Demonstrating the results of PR efforts and investments is a challenge for most PR teams. With so many avenues used today, tracking performance across all channels requires accurate metric gathering and analysis. A PR agency can evaluate benchmarks, but companies must also understand their goals, resources, strategies, and metrics. PR firms track and measure various metrics to gauge success. Here’s an overview of seven metrics leading PR teams track and measure:
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1. Press Clippings
The modern digital space features videos and press releases clipped into short versions for various publications. You can track the number of press clippings mentioning your company, products, services, and messages. Clippings can appear in all kinds of publications, and you don’t need to track all of them. Focus on publications viewed by your prospective customers. You can consider your PR efforts successful if you receive a large number of mentions in your top media outlets.
2. Impression Versus Clickthrough
Media impressions offer another way to assess PR efforts. You can measure the number of media impressions for a specific timeframe. Impression calculations can be complex and involve multiplying the press clippings by the total publication circulations. Impressions don’t mean much if the audience doesn’t engage. You can measure how impressions perform versus clickthrough rates. Leading agencies use personalized pitches, calls-to-action, and tracker links to benchmark the click volume.
3. Website Traffic
PR raises awareness about the brand and drives traffic to the official website, social media pages, and other landing pages. Measuring the traffic to your website is one way PR agencies use to determine success. You can measure traffic levels before the PR efforts are made and periodically to gauge how PR steps impact performance. Spikes in web traffic indicate successful PR campaigns, especially if people engage in the calls to action.
4. Lead Sourcing
Ask people how they learned about your brand, company, products, and website. Identifying the lead sources can help determine whether the PR campaign is responsible for sales leads. A good PR agency can tie the campaign to sales and include source options like media and news articles. Asking your visitors how they heard about the company is the most effective way to tell if your press releases are effective.
5. Social Media Mentions
Tracking social media mentions is another way to gauge the success of PR campaigns. PR teams focus on conversations that mention your brand specifically and communities around your niche. Watch if your social media mentions spike after launching a PR campaign. Track mentions across social media platforms you’re active on, but don’t forget other mentions. You have the potential to enter new social media spaces with leads for your business.
6. Actions and Sales Results
The ultimate goal of PR campaigns is to share your business in a positive light, increase brand awareness, and attract leads. PR agencies set goals and actions that signify when campaign goals are met. Your goal can be increased newspaper coverage, website visits, backlinks, or social media chatter. Sales are the highlight metric of success but expect slow growth instead of overnight spikes.
7. Market Surveys
Surveys and research reports can reveal whether your campaign was successful. PR agencies can conduct market surveys to estimate how many people have heard of your brand and products. After running the PR strategy, the agency will conduct new surveys and compare reports to determine changes. Surveys can also help reveal whether the campaigns have changed how people perceive your business and offers.
Work With A PR Agency Today
Hiring a reputable PR agency is a great way to create successful strategies for your goals. PR campaigns have unique goals and need well-implemented strategies, tracking, and improvements. Working with an agency allows you to use professional insight and experience. Stick to reputable full-service agencies specializing in businesses and brands within your industry. The best agencies cover everything from editorial coverage to social media marketing, celebrity seeding, special events, and more.