How do you measure PR?

5 ways you can evaluate your PR efforts

The return on investment for media coverage can also be determined. Read more.

Is your public relations campaign working? There are many tactics you can use to measure the effectiveness of your PR efforts. Here are five methods to determine if your campaign is successful.

1. Social media mentions. Measuring your social media mentions is a great way to see if your PR campaign is effective with your target audience. Social media measurements should focus on tracking conversations mentioning your brand. Do people talk more positively about your brand after you launched your campaign? If they do, your PR efforts were successful.

2. News clippings and media impressions. Track the amount of press clippings and other media references that mention your brand. You know your PR campaign is working when you have a large number of mentions in target media outlets with positive tone and key messages included. Measure how many people may have seen the coverage by looking at the outlet's total circulation or monthly online visitors. This shows the potential media impressions for your media coverage.

3. Generated sale leads. A successful PR campaign increases sales leads. To learn what PR strategies influence your clients’ decisions, you can ask your customers how and where they heard about your company.

4. Content analysis. To understand if your PR campaign is successful you have to assess whether your media coverage is resulting in valuable content. Is your company projecting the image you want? Are your key brand messages covered in the media? These are questions marketers ask to measure PR success.

5. Website traffic. Measure the traffic your website receives before and after launching your PR campaign. Pay attention to conversion rates and your site’s traffic spikes. These metrics will let you know whether your PR efforts are working.

How we measure PR.

See more in Yes, PR is Measurable. How to Measure and Report Public Relations and Strategic Corporate Communications

Measuring effectiveness of your PR efforts will help you to make necessary adjustments to your PR strategy and plan for future campaigns. Axia Public Relations uses consistent and reliable methods to measure and evaluate our PR campaigns. Download our e-book Maximizing Your Public Relations Investment to increase your return on your PR investment.

Yulia Dianova is a public relations professional who is skilled in building relationships with target audiences. She provides counsel to organizations that seek PR help to further their growth and reach their goals. Yulia earned a master’s degree in public relations management from University of Maryland University College. She is fluent in Russian and English and is always looking for a new challenge. Yulia has worked for Axia Public Relations since July 2015. Learn more about Yulia Dianova. Connect with Axia on Twitter @axiapr or tell us what you think in the comments below.