For many Australian small and medium enterprises, public relations feels a bit ‘soft’. Unlike advertising where you directly pay for placement, PR relies on earning media coverage. This often leads to the question: how do we actually track the return on investment? It’s a valid concern, but absolutely measurable. We’ve seen too many businesses dismiss PR because they haven’t connected activity to tangible business outcomes.
The key is to move beyond simply counting media mentions. While coverage is important, it’s a vanity metric if it doesn’t translate into something more. Here’s how we approach tracking PR ROI for our clients:
- Website Traffic Analysis: Use Google Analytics (or a similar platform) to monitor referral traffic from websites where your PR coverage appears. A spike in traffic immediately following a key media placement is a strong indicator of impact. We always set up UTM parameters in links included in press releases to accurately track this.
- Lead Generation Tracking: Integrate your PR efforts with your CRM. If a journalist quotes a specific offer or directs readers to a landing page, track how many leads originate from that source. This demonstrates a direct link between PR and potential sales.
- Brand Sentiment Monitoring: Tools can analyse online conversations about your brand. Positive sentiment increases brand equity, which influences purchasing decisions. While harder to directly attribute a dollar value, improved sentiment is a valuable outcome.
- Sales Lift Analysis: This is the ‘holy grail’ but requires careful planning. If you’re launching a new product or service alongside a PR campaign, compare sales figures before, during, and after the campaign. Consider a control group if possible to isolate the impact of PR.
Don’t underestimate the power of share of voice. Analysing your media coverage compared to your competitors provides valuable insight into your brand’s prominence within the market. This is particularly useful when planning for 2026 and beyond, allowing you to refine your PR strategy based on performance. Remember, consistent PR builds brand authority over time, which is a significant long-term asset.
Ultimately, tracking PR ROI requires a strategic approach and a commitment to data analysis. Start by defining clear objectives for your PR activities – what do you want to achieve? Then, implement tracking mechanisms to measure progress against those objectives. If you’re unsure where to begin, we recommend starting with website traffic and lead generation tracking as these are the most readily measurable metrics.
