Three Ways to Use Poll Data

In the public affairs, advocacy, media relations, and electoral campaign work we do, we’re often asked to help put together a research and polling approach or to interpret and use polling that already has been done.  Over the years we’ve developed some best practices to help our clients make the most of the public opinion research they have.  This week we bring you three of them:

1. Use polling to test your assumptions.

We often see organizations and campaigns make assumptions that they treat as fact, “We can’t talk about gun control in this district” or “That demographic isn’t persuadable.” Use polling to test what you think you know, and be open to being surprised.

2. Don’t decide your organization’s or candidate’s positions because of a poll.

You already know what your goals and positions are, you don’t need a poll to tell you what to think. Polling data should be a tool to help you develop a message that communicates your values, priorities, or positions in the best ways to connect with your target audiences. Use polling to find the best way to articulate what you are trying to say and to  find out who is persuadable to your organization’s position or already with you.

3. Take the data with a grain of salt.

Respondents often rank which issues are most important to them (like cutting spending or lowering taxes) and then respond most positively to a message that has nothing to do with either. Don’t get hung up on one piece of data. When crafting a winning message use polling as a guide not as blueprint.