Why Do Companies Need PR Measurement?

Public Relations and communications are important aspects of any company. A brand that is well-received by the public can expect greater success with its products and projects, aided by good relationships and trustworthiness.

Professionals turn to PR measurement (or PR metrics) to gauge the success of their company’s public relations campaigns. By using these measurement systems, a business can build its influence and marketing strategies, thus proving PR measurement to be invaluable.

What is PR Measurement?

PR Measurement is a form of media monitoring that involves the measurement of public relations campaigns, marketing projects, and the public’s opinion. This process is usually performed with the help of specialized software. PR measurement scours media of various forms to assess how a company’s campaigns are being received, thus gathering valuable insights for the business.

Historically, PR measurement began with newspaper clippings. In the late 1800s, companies and influential people began looking for a way to monitor public opinion about them. As such, a few companies began offering newspaper clipping services, cutting out articles that mentioned specific people or brands. Interestingly, this was how Burrelles began: our history began with Frank Burrelle, who founded a clipping bureau in New York City.

How Does PR Measurement Work?

Modern PR measurements use a combination of PR professionals and software to scour media. A PR measurement tool will search for mentions of a company or individual. Some tools may specifically monitor social media or online channels, while others can look through offline mediums like magazines or newspapers.

Digital PR measurement tools use machine learning and advanced algorithms. This allows the tool to cover things like sentiment analysis, real-time monitoring, and audience impression. Content analysis and website traffic are also measured by these tools.

PR Measurement Metrics

Specifically, PR measurement tools will look at the following:

Social Media Mentions

Social Media mentions are among the most important metrics for PR measurement today. This is due to Social Media’s large reach and ability to share news or information all over the world, conveying data at a lightning speed. PR measurement tools will look through these forms of media to find mentions and conversations about a business.

Media Impressions

This metric measures the reach of a PR campaign depending on how many other publications mention their brand. The more places a company is mentioned, the better their impressions.

Press Mentions

A business’ success can be measured by the number of press clippings that mention its name. The press is widely regarded as a trusted source: any official recommendations seen there can greatly influence the public to turn to that brand.

Website Traffic

The number of visits a business website receives can change depending on how effective a PR campaign is. PR measurement tools will look at website traffic to gauge if a company’s current marketing campaign is sparking enough interest in potential customers. If a company website isn’t getting enough visits, there may be a need to change campaign strategies.

Sentiment Analysis

Sentiment analysis involves looking at mentions, reviews, and media published about a company. A business can get sentiment comes from customers or professional critics, who may then go on to write product reviews that can influence potential customers.

Sales Leads

Effective media campaigns can lead to sales. PR measurement tools can review the amount of product or service sales and determine the effectiveness of a campaign.

All of these metrics are then delivered to PR professionals, who will then analyze and build on these insights. Alternatively, some PR measurement tools can generate automated reports.

How PR Measurement Can Benefit a Company

The insights gathered from PR measurement can greatly optimize a company’s PR strategies. By being able to assess the effectiveness of PR and marketing campaigns, a company can stay on top of its reputation and success.

With the information gathered from PR measurement, a business can build effective marketing strategies. Combining the reach of media and the influence of a good PR campaign leads to effective, streamlined business operations. The public is undoubtedly what a business centers around: if a brand doesn’t have a good relationship with its audience, it’s bound to fail.

As such, modern companies are recommended to use PR measurement to gain deeper insight into their brand. With good management and better campaigns, a business can steadily grow its success.