Public relations (PR) has come a long way from traditional methods like press releases and newspaper ads. While these media forms are still used, today’s approach is much more digital. Whether it's a tweet, a Facebook post, or a YouTube video, digital platforms are where the action happens.
This digital shift has brought influencer marketing and social media content creation to the forefront of PR strategies. But, like every good advertising effort, these digital methods need to be measured: enter digital PR analytics.
Digital PR analytics can help you:
Read along as we explore the powerful effects of digital PR analytics and how they can fit into your next campaign.
Before we tackle this question, let’s take a step back into the basics of public relations.
Public relations is a strategic communications process. It builds mutually beneficial relationships between businesses and their audiences.
Traditional PR utilizes a wide range of time-tested methods such as press releases, media relations, press conferences, targeted pitching to get coverage in traditional media outlets such as broadcast TV and radio and, print publications, and online news sites. It deals with everything from managing reputation and content creation to community engagement and crisis management.
Digital public relations, as you’ve come to know, shares the same goals such as reputation management, relationship building, and communicating with the public. However, digital PR adapts these goals to the digital world, using online platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, websites, online publications, and blogs.
With digital analytics, it’s much easier to see the success of your PR campaign. And since influencer marketing boasts significantly more user engagement and conversions than print marketing, this begs the question: why wouldn’t every PR company harness the power of digital PR analytics?
Analytics provide insight into the effectiveness of your digital PR campaigns, but how exactly can they help? Analytics allow you to:
Analytics help measure how your audience interacts with your content across various platforms. This includes likes, shares, comments, and views.
Looking for a clear picture of the public’s perception of your brand or product? Analytics can help by assessing the tone and sentiment of online conversations.
Through precise analytics, it’s easier to understand what types of content perform best. They also allow you to compare current campaigns to past data, helping you set benchmarks and business goals for the future.
With analytics, you can see how effectively your PR campaigns convert interest into sign-ups, sales, or downloads. This helps you understand if your desired actions were accomplished.
Knowing who is engaging with your content is critical. By understanding these details, you can refine your target market strategies to ensure your campaign is seen by the right people.
Use analytics to identify the right influencers for your campaign. You can see their impact on your target audience, helping you make better choices for influencer marketing campaigns.
Measuring public relations effectiveness is clearly important, but how exactly is it done? There are several types of PR metrics you should be looking at throughout your campaigns:
There’s a lot to be gained from using digital PR metrics to your advantage, but it’s important to set strong and measurable goals with clients. Doing so makes these metrics even more powerful, which can help guide your campaign toward the client’s desired outcomes.
Like so many other things in life, finding a balance between qualitative and quantitative measurements is key.
You know the types of PR analytics to use and their benefits, now let’s talk tools! Some of our favourites include:
With all of these digital PR metrics, tools, and benefits at your side, there’s only one thing left to do: put them to use. We’ve put together a play-by-play below as a guide.
In the realm of PR, things will only continue to change. From predictive analytics to real-time data visualization, it’s important for PR professionals to keep an open mind as these developments can help create even more effective PR campaigns.
Looking for even more help with your next campaign? Get in touch with MODERNSPEAK. Our collaborative Digital PR Agency was created to deliver a lasting impact on your audience. Call or email us today to discover what unparalleled success can look like for your brand.