever last. I feel he has not confronted the underlying problem: he was molested as a child by a family member.
He is currently in jail due to getting drunk and hitting a police car. Before we met he had an arrest history for violent crime Landon Collins Jersey , but he was never violent with me. He has a good core to him, as well as a feeling of worthlessness. When things are good they are very good, and you know the rest of the saying.
Al-Anon does not appeal to me. There are too many victims. I will not bail him out or give him money. He knows I feel he has to face the music. Luckily I am financially able to take care of myself, but I wonder if this marriage can ever be saved.
I am nearing the end of my patience with him. I refuse to allow him to make more excuses. My feeling is you always have a choice in what action you take. You do not have to be a drug addict. I don't want to kick a man when he is down, but I'm very tired.
Emmy Lou
Emmy Lou Wes Martin Jersey , you are not kicking a man when he is down. You have done nothing but try to help. Now it is time to decide on your best course of action and what your life will be.
Sometimes helping someone, in the sense of protecting them from consequences, is exactly what they don't need. Consequences are the only thing which will make them change, because they won't change until the worst that can happen, happens.
If you are drawn to individual counseling for yourself Bryce Love Jersey , then by all means do it. It may offer you an opportunity to talk about how you got into a relationship with someone under the influence of drugs and alcohol. How do you have a genuine relationship with someone who is chemically impaired?
No one can make your husband change until he is ready. That may be long after he is out of your life.
Wayne & Tamara
Determination
Tell me what to do when your own mother can't stop screaming at you, when you know what she's saying has nothing to do with you. The worst thing is she knows it, too, but she still screams.