There have been major changes in the field of public relations over the recent past and these same changes have led to the need for comprehensive PR measurement. For many organizations, the value of PR has often been equated to that of advertising, and in some case, it is not measured at all. However, comprehensive PR measurement is vital, and particular principles have to be followed with regard to the metrics used in the process.
In PR measurement, one of the most important things to do is to set clear goals so you know what you want to achieve and then weigh it. For instance, you have to determine the portion of the target audience that you wish to reach and also think about the type of message that you intend to convey. In addition, the evaluation should touch on the awareness you are creating; meaning you should aim to give your target audience what they havent seen or heard before. This will make them feel something that will then drive them into taking the desired action. Once you have done such evaluations, you can move on to PR measurement which is done based on three levels: outputs, outcomes and business results.
Evaluation of output focuses on determining your impact on media. In this case, you need to assign a scoring method founded on the messages delivered to your target audience as well as your prominence. With regard to outcomes, you need to verify whether your organization has any sort of tracking survey in place. Through such a survey, you can incorporate a few questions that can help you assess whether your PR activity has led to changes in the audience behavior or not. If there are no surveys already, you can apply some low cost methods and implement a survey study to help you in the measurement process. Bear in mind, business results are all about looking into the things that drive sales.
Organizations require results from public relations, and this is why statistical approaches have to be applied. The cost efficiency of PR has to be weighed up against advertising using different approaches including cost per thousand calculations which helps determine the cost per message or article. Also, target rating points can be used in evaluating the reach of the PR messages in relation to the percent of the target audience. Other than that, social media is now an integral part of PR and a very effective means of engagement. For this reason, social media has to be monitored and integrated into the measurement and reporting of public relations.
While measuring and monitoring of social media may at times be confused, there is a distinct difference between the two. Monitoring involves assessing issues which your company may wish to react to, and identifying trends related to consumer opinions and the type of description or features they would like. Measuring on the other hand, is based on quantitative analysis including quantifying reach and recommendations.
All in all, when it comes to PR measurement, you have to set written goals, measure the media impact and ensure transparency in the measurement, and then use the same measurement to evaluate progress and develop better programs. To learn more, please visit the following website: PR measurement Chicago
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