Liz McGee, Communications Director at the Institute of International Finance, underscored the significance of measuring outcomes in public relations during a recent Media Relations Conference. She illustrated that quantifying PR activities is crucial for justifying budgets, setting attainable objectives, and tweaking strategies.
McGee went on to explain that understanding the impact of various communication campaigns can help PR experts identify the most effective tactics, thereby enhancing work efficiency. Several PR metrics, including social media analytics, media impressions, website traffic, and stakeholder engagement, are key elements of this measure, claimed McGee.
She also emphasized the need to assess the quality of relationships with stakeholders beyond just numbers. Organizations can fine-tune their PR undertakings through continuous measurement and evaluation, resulting in better and lasting communication outcomes.
Moreover, McGee highlighted that organizations can operate inefficiently without proper assessment as it verifies whether the resources and activities are leading to the anticipated results.
Assessing PR effectiveness through outcome measurement
The necessity of measurements in enabling decision-makers to base their judgments on evidence was also stressed, thus contributing to enhanced resource allocation, performance, and overall productivity.
In her presentation, she outlined four essential types of measurement vital for any media relations project: output, volume, quality, and impact. She elaborated that these measure different aspects such as the number of press releases, attention gained, value of media placement, and real-world effects of media relations efforts respectively.
To effectively align the work with organizational goals, she advocated for identifying key performance indicators such as stock value or gross revenue, and tying subsequent measurements to these indicators. This approach creates a clear roadmap and helps track progress effectively.
The essence of including all four types of measurements in every PR campaign was thoroughly explained. According to her, they provide a holistic review of a media relations campaign’s effectiveness. They assure the synchronization of the organization’s PR activities with the significant financial metrics for their businesses, thus offering a comprehensive evaluation of a campaign’s success.
