The growth of technology and PR measurement techniques makes sure that Public relations efforts these days generate a lot of data for businesses and professionals. Impressions, reach, sentiment—the list goes on. But what metrics are worth tracking in a market such as Africa? How important is tracking these metricto monitor your brand’s narrative?
Anyone worth their onions in the PR industry knows that metrics aren’t just figures on a spreadsheet, they tell a story, especially to those who care to pay attention. Especially in Africa where audience dynamics might slightly differ. We are going to discuss five key PR metrics that are useful for businesses and help them track real growth in their PR and marketing efforts.
Media placement quality
In Africa, the quality of the media featuring your story matters a lot to your PR success. This is the reason why heads of communications and public relations have found it hard to discard the reach, pull and reputation add-ons of placements in traditional media. A place in a local, city or regional newspaper helps in generating very much-needed credibility especially when dealing with government institutions, brick-and-mortar businesses and corporations. So, when your PR agency secures a feature for you in that legacy newspaper or TV station, it is important to note that they have achieved a brilliant feat.
This is because, it is not only about the number of publications and blogs that mentioned you, it’s about where and how. That is, choosing the right places you want your name to be mentioned. A highly respected industry publication mention carries far more weight than a random blog praising your product.
Media impression and reach
Impressions and reach are still important metrics, particularly reach. Generally, impressions are the number of times your content has been viewed, allowing for double counting, while reach is the number of unique users who view your content. It’s not a bad decision to seek out the platform with the biggest impression and reach, it is a starting point for a successful campaign. Ensuring that you’re tracking the number of people who have eyes on your content is important, mostly because news audiences are somewhat loyal to the biggest news sources. And while reach doesn’t imply quality, they tend to work hand in hand and if you have to compromise, it is better to choose based on your business need.
Backlinks
Securing quality backlinks will never get old and it is one metric you should not lose sight of. Especially when entering a new market or vertical, it is rather easier to demonstrate expertise and competence when major market players and news platforms are linked to your website. This sort of endorsement is an important factor in determining your website’s online reputation and discoverability.
Influencer engagement and impact
Influencers are a key part of the marketing ecosystem in Africa. This is because people rely on various secondary sources for their information. Influencers have grown to be relied on by PR professionals to reach wider and more targeted audiences. So when you commission influencers in your PR campaign, you’re looking at the likes, comments, shares and reach but also something deeper. Using media monitoring tools to gauge the receptiveness of the messaging, comments of audience members, and how it is boosting your credibility through association. Analyzing data from influencer engagement offers insights into audience preferences and helps you further refine your messaging.
Social media engagement metrics
Africans spend a lot of time on social media, with Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa among the countries with the most time spent on social media. It is important to engage them on these platforms. Social media engagement also gives you direct feedback from the audience, which is on the rise in Africa. You can also use social monitoring tools to track how users are mentioning your brand name and what they are saying about you – this is also part of social media engagement. It is also important that you track comments, shares, and follower growth to determine the content that resonates most with your target audience, allowing you to tailor your strategies for better content. Social media live features, Twitter Spaces, and Facebook Live also offer an opportunity to figure out the topics that your audience cares about and how they see your brand.
