How to benchmark your PR
Just about every PR pro these days has figured out the importance of
measurement in PR campaigns.
But just as important is knowing what metrics to use and what to compare
them to—in other words, how to benchmark.
A new report from Ragan Communications and Meltwater—”PR Measurement: 8 Benchmarking Benefits Crucial to Success”—lays out tips for successful benchmarking.
A program that gathers intelligence about your organization, competitors,
audience, influencers and leaders is key to PR success today, says Shonali
Burke of Shonali Burke Consulting.
“The biggest benefit is that benchmarking is your road map to understanding
what’s working and what’s not,” Burke says.
Benchmarking your public relations efforts means using media intelligence
to set up metrics—mentions, message penetration, sentiments or other
attributes—and comparing them with your industry, competitors or your own
past performance.
“That which is measured gets improved,” says Frank Strong, founder and
president of
Sword and the Script Media, citing an oft-repeated saying in the industry. “So, naturally, if you
want to get more coverage, you should be in tune with what is or isn’t
working for you or your competitors.”
In this report, you will learn:
- What kind of benchmarking makes metrics meaningful
Comparing yourself to objective standards gives you a yardstick to
measurement success.
- How measuring in real time provides actionable intel
Measurement is often treated as an end-of-the-year chore, but frequent
benchmarking allows for course corrections in your campaigns.
How to improve your coverage by determining quality of voice
Learn how a TV network client of Katie Paine’s—owner of Paine Publishing—studies
coverage results, especially from the 25 top reporters who can influence an
organization’s success in major ways.
Why benchmarking quality of coverage sparks business conversations
Find out what you can learn from conversations with sales, research and
marketing teams.
Ways to determine, “Am I killing it, or getting killed?
”
It’s common to measure the bread and butter of performance, says Dan
Brennan, vice president of Shift Communications. What
gives you an extra edge is tracking how you stack up against competitors.
How benchmarking can help persuade reluctant executives to do
interviews
When you benchmark share of voice—or better yet, desirable
voice—you can have an impact on your organization’s earnings.
Why benchmarking social media engagement helps you understand your
audience
Social media is a real-time research laboratory providing an authentic view
of your audience.
- How benchmarking reveals message penetration
When you tie PR to outcomes and map behavior to them, benchmarking shows
not only whether your messages have had an impact, but which ones have
broken through.
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