Leveraging Public Opinion in Your Public Affairs Strategy

Opinion polling provides politicians with essential insights into public preferences while helping voters gauge the popularity of candidates and issues. For public affairs practitioners, public opinion research should be seen as an essential tool for understanding audiences and shaping policymaker actions long after the polls close. 

While general issue polls provide a broad overview of top voter concerns like the economy and healthcare, they can lack in-depth information on the issues specific to your industry or organization. Investing in targeted survey research arms you with quantitative data on voter sentiment that is specific to your areas of focus. Integrating this public opinion data into your advocacy communications not only strengthens your arguments, but also offers actionable insights for decision-makers and creates new opportunities for media engagement. 

Collect Compelling Data 

Surveys are the gold standard in public opinion research, allowing you to capture voter attitudes on an issue at a given moment and track changes over time. While focus groups can provide valuable insights into voter motivations, survey results serve as powerful proof points in external communications, lending credibility to your advocacy positions. Beyond that, surveys can provide valuable demographic insights to help you identify your strongest supporters.

National surveys can help you demonstrate broad public support, engage a wide range of policymakers, and uncover who your strongest advocates are. For instance, a national survey might reveal that while most Americans support an energy policy, a higher percentage of voters in the Midwest support it. The national data point can be leveraged in your external communications, while the insight on Midwest voters can guide consumer advocacy outreach and prompt additional surveys to develop more tailored messages for stakeholders in that region. 

Surveys of specific demographic groups can help you craft more persuasive messages for key policymakers and media targets. For example, if a state-level survey of Ohio shows overwhelming support for a housing policy, this data can be used in outreach to key Ohio legislators and reporters, making a stronger case for policymakers to prioritize and endorse that solution.

Ultimately, your organization’s specific issues and target audiences will inform the best mix of national and demographic-specific surveys. Partnering with a reputable firm ensures you not only receive accurate data but also the targeted insights needed to drum up support from advocates and persuade policymakers to act. 

Deliver Your Findings 

Once you’ve collected compelling data, it’s crucial to effectively position these insights in your policy communications. This involves more than simply offering raw statistics; it requires weaving the data into a narrative that highlights the human and societal impacts of the issue. 

For instance, if public opinion data reveals strong support for a new healthcare policy, share personal stories and testimonials from individuals who would benefit from the policy. Combining these elements makes a direct tie between the data and the real voters it represents—painting a vivid picture of what is at stake. 

To maximize impact and get the most out of your investment in fielding surveys, be sure to leverage your data across multiple platforms. Use it in advocacy campaigns to mobilize public support, in media engagements to generate coverage, and in direct communications with policymakers. This surround-sound approach helps build a cohesive narrative that puts pressure on decision-makers from multiple sides, using diverse proof points to emphasize both the significance of the issue and the best path for action.

The Adfero POV 

At Adfero, we believe that the value of consumer data in messaging to policymakers cannot be underestimated. Data-driven proof points are not merely supplementary—they are central to crafting persuasive, evidence-based communications. When you present well-researched data alongside compelling stories, you create a powerful narrative that can influence decision-makers and inspire action.