In this blog by Hayley Goff, CEO, and Sophie King, Associate Director, Whiteoaks, we talk about the key takeways from our recent webinar, including:
- The importance of tying PR to business objectives
- How integrated campaigns deliver stronger impact
- Why measurement should focus on outcomes, not just outputs
PR often gets tarnished with the “fluffy” brush. 61% of PR professionals struggle to link PR to business goals, driving the perception that campaigns fail to demonstrate clear, measurable value.
And it’s unfortunately been a very real past experience for some of our clients. We hear of experiences with previous agencies where contracted hours have been used up halfway through a month with little to show for it, with activity then put on pause until the following month. This serves to not only create questions about an agency’s accountability, but about such models themselves.
With mounting pressure on B2B tech brands to prove the impact of every marketing investment, PR needs to connect the dots between activity and outcomes.
In our recent webinar, “If it’s not measurable, it’s meaningless: How to use PR for B2B tech”, Whiteoaks CEO Hayley Goff and Associate Director Sophie King explained how businesses can turn PR into a strategic, measurable asset. Here are some of the key takeaways:
PR with purpose
PR isn’t just how many times the name of a company or spokesperson appears in different media; it has a much greater purpose.
Coverage views on an article are great, but they don’t tell businesses if they’re making any measurable progress towards real outcomes. For example, if the objective of PR activity is to drive consideration for a product launch, supporting content needs to encourage engagement from potential buyers.
Effective measurement begins with clear objectives, whether that’s driving brand awareness, breaking into a new market or even supporting recruitment efforts. And different objectives may have different target audiences, such as customers, investors, analysts or future hires.
That’s why when we embark on a project with a new client, one of the first things we do is connect PR to these business priorities. We then show how our strategy links to those objectives and report back against them, proving our accountability to our clients.
Reaching audiences in different ways
So, what does a measurable campaign look like? Today’s best ones aren’t run in siloes. Whiteoaks’ Performance PR model brings together media relations, content, social and creative in one package.
A B2B tech brand might have a strong news story to share with the press, but it could actually be more impactful if it’s also repurposed on LinkedIn, for example. Shared on a social media platform, it can be backed by a visual campaign, supported by thought leadership content and amplified by colleagues on their personal profiles.
It’s about creating the opportunities for audiences to engage in different ways via a mix of touchpoints.
Audience-centric measurement
Audience-centric measurement is vital to gauge the effectiveness of campaigns, this can include metrics that align with visibility, engagement and impact.
Impact is often considered the holy grail of audience measurement, as it reflects how PR activity has influenced an audience’s perceptions or actions. Impact can be seen in a few different ways, such as changes in brand consideration, reputation, lead generation or new partnerships.
The old perceptions of PR as being based on vanity metrics or impossible to measure are outdated. Proving the business value of PR is entirely possible, with the right strategy behind it. By setting clear objectives from the outset, aligning activity to strategic priorities and measuring what really matters, PR can become a critical part of a brand’s growth story.
When campaigns are integrated, purposeful and designed with impact in mind, they deliver far more than coverage stats. They deliver tangible outcomes.
Want to find out more about how to turn PR into a strategic, measurable asset for your business? Download the full webinar to hear more from Hayley and Sophie.