How do you report your PR findings?

1 Know your audience

Before you start writing your PR report, you need to understand who your audience is and what they expect from you. Different audiences may have different levels of interest, knowledge, and involvement in your PR activities, so you need to tailor your report accordingly. For example, a senior executive may only want to see the key results and recommendations, while a project manager may want to see more details and analysis. You should also consider the tone, format, and language of your report, and make sure it is clear, concise, and consistent.

2 Define your objectives

The next step is to define your PR objectives and how they align with the overall goals of your organization or client. Your objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART), and they should reflect the outcomes you want to achieve, not the outputs you produce. For example, instead of saying "we will send out 10 press releases", you should say "we will increase media coverage by 20%". By defining your objectives, you can set the direction and scope of your report, and measure your success against them.

3 Choose your metrics

Once you have your objectives, you need to choose the metrics that will help you track and evaluate your PR performance. Metrics are the indicators that show how well you are achieving your objectives, and they can be quantitative or qualitative, depending on the type of PR activity and outcome you are measuring. For example, some common PR metrics are reach, impressions, engagement, sentiment, awareness, reputation, leads, conversions, and ROI. You should choose the metrics that are relevant, reliable, and valid for your objectives, and avoid using vanity metrics that do not reflect your true impact.

4 Collect and analyze your data

After choosing your metrics, you need to collect and analyze your data from various sources and tools. Depending on your PR activities, you may use media monitoring, social media analytics, surveys, interviews, web analytics, CRM systems, or other methods to gather your data. You should collect your data regularly and systematically, and use reliable and accurate tools and platforms. You should also analyze your data to identify patterns, trends, insights, and opportunities. You should look for the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) of your PR performance, and compare your results with your objectives, benchmarks, and competitors.

5 Visualize and communicate your findings

The final step is to visualize and communicate your findings in a clear and compelling way. You should use charts, graphs, tables, images, or other visual elements to present your data in a way that is easy to understand and digest. You should also use narrative elements, such as headlines, summaries, highlights, stories, or testimonials, to tell a story that connects your findings with your objectives and recommendations. You should also use data-driven evidence, such as statistics, facts, quotes, or case studies, to support your claims and arguments. You should also include a call to action, such as a suggestion, a question, or a next step, to engage your audience and invite feedback.

6 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?