Measurement

A PR News survey which questioned 125 PR and marketing executives found that, when it comes to PR measurement and analytics, there remains a significant gap between rhetoric and reality.

Depending on your perspective, the Barcelona Principles are either a total flop, because 66 percent of PR professionals haven’t a clue what they are—according to a 2014 PR News survey of 145 PR pros—or a huge success since 26 percent of senior professionals are using them.

Those who have been working for years on developing standard practices for PR measurement have long advocated that communicators need to put first the business outcomes that matter most to senior leaders and clients.

The major takeaway of Arthur W. Page Society’s spring meeting was that for PR pros the future is uncharted but, in light of some of the cultural indices, loaded with opportunity.

The success of branded content is more contingent now on PR pros’ ability to crunch numbers and analyze data.

We are becoming increasingly defined by our digital reputations, and this trend is only going to continue as more data about us becomes available and searchable.

The fleeting rush of a major influencer or prospective client responding to a ‘DM’ via Twitter may not be nearly as important for your brand or organization as a kick-ass annual report.

To help integrate social data into your measurement strategy, here are 6 tips PR professionals should keep in mind.

The key to helping news-minded PR pros communicate effectively with quant-minded marketers and business execs is not to develop a one-size fits all über metric, but to coordinate on a common set of communications goals and measure what matters.

Brands must target Millennials where they live and get their news and align with their influencers. They also must tread lightly, however.