Leslie Stefanik, Vice President, Marketing, PublicRelayIt may seem obvious, but becoming the best in the world at something is not an easy process. Building a PR measurement and analytics program is no different, which is why we recently interviewed the VP of Communications at First Data, Michael Schneider, about why and how he’s doing just that. In Michael’s opinion, these are the three key things you should focus on to create a world class measurement program:

Your competitors

Understanding the communications landscape of the market you are participating in is a critical strategic data point. It is more difficult to build a forward-looking strategic plan when you are only looking inward at your own organization. Analyzing your earned media against that of your competitors or peers will help you answer questions like these:

• Which outlets and authors are writing about my competitors but not me?
• How do we compare on brand messages and reputation?
• Are our competitors putting new messaging into market?

Your message engagement

This is where you dig into how both media and your customers are engaging with your messages. This entails analyzing the topics in your coverage, including tone of those topics. You have key messages that you are pitching but are they always pulling through in your coverage?You also want to understand how or if your earned media is getting shared on social channels. Do certain topics or authors get shared more often on one platform over the other? Which demographics are interacting and sharing your content the most? Which topics are shared more often and what is the sentiment on those topics? These are not the easiest questions to answer, but this is what differentiates world class measurement programs from the rest.

Your reputation drivers

Most organizations have a few brand drivers that they want to be known for. Some examples include ranking as a top place to work, being an ethical company, having a diverse and inclusive culture, providing fantastic customer experiences, or even offering great value at a lower cost.These are all concepts that should be addressed as you build your strategic plans. And when you begin executing those plans, you can analyze how well your earned media coverage is impacting these brand drivers. By measuring these key themes consistently over time, your team will be able to quickly pivot when they see results that aren’t in line with expectations.Building a world-class, digital-first measurement strategy does take effort but the insights gained will be a game-changer for your team. To find out more about the measurement program at First Data, listen to the full webinar here.

About the Author: Having worked on both the agency and industry sides of marketing and communications, Leslie brings extensive corporate communications, branding and demand generation practice and understanding to the team at PublicRelay. Formerly the VP of Digital Marketing for Optymyze, Leslie holds a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Marketing from Youngstown State University.