January 6, 2012

Public Relations New Year's Resolution Number One: Connect Your Measurement to Strategy

Measurement Is Power: How to Use Data to Make PR Recommendations, Drive Trends and Increase Your Competitiveness

By CEO Kristin Jones, Wallop! OnDemand

Because of increased pressure from the C-suite and dramatically more sophisticated measurement tools, more PR professionals are resolving to improve their measurement practices in 2012—and that's a good thing. A recent survey revealed 58% of PR professionals saying they plan to either introduce measurement into their PR program in 2012, or increase their current measurement efforts. Of course as you know, without proper planning, hard work and a change in behavior, resolutions are frequently abandoned shortly after they're made. Some PR pros have good intentions when it comes to measuring PR, but they lose focus along the way. But your resolution to kick up PR measurement efforts doesn't have to fail. If you're serious about following through with your measurement resolutions – and basking in the benefits that measurement offers – here are three valuable tips to help you get started:

1. Use data to make PR recommendations
Whether you are new to measurement or have been at it for awhile, one way to get more out of measurement is to use data to develop intelligent PR recommendations. Unfortunately, a lot of PR teams collect data and only use it to highlight PR achievements. In fact, survey responses indicate that only about one-third of PR pros are currently using measurement data to make recommendations and shape PR strategy. To get the most out of measurement you need to do more than just collect data and use it solely to reference achievements. Instead, try looking for clues in your data that point to areas where adjustments are needed – then make strategy recommendations based on that information.

For example, maybe your coverage data shows that your executives and company representatives aren't being quoted, or their quotes are dry and fail to deliver the intended message. In this case you can recommend further media training for executives to help make them more quotable. Taking steps to coach executives on how they can tell appropriate stories and drive conversations with journalists means you'll likely start to see more confident and direct quotes show up in your coverage. A simple recommendation like additional media training for executives is easy to arrive at when you take time to draw conclusions from measurement data. However, opportunities for improvement are missed when you stop short of using data to make PR recommendations. Only 6% of survey participants said they "diligently use data and thorough analysis to identify problems and recognize opportunities for improvement." This is an obvious place to start for those resolving to do better PR measurement.

2. Look to capitalize on trends
Another way to succeed at measurement is to use data to identify key trends that are relevant to your business. Coverage data can help you identify the trends that are important in your particular industry. By reviewing your own coverage you can determine how PR is connecting you to those trends.

Make an effort to analyze your coverage in order to find out whether you are on top of trends and driving the conversation as it happens, or whether you are simply just responding to the trends others are setting. If you find that you aren't actively participating and really contributing something meaningful as trends arise, make it a point to be more proactive about staying on top of trends. After all, getting out on top of trends and being the first to comment on important topics can impact your coverage and how your company is seen. To make good on measurement resolutions be sure your efforts are helping you capitalize on trend related opportunities.

3. Find ways to be more competitive
A great reason to incorporate measurement into PR is that it helps you understand how to meet and beat your competitors. To be as competitive as possible, you need to collect measurement data on your competitors. That way you'll have the information you need to make comparisons and see where you are ahead, and where you're falling behind.

Once you have competitor data in hand, take time to analyze the information and determine how it matches up with your own data. Maybe you'll notice – when comparing results – that one of your competitors is earning more media coverage than you in tier one publications. If this is the case you can dig deeper and determine why you're being beaten, and then figure out how to make changes that will earn your more coverage. Finding ways to learn from measurement data and implement strategy based on that knowledge will allow you to be more competitive, and keep you on the right track so you can achieve the best possible results.

For more tips and practical advice on how to focus measurement efforts and tie measurement to PR strategy take a look at the resources available at www.wallopondemand.com.