Measure PR Activities Like a Pro

Exclusively for the Future Communicators Accelerator, Hotwire Global CEO Barbara Bates shares her tips on measurement.

1. Understand from the beginning what the desired business outcome needs to be — align all thinking and metrics towards that outcome

2. Wherever possible, establish a benchmark so that progress can be measured

3. Profile your target audience; be clear on what behavior you are trying to drive; and align metrics with the persona and desired behaviors of that audience

4. Build metrics that are replicable — that way over time you can demonstrate the impact PR is making

5. Measurement of PR can take many forms — understand what is most relevant to the campaign and agree those metrics with the client at the outset of the program

6. Track performance using an 80:20 system — 80% based on results, 20% based on outputs — it’s always going to be important to do what you say you will in terms of activity, but only if that activity delivers the desired impact or outcome

7. Linking sales to PR is absolutely do’able — it requires clear tracking (trackable backlinks), knowledge of Google Analytics and where possible integration into the sales workflow / marketing automation platforms of the client organization

8. Keep measurement simple — don’t seek to measure too many elements. Identify what is relevant and important to the client and stick to those metrics

9. Don’t be seduced by volume — always look for quality over quantity and stress the importance of impact rather weight

10. Don’t take no for an answer — PR is absolutely measureable if agency and client work as a team to use the data that’s available to track impact and ultimate outcomes

Future Communicators Accelerator is a unique expert-led accelerator programme for outstanding PR and marketing management professionals. Want to learn more from Barbara and other top comms exerts? Join us in San Francisco in February 2019 for a two-day interactive event for communicators and startup leaders of the future.