Lead Generation: Also a Way to Measure the Results of PR

Written By

Wisse Kommunikatie

This insight post is a summary of the original blog post published by Wisse Kommunikatie. View the original, full-length blog post. 

How can you measure public relations? I guarantee that every expert in the field can count on at least both hands how many times they’ve been asked this (if not more). Keep on reading to see how our partners at Wisse Kommunikatie are answering that question. 

Discussion around accountability in the PR profession is as old as time. In general, PR professionals communicate indirectly and on a fairly abstract level; therefore, they hardly dare to make predictions about the results. So, how can you responsibly make statements about the result of an awareness campaign, of PR activities intended to improve reputation or of creating understanding for a point of view during a citizen participation project? You can only gain insight into the results of such campaigns through measurements. This involves significant budgets, which organizations usually do not want to free up for communication and PR. 

Leads through journalistic content  

In recent years, there has been success seen in using a ‘hybrid’ model of PR. This is when we use high-quality journalistic content about trends, innovation and applications for free publicity to generate awareness. In a second phase, we use that content for white paper marketing.  

On the other hand, we make specific, more commercial stories that we place as sponsored content in print media, on portals, in digital newsletters and on social media channels. By linking that information to (unique) landing pages, informed results are found in measuring the page data, including traffic. This kind of traffic has seen a 600 percent increase – this is not a typo. If the visitors are also traceable and give AVG-proof permission for further contact, leads can be added into a ‘sales funnel’. A big advantage is that leads that come in on journalistic content are usually of high quality. After all, people take the trouble to click through and, judging by the much longer reading time on average, they appear to be genuinely interested in the product. 

To learn more about measuring PR results, be sure to read the full article Lead generation: also a way to measure the results of PR here. 

Wisse Kommunikatie is a communications consultancy in the Netherlands, specializing in corporate communication and public relations. Since its founding in 1982, Wisse Kommunikatie has worked for numerous international clients, particularly in technology sectors such as ICT, the automotive sector, transport & logistics, construction and healthcare. The firm’s services include communication research and strategy, public relations, the development and production of content and communication tools, social media and crisis communication.