PR MEASUREMENT: Techniques for Tracking What Matters

Have you ever felt like you’re drowning in a sea of press releases and media mentions, yet still unable to demonstrate the true worth of your PR efforts to your boss (or client)? I’ve been there, measured that, and let me tell you, it can be a frustrating experience. As a public relations specialist, I realize how difficult it is to measure PR properly. While tracking media placements is a fine place to start, it does not provide the complete picture.

According to a recent AMEC survey, more than 70% of public relations professionals struggle to measure the genuine impact of their campaigns. This data emphasizes the need for a more complete approach to public relations measurement that goes beyond vanity metrics such as follower count and website traffic.

What is PR Measurement?

PR measurement is the foundation for effective communication tactics. It entails assessing the effectiveness of public relations initiatives against set objectives to ensure that each effort positively impacts brand perception and meets business objectives. Today’s technology allows PR practitioners to obtain real-time data to assess the instant impact of their communication initiatives.

Key Takeaways

PR measurement is essential for assessing the effectiveness of public relations initiatives against set objectives, ensuring they positively impact brand perception and meet business goals.
Advanced PR metrics such as brand preferences, on-message coverage, and competitive share of voice are crucial for understanding the depth and effectiveness of PR strategies.
Regularly updating and segmenting a media list by type, region, or coverage nature allows for tailored communication, increasing the relevance and impact of outreach efforts.
Incorporating sophisticated PR monitoring tools like Google Analytics, Mediatoolkit, or Brand24 provides detailed insights into brand mentions, sentiment analysis, and overall campaign performance.

Why Measure PR?

The focus of public relations measurement has varied dramatically over time. It is no longer enough to tally press clippings or measure AVEs (Advertising Value Equivalents); current public relations practitioners seek deeper insights. Measuring PR operations assists organizations in aligning their communication efforts with their corporate objectives, offering a clear picture of which techniques succeed and which areas require improvement.

8 PR KPIs To Monitor and Measure

Before going into PR metrics, keep in mind that you should first look beyond PR. Determine your goals and work backward.
For example, if your goal is talent acquisition, you should establish a related KPI, such as the number of qualified candidates.

Your public relations program should not be completely accountable for these outcomes; rather, it should contribute to success and fit into the overall marketing and sales plan. Dive into the PR data once you’ve decided on your goals and devised a strategy for measuring business effect.

Here are eight key performance indicators (KPIs) to baseline and measure:

#1. Brand preferences and recommendations

Are you seeing an increase in third-party recommendations for your brand and goods from influencers, analysts, and significant media? How do the suggestions stack up against those of your peers?

#2. On-message, on-target coverage

Which are your most strategic channels? How frequently has your brand appeared (with the appropriate messaging and storyline) in these publications?

How much attention and visibility do you attract compared to your competitors? You can further segment it by monitoring SOV based on an audience, technology, or storyline.

#4. Buyers’ and prospects’ actions

How many marketing and sales actions (downloads, logins, registrations, demo requests, and so on) do you get via public relations?

#5. Message pull-through

What does your target audience need to understand to purchase and adopt? How do you distinguish yourself from competitors? Do you communicate these messages? If yes, how frequently?

How much engagement do your social media and email marketing campaigns generate?

#7. Website KPIs

Is your public relations strategy effective at increasing website traffic? What is the time on-site? Do your target channels refer to traffic?

#8. SEO Impact of Coverage

What is the domain authority of the outlets in which you provide coverage? Are your stories ranking in Google News and generating backlinks?

While PR measurement is obviously challenging, there are plenty of KPIs to monitor. Your public relations program will most likely not have influence over all of these KPIs, and some may not be appropriate for your organization. Perhaps they are all vital, but you lack the resources to follow them all. That is okay.

First, consider your desired outcome, and then prioritize the PR metrics that will help you achieve that goal. Prioritization always provides clarity.

Assume you’re the public relations manager for a groundbreaking new fitness software. Sure, the number of articles referencing your app matters. However, what counts more is how frequently you are mentioned compared to your competitors (share of voice) and whether the attitude surrounding those mentions is positive or bad (earned media sentiment).

