How to measure PR? Working with data-minded founders, this is a question that comes up a lot.

The million dollar question

Here’s an insight into how we approach it.

The ultimate measure of the success of PR is commercial impact. This will vary depending on the business’s needs. The mistake that’s often made is that PR is bucketed as a ‘brand awareness tool’, without clearly defined metrics for success
‘Core’ PR outputs – e.g total pieces of coverage in target publications and number of awards entered – should be tracked, but can only provide limited insight into the real impact of the work delivered.

You should start by asking what you’re trying to achieve with PR. Is it:
Investment / VC interest
Sales leads
Deal flow
Attracting talent?

As a guide, here are some metrics you could consider measuring, linked to each of these objectives:
Investment / VC interest
In-bound enquiries from new investors
% increase in website traffic
Sales leads
In-bound enquiries from individuals that fit your ideal customer profile (ICP)
MQLs
User sign-ups to waiting list / product demo page
Deal flow
In-bound enquiries from founders / companies that fit your current investment strategy
% increase in website traffic
Referrals from co-investors / ecosystem contacts
Attracting talent
In-bound applications

The truth of the matter is when PR is working, you’ll know! But these metrics provide a useful framework for measuring PR.