1. Use data to make PR recommendations

A lot of PR teams collect data and only use it to highlight PR achievements. In fact, responses from a recent Wallop! OnDemand survey 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.

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.

3. Find ways to be more competitive

To be as competitive as possible, you need to collect measurement data on your competitors, so 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 you 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. 

There are ways to maximize what you get out of automated monitoring, and we recently released a Wallop! OnDemand report on this topic. I want to share two of the key strategies highlighted in the report that can help you get more out of your monitoring and measurement:

Spend time evaluating solutions

There are a lot of monitoring and measurement solutions available on the market today. Research your options and choose a solution that has a reputation for providing accurate data and analytics. You should also have a good understanding of the type of coverage you expect to see as a result of your PR efforts. Each solution offers different options for capturing data, so you’ll want one that fits your specific coverage. For example, if your coverage will be mainly in regional or local printed publications then you will need a solution that monitors more than just online news. This simple scenario may seem like an obvious example, but a lot of times missed coverage is due to the fact that a monitoring solution isn’t matched well with the type of coverage it is supposed to capture. This is especially true for PR teams with mainly niche, or hard to track coverage data.  

Understand the technology

When you understand what automated monitoring solutions are (and are not) capable of doing, you can have more realistic expectations of the results you will see. It is important to know that there are limitations to what automated solutions can do. For example, 100 percent completely automated tagging, toning and extracting data from coverage simply doesn’t work – at least not yet. So, know what you should and shouldn’t expect. If you have questions about what a monitoring solution can do, ask before you commit to that particular solution.

Taking these points into consideration will lead to better, more accurate results, and greater user satisfaction. If you’d like to read more about monitoring and see results from the Media Monitoring and Measurement Survey you can download a free copy of the “2011 Media Monitoring and Measurement Perceptions Study” here.

If you would like to join Jennifer (and previous iPad winner Inga Starrett) in the winner’s circle, head over here and complete our new PR Measurement Expectations Survey. This is the second year in a row we are conducting this survey and we would love for you to participate. To show our appreciation, and as an incentive to complete the brief survey, we will be awarding one lucky survey participant with a highly anticipated new Apple iPhone. You need to complete the survey by October 28, 2011 to be eligible to win the iPhone, so don’t wait to take the survey.

Thank you in advance for your taking the new PR Measurement Expectations Survey and for sharing your valuable time and insights. We will release the survey results and announce the winner of the iPhone at the conclusion of the survey.

A common complaint by PR teams is that there just isn’t enough manpower to handle measurement. Surveyed PR professionals that were not measuring PR listed “not having the people or financial resources available to track and analyze coverage” as the number one reason for not leveraging measurement. Clearly, finding a way to make time for measurement is challenging.

So here is an interesting point – according to results from Wallop! OnDemand’s survey on media monitoring and measurement, PR teams are devoting a surprising amount of time and manpower to meetings. The majority of PR professionals say they meet regularly with their internal team, the executive team, or both. While this seems reasonable, PR professionals admitted that those meetings actually eat up a surprising amount of time – time that could be used for measurement.

According to responses from more than 250 PR professionals, team meetings are an area where many PR teams waste time unintentionally. Consider these statistics reported by survey participants:

• Seventy percent (70%) of PR team meetings last an hour or more
• On average, nearly half (48%) of team meetings involve 4 or more PR team members
• 52% of agencies and 41% of corporate teams have at least 4-5 internal team meetings per month
• Additionally, 44% of agencies meet at least 4-5 times per month with each individual client, and 27% of corporate teams meet with executives at least 4-5 times each month

To make room for measurement you need to take a look at the time you spend in meetings and determine if that time could be put to better use. While it may sound like an obvious solution, this easy change is something that is often overlooked. If you find that your team is meeting unnecessarily, make it a goal to decrease the amount of time you and others spend in meetings. You can do this by meeting less frequently, shortening the length of meetings, or involving fewer people in each meeting.

An adjustment such as including two fewer team members in your weekly hour-long team meetings can create eight to ten hours each month that can be redirected toward measurement. For most teams, making this sort of a change is extremely worthwhile – especially since an additional eight to ten hours of time for measurement monthly can help teams gain an understanding of what is working (and what is not), where adjustments are needed, how to improve the overall strategy and produce better PR and business results. 