These metrics provide a more in-depth view of your brand recognition and industry perception, allowing you to fine-tune your public relations strategy and enhance the effectiveness of your communication efforts.

Here are some lesser-known metrics to include in your PR measurement strategy:

Share of Voice: Compare the frequency with which your brand is mentioned in relevant media outlets versus that of your competitors.
Earned Media Sentiment Monitor: the emotion (positive, negative, or neutral) of media coverage to better understand the audience’s perspective.
Website Traffic Quality: Look beyond raw traffic metrics and identify users referred by media placements to better evaluate the impact on leads and conversions.
Social Media Engagement: Monitor metrics like as shares, comments, and brand mentions on social media to assess audience response to your PR activities.

By including these strategic metrics in your PR measurement framework, you can provide a full picture of your campaign’s efficacy, illustrating the concrete business impact that your PR activities have.

PR Measurement Tools

Now that you understand how public relations success is best measured, you may want to employ a few tools to track your PR performance.

#1. Google Tools

Use Google Analytics to analyze your website traffic and identify areas for improvement. Google Alerts is another excellent service you can utilize. You can set it to notify you when certain keywords (such as your brand) make the news or are discussed online.

#2. Reporting Tools

When it comes to reporting, the International Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) website features an Integrated Evaluation Framework tool that allows you to compile a report on your public relations efforts and campaign results.

Google Data Studio is another excellent tool for creating simple reports with Google Analytics. You can also employ public relations reporting tools like Prowly, Onclusive, Coverage Book, or Releasd.

#3. Advanced PR Monitoring Tools

Brand monitoring tools such as Mediatoolkit or Brand24 are useful for both PR professionals and brands who want detailed data in a single dashboard. These tools also provide insights into brand mentions, sentiment analysis, and trends.

Tips for Effective PR Measurement

Here are some tips for efficient PR measurement:

Establish clear objectives: Before you begin measuring PR, it is critical to establish clear goals. What do you hope to accomplish with your PR campaign? You can begin to measure your success once you have determined your goals.
Use the correct metrics: You may measure public relations using a variety of metrics. Select the metrics that are most relevant to your aims.
Track your results: Tracking your outcomes allows you to see how well your public relations campaign is performing. You can use this information to adjust your campaigns as needed.
Communicate Your Results: It is critical to communicate your findings to your stakeholders. This will assist them to comprehend the value of public relations and how it contributes to your organization’s success.

The PR Measurement Scorecard Template

Many public relations professionals struggle to discover and track relevant metrics that are connected with their campaign objectives. This gap can be bridged with the PR Measurement Scorecard Template.

Here’s the breakdown:

Campaign Goals Alignment: Define your PR campaign objectives (brand awareness, website traffic, lead generation, etc.).
Metric Selection: Select the most relevant metrics (share of voice, website referral traffic, etc.) that correspond to your campaign objectives.
Data Collection and Analysis: Use media monitoring tools, social media analytics platforms, and website traffic analysis software to collect and evaluate information.
Reporting and Insight: Create clear and succinct reports demonstrating the impact of your public relations activities on key metrics and campaign objectives.

You can download and customize the template below;

Lamphills-PR-Measurement-Scorecard-Template Download

In one memorable campaign at Lamphills, we used our PR Measurement Template to adjust our plans midway through a product launch based on real-time data and analytics. This swift change raised our media engagement by more than 40%, considerably increasing the campaign’s total success.

By using the PR Measurement Scorecard Template, you can create a tailored framework for assessing PR performance, converting data points into actionable insights that will allow you to enhance your PR strategy and achieve measurable results.

Conclusion

As the media landscape and public perception evolve, so should our PR measurement tactics. The future of PR measurement will most certainly feature even more complex analytics, with a larger emphasis on predictive analytics and AI-powered insights. Are you prepared to embrace these breakthroughs and use data-driven insights to move your public relations initiatives forward?
How will you adjust your PR measurement approaches to stay competitive in this continuously changing field?