Understanding audiences through outcomes

In this newsletter, we talk about outputs vs. outcomes, and how our mind is biased towards the former.?

We connect measuring outcomes to be consistent with measuring the success of your campaigns. Communicators are disadvantaged by prioritising observations from outputs, and using that to make decisions.?

Instead, we explain how to do a mindset shift and find clarity with signals from outcomes, and share a 5-step process to make better observations, draw more accurate inferences, and make decisions based on campaign outcomes.?

Who am I??I provide communications and PR solutions for organisations and practitioners through community, training and consultancy. With over 20+ years in the industry, I have created frameworks, methods and content that enable you and your team to deliver growth outcomes for your organisation, brand or team.?

Quick note:?We have launched our community platform called RYOM for all team members tasked to deliver PR and marketing outcomes. There, you will find guides, templates, how-to-do documents, training materials and coaching. Find out more at www.strtgcommsgrp.com/ryom.?

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Campaigns are the lifeblood of any marketing or public relations strategy and execution.?

They are not just vehicles for promoting our brand, products, and services. Instead, they serve a higher purpose - to influence our customers, shape their perceptions, and guide their actions.?

At the heart of every campaign is the desire to connect with our audience on a deeper level. We want to understand their needs, desires, and pain points, and position our offerings as the solution. We aim to create a narrative that resonates with them, one that they can relate to and find value in.?

But how do we measure the success of our campaigns??

The answer is not as straightforward as it might seem. Traditional metrics such as the number of likes, shares, or comments can provide some insights, but they only tell part of the story. These are what we call ‘outputs’ - the immediate, tangible results of our campaign activities. They are easy to measure, but they don’t necessarily reflect the true impact of our campaigns.?

What we should be focusing on instead are ‘outcomes’ - the long-term effects of our campaigns on our audience’s behaviour and perceptions.?

Did our campaign change the way our audience perceives our brand?

Did it influence their purchasing decisions?

Did it lead to increased customer loyalty or brand advocacy??

These are the questions we should be asking.?

Measuring outcomes is undoubtedly more challenging than measuring outputs. It requires a deeper understanding of our audience and the data. The insights gained allow us to evaluate the true success of our campaigns and make more informed decisions in the future.?

Campaign results: A puzzle to solve

Output metrics, while useful, only provide a surface-level understanding of our campaign’s performance?

The true challenge lies not in the abundance of data, but in our ability to interpret it correctly.?

We often find ourselves struggling to distinguish between outputs and outcomes, between what is immediately observable and what is truly impactful.?

Interpreting outcomes requires looking beyond the immediate results and making inferences from the underlying patterns and trends. It requires us to ask the right questions, to challenge our assumptions, and to constantly refine our understanding based on new insights.?

The challenge of interpreting campaign results is a challenge of perspective. It requires us to shift our focus from the immediate to the long-term, from the observable to the impactful, from the outputs to the outcomes.

This shift can be incredibly rewarding. For it is through this process that we can truly understand the impact of our campaigns and make more informed decisions in the future.?

Finding clarity through identifying the signal from the noise

Campaigns generate data. It becomes very easy to get lost due to the sheer volume of information.?

It can be overwhelming, and without a clear focus, we can find ourselves unable to make sense of the numbers and statistics that flood our screens.?

This is where the importance of focusing on specific and measurable outcomes comes into play.?

Outcomes are the long-term effects of our campaigns on our audience’s behaviour and perceptions. They are the ultimate indicators of our campaign’s success. But not all outcomes are created equal. To truly understand the impact of our campaigns, we need to focus on outcomes that are specific and measurable.?

Specific outcomes are those that are clearly defined and unambiguous. They leave no room for interpretation or guesswork. For example, an increase in sales, a rise in website traffic, or a growth in social media followers are all specific outcomes. They tell us exactly what has changed because of our campaign.?

Measurable outcomes, on the other hand, are those that can be quantified or tracked over time. They allow us to gauge the extent of the change and monitor the progress of our campaign. For example, the percentage increase in sales, the number of new website visitors, or the rate of growth in social media followers are all measurable outcomes.?

These specific and measurable outcomes are the signals amidst the noise. They cut through the clutter of data and provide us with clear, actionable insights. They tell us whether our campaign has truly made an impact and help us make informed decisions about future campaigns.?

But how do we identify these outcomes? The key is to start with the end in mind. Before launching a campaign, we need to define what success looks like. We need to set clear, measurable goals and identify the specific outcomes that will indicate whether we have achieved these goals.?

In the rest of the article, we explain about why our mind is biased towards outputs, and share a simple 5-step process to help you make better outcome-based decisions.

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