KPIs and goal compensation can be promised parts of PR

Jason Mudd discussing bonus compensation in PR.

Previously, we’ve covered that you cannot guarantee earned media coverage. Anyone that attempts to offer you guaranteed results for public relations, much less guaranteed earned media coverage, is someone you don’t want to work with as a client since there are no guarantees in public relations. But, is there something you, as the client, can offer as a guarantee?

Yes, you can guarantee something between you and the PR group you work with; you can guarantee extra compensation or bonuses. When you hire a PR firm, you can offer extra compensation for hitting outcomes or KPIs. It’s not a guarantee from the PR firm to the client since nothing is guaranteed in PR, but it is a guarantee in some form.

In our experience, these bonuses work best when used for things that can be measured in concrete terms, such as extra sales earned by a PR campaign. Things that happen early in the funnel, such as “increased awareness” should not be tied to a bonus in some way.

Some people have concerns about the ethics of this. However, as far as we know, it does not violate any ethics codes set by guiding PR organizations. If you, as a client or PR firm, feel that such a system isn’t in your relationship’s best interest, don’t set an extra compensation system up when establishing a relationship.

Guaranteeing public relations results is impossible, but extra compensation from hitting goals is something you can guarantee as a client. Be smart about what you want the bonuses to be centered around, and focus them on measurable end results to maximize potential. With the right extra compensation systems, you can improve your company’s relationship with a PR firm and get something guaranteed out of your relationship at the same time.

Clients love Jacob’s speed. Jacob is an inbound marketing-certified webmaster. He earned an integrated communications degree from Florida State College at Jacksonville. Jacob joined Axia PR as an intern in August 2015 and earned his way into a critical role at our PR agency.