Measurability and accountability have become key principles of management in today’s public and private sectors. Accurate methods are required in delivery of credible proof of results and return on investment to the management and other key stakeholders.
PR and corporate communication campaigns today are increasingly planned and based on research i.e. What do target audiences know already? What are their perceptions? What media do they rely on or prefer for information?
In best practice measurement and evaluation should begin early and should ideally occur throughout the communication projects and programs as a continuous process. Any PR and corporate communication activity should be aligned with the organizational objectives so as to be a contributor towards achieving the company’s goals.
A range of measurement methodologies are highlighted here; some are low-cost and others even no-cost. However there are research firms that offer research services to the PR and corporate communications sector.
PR practitioners need to develop a simplified metrics categorization that is easier to understand and explain. This can basically be done by examining: Exposure; - to what degree have they created exposure to content and message? Engagement; - Who, how and where are the people interacting/engaging with your content? Influence; - to what degree has the exposure and engagement influenced perceptions and attitudes? And finally, Action; - what action has resulted from the PR and social media effort.
They are encouraged to evaluate the difference between impact/value and return on investment; value is created when people become aware of your brand, they engage with your content or brand ambassadors and are influenced by this engagement and eventually take action i.e. buy your products/service or recommend it to a third party.
Evaluate your online activity; many brands have been known to control and manage their corporate sites and social media accounts by creating content that the public engages with. This medium is measured primarily by actual social networks and conversations between individuals. I.e. how often the brand is mentioned in a conversation, sentiments or comments and how often the brand has been recommended. Content and behavioral analysis is the basic measurement tools. Activity engagement in the social sites can be measured using the web analytics, which basically record number of hits or visits, comments made and the number of people following your company.