For our latest episode of Take 5 Live, we sat down with Anna Crowe of Crowe PR to discuss PR metrics- specifically, which metrics speak to ROI- and how PR and communications professionals can move the needle.
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1. How do you track ROI in PR?
A variety of tools is key, especially if you're looking at media ROI or something else like influencer marketing partnerships on social media. It might look like pulling daily coverage scans, share of voice, or other competitive metrics; you want to understand where brands stand in the marketplace vs. their competition and what everyone is saying about them.
How are people engaging with these brands? If we're working with influencers, what are the metrics on the backend of that relationship? An influencer must be able to deliver on KPIs.
A bonus tip? Make sure that an influencer is a match with brand values and do due diligence to make sure that there aren't any PR surprises from an influencer's past.
2. How do you keep up-to-date with what metrics drive you or your client's business forward?
You have to understand what is important to customers, first and foremost. Aside from the top metrics everyone tracks (like cashflow), you need to go further down into what is most important to a brand for that specific industry ("heads in beds" for a hotel brand, for example).
Doing research to supplement knowledge is also important; social media listening is a fantastic way to do this and keep an ear to the ground on what's going on and compare that to what is already "known" (sometimes data can show a different story than the one a brand has been telling itself).
Having transparent conversations regularly is the most important thing.
3. How can PR and marketing work better together?
PR and marketing usually compete for the same budget but every company should have an integrated marketing mix. They do work well together; that's why they're both part of the same awareness and promotional piece of a brand. Not creating a solid integrated strategy means missing out on having the most impact.
It's not about competing; it's about optimizing the sales and growth and success of any business.