If you truly feel measurement is a priority, then don’t allow it to be an area of compromise. Instead, evaluate where your time and resources are being spent and determine where adjustments can be made that will free up time within your program. Team meetings are just one example. For more ideas, agencies and corporate PR teams can download a free copy of the report 10 Ways to Make Room for PR Measurement.

This year Wallop! has experienced tremendous growth. In the first half of 2011 Wallop! OnDemand’s user base grew from around 200 users to more than 500 users. During that time we received a lot of feedback from clients and potential clients, and we learned that PR agencies tend to desire one flat rate fee to help keep the cost of measurement low. We also repeatedly heard from agencies that in order for measurement to work across the board, it cannot be complicated and it must be affordable. So, we developed a new flat rate pricing plan specifically for agencies – to make it easier for agencies to deliver high quality measurement and analytics standard to all clients, gain valuable insights to drive PR strategy, and show clients meaningful business results that prove PR is moving the needle.

According to a recent survey of more than 250 PR professionals, 72 percent of agency professionals are required to provide clients with a snapshot of company and competitor media coverage on a monthly or quarterly basis. In addition to coverage results, more clients now expect agencies to provide analytics that detail PR’s role in achieving business results. Because of this, a majority of PR professionals now consider PR measurement a necessity rather than a luxury.

If your PR team struggles to find an affordable way to incorporate measurement into PR for clients with varying budgets, then I encourage you to learn about how you can take advantage of Wallop!’s industry leading measurement and analytics solution, along with our new flat rate agency pricing. More information about the new agency pricing and the added savings it offers is available here by request. I’d also love to hear how your team is currently handling measurement for various clients with different budgets – leave a comment or shoot me an email and let me know.

To convince clients and executives that PR is achieving great results you need to be able to answer their questions about PR’s progress. Here are ten areas PR professionals should be prepared to discuss:

10) Tell executives whether or not they are beating their competitors on the PR front.

9) Advise executives as to whether or not their key messages are getting through.

8) Report the percentage of coverage that is business press vs. consumer press vs. trade press vs. blogs.

7) Answer the question, “How often are our executives getting quoted vs. competitor executives?”

6) Communicate which stakeholders – investors, prospects, customers, partners – are being reached through PR.

5) Tell executives which of the company’s products are getting the most coverage.

4) Inform executives how coverage of the company’s products compares to that of competitive offerings.

3) Report the company’s Share of Voice (SOV) for important thought leadership topic areas.

2) Show executives how PR results mapped to changes in budget levels.  

1) Answer the question, “Is PR driving sales?” 

How easy would it be for you to discuss these ten points with executives today? Could you cite data and reference specific business outcomes to prove you’re truly invested in understanding PR’s progress and achieving the best possible results? Knowing how to answer inquiries and being able to confidently discuss these (and other) topics requires a strong understanding of PR’s performance. By measuring and analyzing campaign results you will know exactly how PR is impacting business, and you’ll be more confident when clients or execs come to you with questions about PR results. Plus, you’ll gain insights to help you make any necessary strategy adjustments or course corrections, so you’ll be able to point to successful PR results when reporting to clients and execs.

Clients expect PR teams to: 

• Show whether or not they are beating their competitors on the PR front
• Advise executives as to whether or not their key messages are getting through
• Identify which stakeholders – investors, prospects, customers, partners – are being reached through PR
• Explain how PR is driving sales and moving the needle

Measuring the ROI of PR is essential to helping clients and executives understand what they are getting for their PR spend and why investing money in PR is worthwhile. Measurement data provides clear evidence of the business results PR is responsible for achieving. Because of this, measurement helps improve PR’s overall credibility and leads to better client-agency relationships. I find it encouraging that the delegates that voted at the European Summit on Measurement agreed to work toward making PR measurement an “intrinsic part of the PR toolkit.”

Speaking of voting, don’t forget that the Media Monitoring and Measurement Survey will be closing in a few days – it is open through Monday, June 20th. If you haven’t participated yet and shared your thoughts with us, please take just a moment and do so now. The survey is short and we’ll even enter your name into our drawing for a free iPad once you complete it. Thanks in advance!

There is a famous saying that goes something like this: If you don’t know where you are going, you might end up someplace else. I like this because I think it serves as a good reminder to let our goals guide our current activities.

