Why it outperforms other angles
Journalists need to attribute claims. A data story hands them a defensible fact and a named source in one move, which is why it converts far better than opinion or product news.
It also travels. One dataset can produce a national story, several regional cuts and a trade piece, which is where the link volume comes from.
Where to get the data
Your own platform data is the strongest if you have enough of it and can share it without breaching anything. A commissioned survey of a thousand people is the standard fallback and costs a few thousand pounds.
Public datasets analysed in a new way are the cheapest route and often the most credible, because the source is verifiable.
What kills a data story
A sample too small to stand up, a finding that is obvious, a survey question written to produce the answer you wanted, and no regional or demographic cuts. Journalists check methodology more than brands expect.