But along with the art comes science: the systematic knowledge gained through observation and experimentation. Without this, we miss important opportunities to tell compelling stories, impact audiences more effectively, and ultimately prove the value of PR to C-suite executives.
Fortunately, today’s PRTech platforms allow professionals to showcase how their stories impact both the brand and business, while gaining a keen understanding of the “science” of what they do.
But it’s sometimes difficult to know where to start, i.e., what to measure and why it matters. So to take some of the guesswork out of PR measurement, here’s an example of PRTech reporting to consider when quantifying the worth of your work in 2017.
PRTech Reporting Tip: Share of Voice compared to Power of Voice
Many PR professionals regularly conduct analyses of Share of Voice to track the amount of overall earned, owned, and newswire coverage their brand is receiving in comparison to competitors.
But showcasing Share of Voice side-by-side with Power of Voice – level of authority based on that content – can help to prove several things.
First, you can assess the quality of coverage. Second, you can use this data as a signal to further review your competitors’ coverage for insight into the publications, authors, and topics that are contributing to authority, the reputability/credibility associated with any piece of press coverage or content.
With this comparison, PR professionals can even prove the value of the time spent by an executive or spokesperson in contributing to earned media coverage.
Based on the data shown in this example, if Company 1 held a media tour with their CEO during the time period being tracked, they could go back to the executive and show the impact of their time on brand Share of Voice or level of authority.
This comparison shows that although Company 1 received less coverage than Company 2 during the designated time range, they still led in Power of Voice, meaning that their (hopefully) targeted outreach worked!
When reporting total placements and the outcomes of contributed content in 2017, keep ideas like this in mind. Use the vast data available to share common metrics alongside more advanced metrics to prove PR’s impact in a way that lets you draw valuable insights for next time.
A version of this post originally appeared on Bulldog Reporter. Read “How to Use Data to Ensure Content Success” for more measurement insights here on the AirPR Blog.