Pressing Reset on Your PR Measurement Program

Earned media is notoriously difficult to measure. It can be tricky to nail down metrics beyond stories placed, even though you know PR’s impact goes way beyond media mentions. But measurement practices for PR pros are evolving and modernizing. Integrated analytics platforms are helping to connect PR to broader business goals, and AI tools can make it easier to interpret the less-than-tangibles of earned media messaging.

Don’t stick with your old measurement practices just because it’s always been done that way. Press reset with these tips.

Start from the End

Before picking your metrics or your dashboard color-coding, you need to define your goals. We’re not measuring just to measure here — goals put your numbers in context and give you a purpose to work toward. Talk to your executives, sales teams, and marketing peers to determine what should be top priority.

Keep in mind your marketing mix when picking out goals. It’s old news to assume PR exists in a silo. For a modern program, consider how different marketing efforts (especially social!) might share influence with PR. For example, are the stories you’re placing leading to more referral traffic or better social engagement? Or, how are combined social/earned/paid etc. efforts leading to increased brand awareness? Use this thought process to guide how your PR-specific metrics will be defined and reported, and take advantage of cross-channel analytics when possible. 

Measure to Learn

At Tier One, we believe in the truism that data without insights is just numbers. Sure, you want your metrics to show growth and value. But how can you use those insights to grow even more? If your measurement program is based on reporting the figures, and not what they mean, it’s time to rethink your approach. 

Your best insights will come from comparing metrics across variables. For example, to get more out of sentiment analysis than just a good/bad/neutral score, consider measuring sentiment vs. reporters and outlets or sentiment vs. spokespeople. With AI’s ability to digest vast amounts of text at once, you can automate some of this process, making it possible to assess more, faster.

Here's What You Missed in Measurement

What’s new in the measurement world? Keep these developments in mind when you put together your updated metrics map:

• Use your AI assistants: Message pull-through is a key metric for many PR pros, but it’s tedious to rake through every piece of coverage to ID key messages (even if you’re savvy with your CMD+Fs). Generative AI tools can automate a lot of this effort and free your time up to draw actual insights.

• AI as earned: While AI tools like ChatGPT access many sides of the internet, earned media mentions in credible outlets still carry weight and influence how AI portrays your brand. Consider incorporating AI visibility and representation into your regular measurement for a new layer of insight.

• Update your SOV: Traditional share of voice doesn’t really tell you much (other than that your competitor is putting out a press release an hour, it seems like.) To make this metric more useful, consider targeting by keywords or publications. As AI integrations into media monitoring tools like Meltwater and Cision get better, you can avoid some of the manual effort and expand what you track.

One the Out List

For a modern measurement program, these outdated data points should be left in the dust:

• Impressions and vanity metrics: Vanity metrics look nice, but don’t offer much insight into how your content is actually performing. Impressions, for example, show you potential readership — but they say nothing about how many people actually watched your interview or read your byline.

• AVE or one-size-fits-all metrics: AVE, or advertising value equivalency, went out of fashion years ago. But other metrics have popped up that attempt to summarize your earned media value in one simple score. Be wary of any tech tool that claims it can prove or summarize the exact value of your media hits.

Press That Reset Button

If you’re stuck using out-of-date metrics and inefficient measurement tools, it’s time for an update. Measurement moves as fast as marketing, so make a point to re-assess your metrics at least once a year during annual planning and update what you need.

Ready to overhaul your earned media measurement program? Check out our full guide: