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PR is not an exact science, but there are certain metrics used to measure its results. The brand's business and marketing goals should be reflected in the key performance indicators. Is the brand aiming to be known for something? If so, it needs to be in every article. Maybe a brand needs to push the stories down because they are not ideal. If that is the case, getting positive placements in media outlets that rank higher than any negative search results is the number one goal.
There are proven ways to evaluate various impacts when it comes to measuring PR success.
1. Media impressions.
A calculation of total audience reached is a classic PR metric, and a reliable indicator of how many people saw placements your brand achieved throughout a campaign. A PR team might set a benchmark for the total number of impressions they want, then try to surpass that mark.
The UVPM of an outlet's monthly visitors can determine a media placement's potential reach and help brands evaluate how many people likely saw it.
The reach of an outlet doesn't translate into a lot of viewers. It is unlikely that a single article or segment was viewed by every potential audience member of an outlet.
While media impressions can be useful in motivating PR teams to prioritize high-circulation publications, they can also be unreliable if used alone.
2. The key message is included.
The content of a placement is more important than the tier of the outlet it appears in. A car brand might want to be mentioned in articles about efficient mileage or ensure that any media placement it secures includes that message. This metric is useful when a key message is central to the brand's value proposition.
Measuring the number of key messages included in media placements or the percentage of articles that include these key messages is a good indicator of whether these differentiators and value proposition are being consistently promoted.
The placement's overall sentiment and content is not taken into account when calculating this metric. A brand and its key messaging could be highlighted in an article about a less-than-ideal topic, or that brand and its key messaging could be contained within a larger profile about a competitor, yet that mention would still show up as a positive data point.
When tracking the overall sentiment of placements, be sure to consider the context of each placement, rather than simply counting the key message pull-through rate or percentage.
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3. Target media was secured.
PR professionals try to include a certain percentage of top publications in a list of 10 to 50 that reach a client's target audience.
By targeting a specific list of publications, a brand and its PR team can align on the precise placements that pack the most punch in terms of reaching a target audience.
The tendency to develop a list that is too narrow is a common pitfall. In the hopes of moving the brand awareness needle or attracting investors for the next round of funding, brands might be tempted to limit themselves to pitching national (well-known) publications exclusively.
For target media to be effective, it is best to cast a wider net and work toward those larger publications over time. They can only write about a brand so many times in a year, and there are only so many of them. Mainstream reporters receive hundreds of pitches every day, most of which end up being marked as junk. A strategic placement in a trade publication can help improve a brand's reputation among key stakeholders, as the right audience will be more likely to see it.
4. Voice share among competitors.
Competitive, growth-minded CEOs like to use share of voice as a key metric. It compares online chatter about a brand to media mentions of competitors.
SOV gives a clear picture of a brand's influence against competitors. It can be an important metric for brands in a niche industry that is not often covered in top-tier media, as it sets a more realistic stage for whether the brand is included in articles about this less-covered topic.
SOV is a good tool to compare brands and thought leaders with similar levels of funding, but it is useless when used to track a small brand's progress against a household name. "David vs. Goliath: The Media Battle" is a book. If you are a streaming startup, skip this one.
5. Increased sales leads and web traffic.
In the long run, media coverage can help boost a brand's credibility and awareness and serve as a lead generation tool when used in conjunction with other marketing disciplines. It is tempting to make conversion metrics your sole focus, but it can be a mistake.
Website traffic can show which press hits generated the most website conversions, which can inform the types of placements the PR team should prioritize in the future.
This is not an accurate measurement of impact, as an article lives online in perpetuity and may continue to drive website traffic for many months and years. Most people don't read an article or watch a television segment to make an immediate purchase. The media placement is one of the eight different ways to convert interest into sales.
Website conversions don't capture the long-term impact of a PR campaign. Pay-per-click ads have a short lifespan. Potential customers might find an article years later, and that placement could be the thing that tips the scales in your favor and encourages them to click on the add to cart link.
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6. Increased traffic to the website.
If a brand needs to boost its online visibility, media relations can be a key part of that. When you earn a media placement in a top-tier media outlet, it can have a big impact on your website's ranking in the search engines.
If a brand wants to push down coverage, this measurement tool can be useful.
The most effective brand mentions must be linked in order to show a comparison of individual placements vs. overall traffic and conversions because many publications don't offer backlinking as a matter of journalistic neutrality.
A press release sent out on the wire can be a more reliable way to boost a brand's online presence than a traditional media placement. It is important to remember that the most effective way to boost the visibility of your website is with a dedicated and broad effort.
7. Social media shares and engagement.
Social media impressions can be used to capture the likes, shares and comments on an article. This engagement can be used to measure how many people read an article that mentions your brand.
A stellar article that goes viral can be a shining testament to the success of a well-crafted media pitch, one that meshes with target demographic. The right media placement can help a brand get noticed on social media.
Even a placement in the biggest news outlets doesn't guarantee you'll go viral. Nowadays, not everyone who loves an article also shares it on social media as media channels are more fragmented. Engagement is down on many platforms. Not everyone who shares a piece will always have a positive sentiment, which can encourage a negative perception.
The media market is crowded and the factors that contribute to a retweet are more complicated than whether an article is interesting or not. If you have a goal of getting people to read your posts, a separate digital marketing campaign is a good idea.
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8. Brand awareness or sentiment can be improved.
A company should conduct surveys at the beginning of its campaign to determine where it stands with its target audience. A PR team can increase brand awareness by 5% per quarter. Each quarter, surveys will be required to determine if the benchmark has been reached and to use any updated findings to inform future benchmarks.
One of the most reliable, comprehensive and thorough metrics to use when measuring how a PR campaign is positively impacting a brand is the brand awareness metric.
The method is among the most time consuming and expensive. Smaller brands and startup companies might look at other metrics to show their performance. It is difficult to determine whether PR or marketing initiatives are having the most positive impact.
Measuring the impact of PR on brand sentiment is not feasible early on in a brand's lifespan due to the financial investment required. A skilled PR practitioner can use other metrics to gauge results if there aren't any available.
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When an investor mentions seeing your name in The Wall Street Journal, or a potential client recalls your contribution to their favorite industry publication, the true results of PR reveal themselves at the end of the day. That is where the magic begins to be seen. PR can build into a bonfire over time, even though it is a slow burn. You can watch the needle move toward an eruption of success with the right combination of metrics.
