How Can You Measure the Value of Social Media Coverage?

Nowadays, there are numerous metrics to measure the success or value of PR clippings on social media. But which ones are truly meaningful, and how can they be compared and analyzed? Only through such analysis can your social media PR achieve a significant impact on future success.

The challenge in social media PR is that different platforms provide different types of engagement and KPIs, which can only be compared to a limited extent. Often, these platforms have varying reaches and target different audiences. Moreover, user activity levels are not the same across all platforms.

Therefore, we need a metric that can be applied equally across all platforms to compare performance accordingly.

The engagement rate is particularly suitable for this. It combines KPIs related to the audience with those that represent user engagement. Generally speaking:

Engagement Rate = Engagements / Reach

Media value and ROI answer different questions

You can estimate what comparable paid exposure might cost using an ad or influencer rate. That comparison is an advertising-equivalent proxy. It does not tell you the revenue, profit or communication outcome generated by a clipping, and it is not a financial return on investment.

For a financial ROI calculation, you need attributable financial returns and the full costs of the activity. Where attribution is not possible, report the observed communication outcomes and limitations instead of assigning them an invented financial return. The AMEC evaluation framework distinguishes outputs, audience responses, outcomes and impact.

Engagement rates also need a consistent definition. State which interactions you count and whether the denominator is reach, impressions or followers. Multiply by 100 to express the ratio as a percentage. Rates with different definitions are not directly comparable.

Do you need help defining the right metrics for your clients or your PR? Feel free to contact us anytime. We will help you find the perfect analysis setup in an individual workshop. We are happy to share our years of experience in PR analysis with you.