Say, for example, you want to add social media to your program in the coming year, or you’d like to see your PR budget increase in 2012 – there are things you need to be doing now to make achieving those goals a reality. You want to make sure your program is performing as expected and that you are on track to reach current PR and business goals. Doing so will set your program up to accomplish more in the future

I’ve worked in PR long enough to know that in order to receive continued support and resources year after year, PR has to demonstrate that it is producing results. Regular program evaluation helps PR teams understand PR’s progress, and determine whether or not PR is on track to deliver the results clients and executives expect. That’s why I recommend taking time now to examine your PR program. If you find that something isn’t working, your team can make adjustments to get back on track.

Now, when I say “examine your PR program” I’m talking about taking a look at measurement data so you can learn about your PR results. See what kind of coverage you’re getting and if it is reaching the right people. Find out how your PR results compare to those of your competitors. Determine if PR truly is having a positive impact on business. Look for opportunities and areas that need improvement. Then, when it eventually comes time to discuss the budget increase you’re hoping to receive next year, or your ideas for introducing social media into the PR mix, you can point to a successful PR program and improve the odds that you and your program will be taken seriously.

According to the Measurement Perspectives and Practices Report, 83 percent (83%) of PR pros believe PR should absolutely measure the results of its programs. So, don’t put off measurement and analysis. It will help get your PR program to where you want it to be.

If YOU are one of those PR professionals not measuring PR, how would you finish this statement: I don’t measure PR because…? Over half of industry professionals say that limited finances and resources make it difficult to implement measurement. In fact, 51% of those who don’t measure PR listed “cost and lack of resources” as a the main reasons why in a recent survey. You can view those survey responses in more detail here.

Whether or not you are measuring PR results, you may have run into one or more of these challenges at some point: cost of collecting/analyzing data, lack of resources, not enough manpower, clients/executives won’t buy-in, difficulty determining what to measure, difficulty knowing how to use measurement data. Knowing how to overcome these obstacles can help you attain measurement and achieve greater success for your program.

Three out of four PR professionals say that price is a factor when deciding whether or not to measure PR – probably because the cost of some PR measurement solutions is borderline ridiculous. It just isn’t realistic for agencies or businesses to drop an enormous amount of money on measurement when there are other expenses and competing priorities. Many measurement solutions run somewhere in the neighborhood of $800 to $2,000 per month. So, what’s a PR person to do if they don’t have thousands of dollars available to spend on measurement each month? My suggestion is shop around. There are affordable measurement solutions on the market. So keep looking until you find something that fits your budget. Measurement doesn’t have to be expensive. If you can find something that works for you then you’ll never have to say, “I don’t take advantage of measurement because… it is too expensive.”

Another common problem that gets in the way of measurement is the fact that it often takes a lot of convincing to get clients and executives to invest in measurement. Clients and execs expect to see proof of PR results, and this means hard data. The problem is, they’re rarely willing to spend money to get that data. If you find yourself having to make a case for measurement then you’ll want to be sure you show exactly how measurement will impact PR. Make it clear to clients and executives what type of ROI they can expect from measurement. Explain that measurement helps identify which PR initiatives are working (and which aren’t) so that programs can be optimized for better business results. If you need more tips for convincing the c-suite to give you a green light for measurement, check out the report: How to Demonstrate the Business Value of PR and Earn Credibility with the C-Suite.

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I’m happy to announce that Inga Starrett (vice president, Weber Shandwick) is the winner of Wallop! OnDemand’s iPad giveaway. Inga participated in our PR and Measurement survey and her name was drawn as the winner of the free iPad that was being given away in connection with the survey. Inga has been notified, and the iPad was sent her way. Who knows, she may be using it at this very moment – lucky lady. 

Would you like to become the owner of a brand new shiny iPad just like Inga? Well, you’re in luck because we’ve decided to give away another iPad to someone who completes our Media Monitoring and Measurement Survey. Here’s what you have to do to enter the latest drawing:

1. Head over to our survey which is available at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/monitoring_research

2. Complete the brief survey on media monitoring and measurement.

That’s it. Honestly, it’s really easy and painless. Plus, by completing the survey you’ll be contributing valuable insights that will be shared with others in the PR community. And who knows, you could be selected as the next iPad winner.

Also, just a reminder, if you haven’t downloaded the 2011 PR Budget Trends and Expectations Report yet, you can do so here: http://bit.ly/h1nkoo. This report contains results from the measurement survey that Inga, and many other PR professionals, contributed to. It provides a detailed look at some of the different budget and measurement trends and challenges currently facing PR teams. It also delivers some expectations for where PR budgets may be headed. Download your free copy now.