Yesterday thousands of PR and business professionals gathered in London for the world’s biggest conference on PR measurement. The AMEC International Summit was an interactive day of discussion on research, measurement and analytics in PR and considered issues businesses face when analysing their PR and marketing efforts.

PR and social media are both extremely important for a brand’s growth, reputation, and revenue – and there are many ways to measure the success of your campaigns.

Here, the Jammers discuss three key things to consider when analysing campaigns.

1.Tailor your analysis

A way to gauge whether your PR efforts are working is to consider your company’s goals. A one size fits all approach doesn’t always work when measuring a campaign’s progress as the picture of success differs for every brand and campaign. Most agencies report on PR value, reach, and OTS (opportunities to see), which can give a clear indication of ROI for their client. But there are also other metrics that can be used to highlight the campaign’s success or shortfalls.

Coverage sentiment, web links, and brand penetration are other key metrics that PR agencies can use and there are a wealth of tools that can be used to compare and analyse a brand’s media presence. So whether you’re most bothered about the tone of your coverage, click-throughs to your company’s website, or outshining your industry competitors – your PR team should be able to give you a thorough analysis using metrics tailored to your company’s needs.

2. Engagement

Integrated PR and social media campaigns are becoming more common, as an increasing number of businesses realise the benefits of a joined-up approach. For those wanting to measure their social media campaigns, brands shouldn’t feel disheartened if their team doesn’t deliver a large following instantly. The number of followers your Facebook page has does not indicate a loyal fan base, or even positive sentiment for the brand. The way you can measure if your shared content is having a positive reception is through engagement levels. Smaller pages with higher engagement figures are more likely to benefit from click-throughs and generate sales.

3. Target market

Any PR team worth hiring will get their teeth into your target market’s media, no matter how niche it is. Yes, 10 pieces of coverage arriving on your desk on Monday morning is great – but if the content isn’t going to be seen by the people you are trying to target, then what is the real benefit to the brand? One piece of coverage in a niche publication could be worth 15 pieces in irrelevant titles. Measuring coverage based on the number of target media hits, rather than just coverage hits in general will ensure that you’re getting coverage where it matters.

To discuss the many ways of measuring your PR success, and to hear about what we could do for your brand, email Jaime@jampr.co.uk