How do you use PR measurement to identify communication gaps?

1 Step 1: Define your communication goals and objectives

Before you can measure anything, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your communication efforts. Your goals and objectives should be SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. They should also align with your organizational or client's goals and objectives. For example, if your goal is to increase awareness of your brand among a new market segment, your objective could be to achieve a 10% increase in brand recall among that segment within six months.

2 Step 2: Choose your communication metrics and indicators

Once you have your goals and objectives, you need to decide how you will measure them. You need to select the metrics and indicators that will best reflect your performance and progress. Metrics are the quantitative data that you collect and analyze, such as impressions, reach, clicks, shares, or conversions. Indicators are the qualitative data that you gather and interpret, such as feedback, opinions, sentiments, or behaviors. For example, if your objective is to achieve a 10% increase in brand recall among a new market segment, your metrics could be the number of people who recall your brand name when prompted, and your indicators could be the associations or attributes that they associate with your brand.

3 Step 3: Collect and analyze your communication data

After you have chosen your metrics and indicators, you need to collect and analyze your communication data. You need to use reliable and valid methods and tools to gather and process your data, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, media monitoring, web analytics, or social media listening. You need to compare your data with your baseline, benchmarks, or targets, and look for trends, patterns, or anomalies. You need to use data visualization and storytelling techniques to present and communicate your findings. For example, if you collected and analyzed data on brand recall and associations among a new market segment, you could use charts, graphs, or infographics to show how your brand awareness and perception have changed over time.

4 Step 4: Identify and address your communication gaps

Finally, you need to use your communication data to identify and address your communication gaps. You need to look for the discrepancies or mismatches between what you intended to communicate and what your audiences perceived, understood, or responded to. You need to understand the causes and consequences of these gaps, and how they affect your reputation, relationships, and results. You need to make adjustments or improvements to your communication strategies and tactics, and monitor and evaluate their impact. For example, if you identified a communication gap between your brand promise and your audience's expectations, you could revise your messaging, improve your product or service quality, or enhance your customer service.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?