A Complete Guide to Understanding Digital PR ROI

Digital PR has become an invaluable tool for brands eager to solidify their online presence. 

By building relationships with reputable media and being strategic about content output, companies become more visible. This helps them expand their audience and boost authority. 

That said, some brands might approach the practice with scepticism. 

It can be difficult to pinpoint exactly how much impact Digital PR has on brand awareness, especially if you already use complementary tactics like paid advertising or social media marketing. 

Thankfully, measuring the return on investment (ROI) of Digital PR helps marketers to make a convincing argument. 

By tracking key metrics, they can prove exactly how their initiatives are paying off. 

Why ROI Matters in Digital PR

According to Muck Rack’s State of PR study, 82% of PR professionals track the results of their work, while 2% don’t bother keeping up with metrics. 

If you’re part of the latter, you might want to adjust your approach. Measuring Digital PR ROI comes with benefits. 

Justifying Digital PR Budgets

The extent of your Digital PR efforts depends on your budget. 

You won’t be able to implement ambitious tactics if you can’t secure the funds to cover expenses like content creation and influencer partnerships. 

Measuring Digital PR ROI is a great way to show that your strategies are effective. 

While success stories are great, having numbers that prove the impact of your campaigns can convince stakeholders to allocate heftier budgets for the future. 

Additionally, the 2024 Global Comms Report shows that 50% of PR specialists struggle to identify the business significance of earned media coverage. 

Focusing on ROI helps you zoom in on the details that matter. 

Demonstrating PR Value to Stakeholders

Besides advocating for campaign budgets, measuring Digital PR ROI allows you to quantify the value you bring to the company.

About 40% of PR specialists have trouble justifying their worth in the eyes of stakeholders. Senior management has a tendency to prioritise activities that drive clear business outcomes, like revenue growth. 

Telling them that more people know about your company as a result of your efforts sounds vague and not particularly convincing. 

Digital PR ROI, however, acts as concrete evidence of your contributions. 

Tracking relevant metrics lets you show management exactly how your campaigns led to more website visits, which contributed to an increase in sales.

In short, it highlights that PR is essential to their overall strategy.  

Optimising PR Strategies

Measuring Digital PR ROI is also vital if you want to refine your strategies. Results tell you what isn’t working, so you can polish campaigns for maximum impact. 

Metrics like engagement rates and referral traffic give you a comprehensive picture of exactly what your audience resonates with. 

Long-term, you can use this insight to make informed PR decisions. In the competitive digital market, trial-and-error methods will only get you so far. 

Key Metrics to Track for Digital PR ROI 

In order to calculate Digital PR ROI, you need to measure the right metrics. While these will ultimately depend on campaign objectives, this cheat sheet is a good place to start. 

Tools and Technologies for Measuring Digital PR ROI 

Many metrics can help you assess whether your Digital PR efforts are reaping benefits. 

Media Monitoring Software

While you can track earned mentions manually or through Google Alerts, media monitoring software makes your job seamless. 

This especially applies when running a complex campaign, when your brand is being mentioned all across the internet. 

Tools like CisionOne offer robust tracking of online, print, and broadcast media mentions, gathering all your data in one place. 

The platform also provides strong analytics, so you can check audience reach or sentiment. 

Social Listening Platforms

Social listening platforms, meanwhile, analyse online conversations to measure sentiment and uncover trends you may not be aware of. 

They go beyond what’s said to gauge tone and context.

Brandwatch, for example, provides real-time insights into how your audience perceives your brand across social media channels.  

In other words, it can be incredibly useful to asses if clients relate to your campaign on an emotional level. 

Web Analytics Tools

Google Analytics is the most popular tool for measuring PR-driven visits, as it enables you to track numerous metrics. 

The list includes referral traffic, bounce rate, time on site, and more. 

To get even more specific when it comes to traffic sources, PR specialists often use UTM parameters. 

Integrated into campaign URLs, these allow for detailed tracking of clicks and conversions generated by Digital PR. 

Essentially, they help you demonstrate the direct impact of your efforts and where the clicks are coming from. 

CRM Systems

A staple when it comes to tracking Digital PR leads, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems follow customers on their journey from first click to final sale. 

Platforms in the vein of Salesforce and HubSpot let you integrate PR data with broader sales/marketing efforts. The result is a centralised hub to monitor leads and sales opportunities. 

By linking Digital PR to sales, marketers can show exactly how their efforts support customer growth and revenue. 

Best Practices for Calculating and Reporting ROI

Measuring Digital PR ROI comes with a learning curve. Taking a strategic approach to the process gives you the best chance for accurate reporting. 

Setting Clear Objectives

To effectively measure ROI, know what you’re working toward.

For best results, use the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) to set Digital PR goals that can be quantified.  

At the same time, make sure that your objectives align with the company’s overall business strategy. 

For instance, if the brand is working to build awareness, your objective could be to secure a specific number of media mentions in reputable outlets. 

If the company’s priority is to retain clients, you can foster positive brand sentiment by publishing expert articles or customer success stories.

This way, you can contribute to the overarching mission and show how your efforts support critical goals. 

Establishing Baselines

Just like you squander if you don’t have an end goal, it’s difficult to show results if you don’t know where you started. 

Baseline data serves as a reference point that helps you measure progress.

Besides giving you a clear starting position, initial metrics help you set realistic ROI expectations. 

It’s easy to make bold assumptions about the numbers you’ll get once the campaign is active. 

Knowing current metrics like website traffic or brand sentiment allows you to create realistic estimates backed by hard data.

Combining Quantitative and Qualitative Data

A complete ROI analysis combines quality and quantity to give stakeholders a fuller picture of campaign results. 

On top of metrics like traffic and leads, gather qualitative insights that add context to plain numbers. 

You can use surveys or focus groups to gain a deeper understanding of how the audience reacts to your Digital PR campaign. 

Their feedback lets you read between the lines and uncover unexpected gains. 

Let’s say the main objective of a campaign was to build awareness. A focus group may reveal that, after seeing it, they’re also likely to recommend your brand to others.

This is the kind of insight you can’t gauge through quantitative data alone. 

Creating Effective ROI Reports

How you present your data to stakeholders also counts. A persuasive Digital PR ROI report should follow a clear structure:

• Executive summary: Include a brief overview of the data, highlighting key points.
• Objectives: Reiterate the SMART goals that guided the campaign.
• Metrics and data analysis: Present all relevant quantitative and qualitative results.
• Recommendations: Offer actionable insights for future campaigns based on what you’ve learned from this one. 

To make the report more engaging, incorporate data visualisation tools. Images, charts, and graphs make the information easier to digest. 

You can also use storytelling techniques to hold attention. Set the scene by framing the campaign within the context of the brand’s goals, and take the reader on a journey that shows them exactly how you reached your target. 

Customising Reports for Different Stakeholders

A multi-channel approach to reporting Digital PR ROI makes it easier to share your findings with diverse audiences. 

While senior executives might prefer a summary focused on business outcomes, the marketing team will want access to detailed metrics. 

You can use a mix of presentations and summary memos to tailor your reports to your audience. That way, you meet everyone’s specific needs.

Final Word

Digital PR ROI lets you showcase exactly how your work drives tangible results. 

It proves your worth to stakeholders and provides knowledge on how to improve future campaigns. 

However, measuring isn’t a one-and-done thing. Keep tracking and optimising your efforts over time. 

While metrics definitely matter, perfecting your craft is what inspires growth.