Getting news coverage for a proactive PR campaign is awesome. So are stellar social media engagement, website traffic and email click rates. Often, these are the metrics we show the boss to demonstrate success.
But, and this is a big one, what did people do after they saw your content? The marketing “Rule of 7” is a popular idea that people often need to see a message seven times before they act. How do we find out if that seventh time led to an actual conversion?
The Delicious-Sounding RPIE
I use the RPIE process to outline strategic PR campaigns for clients whenever possible. No, unfortunately, it is not actually a delicious-sounding dessert. It stands for research, planning, implementation and evaluation. Honestly, I can’t imagine developing a full-scale communications campaign without it because I’ve seen time and time again how well it works.
RPIE isn’t a new concept in PR. The challenge many face is giving evaluation the same attention as implementation, especially when deadlines are tight and everyone is eager to get the campaign out the door.
The truth is, most of the metrics we have access to as PR pros can show growth in awareness, but many campaign goals are not solely about awareness. We want people to do something once they are aware. So, while evaluation may come last in RPIE, I like to bake it into the research and planning from the start to bridge the gap.
Here’s How I Do It
As part of the research phase, I establish baselines with clients and determine what kind of change would meaningfully move the needle. Then, I help identify how we could track it. Depending on the campaign, that could include pre- and post-campaign surveys or tracking ticket or product sales, registrations, event attendance, donations, appointments, information requests or website conversions.
We may also ask people how they heard about the opportunity or gather feedback about what influenced their decision. This gives us more than a number to report. It helps us understand which messages and tactics moved people from awareness to action.
Then, we set the objectives. These are SMART objectives that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound. They ladder up to the larger goal. Every research-backed strategy and tactic you choose after that has a job to do: support the objective.
Not sure what you should be measuring? Let’s chat. I help clients connect communications goals to practical success measures.
Checking the Temperature and Adjusting the Dial
Building end-goal measurement into the plan also helps during a campaign. It’s kind of the secret sauce, especially when audience feedback is built in. You can see what is actually connecting, adjust and put more energy behind the tactics that are moving your intended audience to action. The key is to time the tracking of your end-goal measures and build checkpoints into the campaign timeline. Then, look at the tactics underway and tailor them strategically as needed.
Final Thoughts
When I develop a communications plan for a client, success measures are always included off the top. That way, we know what we are working toward, can make informed adjustments and have a meaningful story to tell when the campaign is complete. It is also a clear way to show how communications supported the organization’s larger goals.
For me, seeing people moved to action is the real measure of success. I have helped pack venues, bring people together for important causes, learn new skills and take steps to improve their health. That's why I work in this field and why I bake in the tools to capture the true impact of every campaign from the start.
Planning a campaign and need help connecting the strategy, tactics and measurement? Let’s talk about what success should look like before the work begins.