Does Your PR Measurement Measure Up?

When measuring PR success, it’s most important to have clear goals and expectations set in advance of the campaign:

A client’s expectations of what business objectives media exposure should fulfill can vary dramatically as well. As Sara Pereira, founder and president of Pereira PR in Vancouver, British Columbia, explains, “It’s not only about the amount of coverage we are able to get, but how clients expect that garnered coverage to translate into business results. Do they want media exposure to drive web site traffic? Do they want media coverage to create sales leads?”

Pereira goes on to explain, “When we are able to understand client expectations based on business goals, and make them measurable, we create PR strategies that are much more focused, rather than just driving hard to get as many press hits as possible.”

If you’re a PR pro, make sure you don’t over-promise.

If you hire a PR firm to serve your company, make sure they don’t promise you the moon either. Any public relations firm that tells you they can guarantee non-paid media placements is being overly optimistic at best. At worst, they’re probably lying.

Read more about measurement expectations at IABC: CW Bulletin Padidar.