It’s PR Measurement Week Every Week

Last week, the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) celebrated measurement week. To outsiders, PR measurement may seem like a no brainer – you do the work, of course you evaluate success – but the industry has gone through many renditions of measurement, and we’re finally getting to a good place.

We see PR pros opting for strategic over vanity metrics more than ever before. Read any industry blog and you’ll see a push for measuring how PR builds awareness and drives sales.

That, my friends, is reason for celebration.

Now, I realize that in terms of years I may be a newbie, because I (thankfully) missed the era of CPMs and AVEs. But measurement, like all things, is a constant work in progress. We have a better system today than we did yesterday, but we’re nowhere near the end.

If you want to take your measurement to the next level (and, considering measurement = proving your worth I sure hope you do), keep the following tips in mind as you build your next success report.

Don’t just share the placement – demonstrate why it’s a success.

We all get that excited feeling when we secure a big placement – that whole butterflies in the stomach thing – but you better believe the rainbows and unicorns filling your desk won’t make their way to the C-suite. That is, unless your placement drove a sale. Or, if you increased brand awareness among your target audience – and you can prove it with statistics.

With tools like Google Analytics, showing a placement’s success is easy. Here are six of my favorite Google Analytics tools to help your PR measurement shine.

Consider year-over-year statistics when sharing successes.

Sure, it would be nice to say you increased website traffic 150 percent in one week, but usually the best strategies take time. Therefore, if you started a new social media program to increase engagement, it may not be a drastic improvement right off the bat. But, compare engagement to the previous year and it might be a different story.

Now, let’s say you can’t access Google Analytics (a major bummer!) for your client. Does that mean you can opt for circulation numbers only? Oh, I sure hope not.

Instead, think outside the box. Put on your detective hat and do some digging. Did you increase number of placements year-over-year within the same budget? You increased efficiency – share that percentage. Did you develop relationships with new bloggers who now write about your brand regularly? That’s a win – share your percentage increase in new media relationships. The successes are there – you just have to find them.

Don’t forget personal measurement.

It’s easy to get wrapped up in your company’s measurement, but don’t forget to do a little of your own, too. Keep track of what you specifically impacted. Your personal metrics can be used for a number of things:

• Proving worth while job searching,
• Developing and accomplishing career goals,
• Finding your strengths,
• Building on-the-job confidence, and
• Demonstrating why you deserve that raise or promotion.

Measurement week may be over, but for successful PR pros, it’s only just beginning. To demonstrate why PR deserves a spot in the C-suite, we have to live every day like it’s measurement day.

What are some of your favorite PR metrics?