Regardless of which type of product or service you are promoting, or how tremendously complicated PR measurement has become in the ever-changing and forever expanding world of the Internet, just like any other business venture, you still need to determine and set goals to achieve in order to be able to measure them. Maintaining business goals for your public relations is the key to gaining a better understanding of what you desire to achieve.For PR measurement to be measurable, goals must be measurable. Similar to other business goals, it will be vital to ensure that the goals which are chosen are specific and take several aspects into account. These aspects are:1) Reach – In this aspect, you will want to determine who the target audience is that you want to reach. Why do you want to reach these people? Figure out what the message is that you want to send to the targeted audience and how you want to convey it. Once you have determined who you are reaching out to, it will be necessary to establish “awareness”.
2) Awareness – Decide what you think that the target audience should hear about the product or service. Also, what should the target see? Remember that pictures and videos go a long way on the Internet with shares and re-tweets. What do you want potential consumers to read about the product or service? Essentially, this is building awareness, or familiarity, about your brand. You have probably already heard about this before. Awareness is just the start, and then there is comprehension.3) Comprehension – Normally, target audiences already have a typical understanding of most of the products and services that they purchase. However, you want to offer something unique to consumers to catch their attention and entice them into purchasing your product or service. Therefore, you will need to provide them with an understanding that they did not already have about what you are offering. Find a way to give your product or service credibility and create a connection between the consumer and the company. Comprehension leads to attitude.4) Attitude – Essentially, attitude boils down to what you want the target audience to feel and believe about your product or service. This is in the realm of brand loyalty, and, on the inside of the company, it inspires a boost in employee loyalty and motivation, as well. Attitude leads to behavior.
5) Behavior – Behavior is the action that you want out of the target audience. In other words, what do you want your target audience to do after you have reached out, provided them with awareness, furthered their awareness with comprehension, and then created the right attitude? Their behavior is essentially the purchase decisions that the consumers make. Do they get involved with your campaigns online and purchase your products?Each one of these aspects is a measurable goal that you can set to ensure that your PR measurement is quantifiable and accurate. Quantifiable is the key word. If your goals are quantifiable, then you will be able to measure your public relations campaigns to ensure that your efforts are cost effective.