In business, benchmarks establish a starting point and map a path of continued progression. By establishing benchmarks, you gain perspective on what’s working and what’s not, opportunities and achievable goals.
According to research compiled this year in the AI & PR: Growing Optimism and Opportunity report by Notified and PRWeek, 64% of public relations pros said they’re more proficient with tech than they were three years ago. This makes benchmarking for PR significantly easier and more accessible for teams of all sizes.
As PR teams prepare for 2022, it’s important to use KPIs and reporting dashboards to set your company or client up for success.
Keep reading to learn the key questions you should be asking to help you prepare for the new year.
1. Review 2021 Performance
Knowing what was and was not successful is a guide for what to focus on next.
Questions you should be asking:
- How did we perform against this year’s KPIs and business goals?
- Did we audit our year-end performance and competitive metrics?
- What benchmarks can we set for 2022 based on 2021 performance?
2. Understand 2022 Objectives
Define what success in 2022 would be. Your communications measurement framework needs to start with your business goals and priorities, then map your communications programs to those goals, and then measure communications results within the context of those business goals.
Questions you should be asking:
- What are this year’s business goals and target metrics?
- How are we going to demonstrate continued progress?
- Do we need additional budget or resources (people, technology)?
3. Ensure You’re Measuring the Right Things
Collaborate with data partners such as you or your client’s marketing, social media and website teams.
Questions you should be asking:
- Are you reporting performance against your benchmarks?
- Is your reporting aligned with business KPIs? Are you moving beyond measuring activities and measuring results?
- Are you regularly assessing and adjusting?
4. Equip Yourself With the Right Tools and Technology
More tools does not equal better reporting. Expect your PR technology to support multiple parts of your workflow, such as earned media and social media monitoring, media contacts database, press release distribution, newsroom management and PR measurement.
Questions you should be asking:
- Does it automate routine tasks and ease your daily workload?
- Does it help you measure outcomes and report on your KPIs?
- Does one tool integrate multiple activities and unified data?
5. Build Better PR Dashboards and Reports
Look for ways PR can contribute to shared organizational KPIs, such as lead generation, revenue and NPS scores.
Questions you should be asking:
- What’s quantitative and what’s qualitative?
- How can data be visualized?
- How can activity be measured all the way through to business impact?
Important note: Don’t fall victim to feel-good metrics! Remember: Data won’t always tell the story you want, but it will tell the story you need. Plan now and iterate often for the most success in the new year.
Thanks for reading, and best of luck planning your PR strategy in 2022!
Notified is the world’s only communications cloud for events, public relations, and investor relations. We provide everything you need to effectively reach and engage your customers, investors, employees, and the media. Learn more about how Notified can help improve your strategy.