Measuring success in public relations – Is PR worth it?

In today’s digital age everyone is constantly bombarded with social interaction, making public relations (PR) more important than ever before. However, justifying investment in PR based on tangible Return On Investment (ROI), can often be hard to quantify, so i’ve put together five questions you can ask to ascertain the true value of a targeted PR campaign, which can realistically assist in achieving your business objectives.

1. Are you receiving positive publicity?

The first and most obvious way to gauge the success of a PR campaign is tracking the amount of media coverage your brand is receiving. The more touch points your target audience has with a brand, the more likely they are to come back and continue investing in it.

2. Are you receiving quality publicity?

As well as measuring the quantity, companies should monitor the sentiment of media mentions to understand the true value of their investment. Did the journalist mention the specific service offering you’re trying to promote? Is your organisation positioned in a positive light? Are your brand’s key messages mentioned? It’s one thing to secure media coverage, but contrary to popular opinion,all publicity is definitely NOT good publicity.

3. Are your competitors active in the media?

Effective PR embodies the saying; ‘a good offence is your best defence’. Every article you’re featured in, every story you provide a quote for and every positive mention you receive chips away from your competitions’ presence in the minds of your target market. Conversely, if your PR plan is non-existent, you’re allowing your competition to steal your market share for free.

4. Is your PR activity generating new business enquiries?

If executed effectively, PR campaigns can be a key driver for new business and sale leads; however, it can be hard to determine when publicity has generated these opportunities. If you want to find out how effective your PR program is at driving new business, just ask your new customers how they heard about your organisation.

5. Are your PR efforts driving digital engagement?

Digital monitoring services such as Google Analytics and Factiva can analyse and measure sentiment and engagement across your brand’s online presence, which is a great way to measure the impact your PR activity is having on your target market. New business enquiries often come from ‘call to action’ content published on your website or social media platforms. With this in mind, it’s important to monitor spikes in reach and engagement so you can tailor your PR campaign to cross-pollinate the promotion of your brand through digital avenues.

While ROI is important, when it comes to PR it should not be used as the sole measure for effectiveness. By building reputation and brand identity so you’re front-of-mind with your target market, your communication activity will form a key pillar to achieving your business objectives.

If you’re interested in finding out more about how PR help your business thrive, contact the Elevate team today on (07) 3180 3666, or email info@elevatecom.com.au