Quantity is the most novice form of PR measurement. Track this instead.

For many brands, June marks the halfway point in the fiscal year, which is also a pivotal point for measuring KPIs and evaluating results. If you’re an agency, you’re likely reviewing your annual goals and making shifts to end the year on a high note. If you’re in-house, you’re already thinking about Holiday and 2023.

Regardless of which side you are on, one of the most common KPIs is quantity.

And it shouldn’t be.

While there is value in quantity, it’s certainly not enough to tell the full story. Ten articles in the wrong outlets don’t equal the impact cone article in the right publication can have. Yet on a spreadsheet or an end of year recap, we are often drawn to quantity.

I’ve been on the other side of this for most of my career, and many of my conversations with leaders who are in the exact position I am in now would be about setting placement quantity goals. If this is you, I beg you, don’t do that. There are so many more advanced ways of measuring PR results, and quantity is one of the most outdated and novice forms of metrics.