Making PR Accountability Second Nature

by Christel Hall, PRowrite Public Relations

Granted, all public relations efforts are not about lead generation.  Some campaigns are about generating awareness, increasing credibility, garnering support for an issue or cause; in essence, building relationships.  That doesn't mean you can't measure your results or provide the CEO with hard facts about how, when or why a campaign worked.   

With my indoctrination into the Public Relations Society of America's accreditation program years ago, I learned that measurement and evaluation should be part of every public relations and marketing communications effort, whether you're looking at a product launch, a press tour, or an event.  Accountability in PR needn't be the headache so many communicators think it must, as long as you make certain research and evaluation steps second nature to your planning.

If you are not already familiar with Katie Delahaye Paine and her efforts in PR measurement, now's the perfect time to make her acquaintance.  Her recent book, Measuring Public Relationships, the Data-Driven Communicator's Guide to Success, is a great place to start.  With her permission, I have summarized her Seven Basic Steps of Any Measurement Program, which I encourage you to check out in detail.

• Identify the Audiences and Publics with Whom You Have Relationships
• Define Objectives for Each Audience
• Define Your Measurement Criteria
• Define Your Benchmark
• Select a Measurement Tool
• Analyze Data, Draw Actionable Conclusions, and Make Recommendations
• Make Changes and Measure Again.