OK, maybe I have a biased opinion about this, but I don’t think PR measurement was ever intended to be an exclusive club.
I remember learning about measurement during the first week of my first PR course in college. We even learned an acronym that included research and measurement: RACE (Research, Action, Communication and Evaluation). Research and evaluation were engrained in me right off the bat.
Perhaps this made me wrongly assume that measurement was already an integral part of the PR industry, and I’m still continually surprised by how few professionals talk about it.
Not to say there aren’t a handful of incredibly knowledgeable folks out there who always share amazing thoughts and advice, but c’mon, y’all!
I know it’s been said time and again, but measurement has to be a part of each and every campaign or project. Whether it’s as simple as tracking an increase in fans or followers, or an intricate equation balancing numerous metrics, measurement is required to show success.
Think about how you determine success, and I don’t just mean at work. How do you determine whether or not you’re successful in your personal life, too? You set goals, right? And you measure against those goals in real outputs.
If you want to run a marathon by the end of the year, odds are you will measure your success based on whether or not you complete a marathon. Easy enough, right?
So why when it comes to measuring a PR campaign does everyone run for the hills or try to pass the buck? Measurement does not have to be complicated. It can be as simple or extensive as you want it to be.
It may require one extra step or keeping track of a few numbers here and there, but I promise you, anyone can measure. You do not have to have a background in advanced mathematics or be an Excel spreadsheet master. But if you know that 2+2=4, you can measure your next PR campaign.
Let’s step it up! We’re always talking about it in theory, but I want to hear more about how you’re using measurement in your every day life. There shouldn’t so few voices talking about PR measurement.
What do you measure every day? What do you keep track of? Do you find personal metrics can be applied to your job, too?
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