Reputation is the most valuable asset of brands, something that, for more than a century, has been associated with the role of public relations (PR). In the digital age, a company’s image remains important. But today, there is more information to measure results – and that can do a lot more for the company. 

Thus, by measuring actions continuously, consistently, and with the proper platform, the PR finds data that indicates:

• the reputation of a company;
• repercussion in the press
• new business opportunities;
• and trends, even contributing to the capture of leads. 

The practice of public relations dates back to the 20th century and its first definitions were focused on press relations and advertising. According to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the function is “the strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.” 

From the definition provided by PRSA, we can understand that PR is a broad and essential activity for brands. This makes measuring media results (such as news published in the press or comments on social networks) gain new contours and purposes in the communication strategy.

And it is in this analysis – both of the brand itself and of the competition – carried out continuously, that opportunities for new relationships, business, crisis prevention, and other communicational demands reside.

5 reasons to measure results

Before the press went digital, the PR professional had as the only (or main) way to measure results the purchase of a space in the printed newspaper, but did not have the necessary tools to quantify the number of people who had access to that content. 

Today, there is no lack of platforms to check practically everything that is said on the internet and even to make a digital clipping. However, monitoring this information cannot be something punctual, done only for a specific product launch, for example.

The smartest decision is to analyze the data continuously in order to refine the strategies. And thus leverage the organization’s success, since building a consistent image and the way brands are perceived by the public also impacts sales and profits. 

Confira alguns dos motivos que fazem a mensuração de resultados valer a pena para a área de PR:

1. Manage brand reputation

The function for which the PR professional is remembered is, of course, brand reputation management.

Measuring results from digital clipping generates insights on the perception of customers, suppliers, employees, press, digital influencers and even competitors.

For this, a search for keywords related to the brand, products or services and variations can be performed.

Therefore, if readers review a brand-related content and it is positive, it can increase trust for 75% of consumers, the reputation company explains.

2. Crisis management

Building a solid and reliable image takes years. However, all it takes is the repercussion of a piece of news or a negative comment to put everything in check.

Even if the PR sector is always alert about the brand’s reputation and possible threats to the business, it is practically impossible to prevent any crisis from occurring. 

But if the PR professional is in the habit of measuring results from research done on real-time news management platforms, he or she will be able to identify repercussions that have the potential to hurt business in order to prevent the fire from spreading, or at least prepare for the crisis and greatly reduce its reach. 

3. Identify trends and opportunities

Measuring results is synonymous with recognizing which information provided by a media monitoring platform can be used strategically.

Thus, by following the market and what consumers are saying, the PR professional is supplied with information that guides the next trends in the industry, and can turn them into opportunities.

Let’s say a PR person works for a chocolate company. And he has configured his communication tool to alert whenever the term “chocolate” appears in any media. One day he notices an avalanche of news about the increase in the search for chocolate with pepper. 

However, this company does not produce this type of chocolate. Noticing this trend, the professional can conduct a survey with consumers and verify if this type of candy is of their taste. Thus, depending on the feedback of customers, it is possible to develop a new product. 

4. Monitoring the competition

Competitiveness is on the rise in the marketplace. According to Signal AI data, 87% of companies feel that their market has become more competitive over the previous three years. In addition, 49% said that it has become much more competitive in the same period.

This means that measuring competitor results is key to remain relevant in the market, and also to make strategic decisions, such as in which new niche it is worth investing and competing. 

5. Better SEO and traffic 

By measuring media results, the PR can evaluate which keywords and terms appear most often and develop an SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tactic for content on the brand’s website, blog, and even social networks.

So when a company provides quality information that is optimized for its audience, Google automatically chooses that company over others. This puts the organization in the top results of the search engine and thus increases organic traffic.

In this context, it cannot be overemphasized that, along with optimization, you need intelligent, quality content.

And which platform to use to measure results?

You may be wondering if it is possible to find a platform that allows you to measure media data and put all these benefits we have seen throughout this article into practice. And the answer is: yes!

With Knewin Monitoring, one of our solutions for media monitoring, the PR sector has access to functionalities that can evaluate news from filters selected by the user and with real-time alerts.

The solution also features competitor analysis and story ranking (which helps verify the impact of a campaign), content sentiment (positive, negative, or neutral), and custom reports.

To find more information about communication and marketing strategies and the most suitable monitoring solution for your business, contact Knewin. We can leverage your brand’s results with our solutions.