3 PR metrics you shouldn’t measure

We often speak of PR and marketing metrics. In our obsession with what to measure, we don’t often ask what we shouldn’t measure.

The answer might surprise you. There are a lot of things you shouldn’t measure—at least not with the same intensity and focus. Not all metrics are created equal.

1. Don’t measure what you can’t control.

Measuring lead generation is out of the purview of PR pros. Measuring sales is largely disconnected from public relations.

You do, however, have control over which publications and influencers you contact, whether they run your story, and the audience you create for your organization or client.

For example, you could run an amazing awareness campaign for a coffee shop that gets tremendous coverage, but if the coffee shop is closed, all that attention won’t produce sales. Failing to be open isn’t your fault, and your efforts produced the desired result: more attention, awareness and action. It’s just that the rest of the business process fell apart.