How To Measure Cyberspace

Part 3: The seven basic steps for success,
no matter what measurement device you use

By Katharine Delahaye Paine

For any measurement program, there are seven basic steps to take.

Step 1: Define your Objective
Regardless of whether your objective fits cleanly into one of the objectives listed in Part 1 above, you still need to articulate it and get agreement within your organization as to what it is that your PR effort is trying to achieve.

Step 2: Determine the Criteria
What specific numbers will you be tracking? What "leading indicators" will tell you (and your boss) what is working or not.

Step 3: Select a Tool
Your objectives will determine the tools you use. If your goal is to increase awareness and preference, some sort of survey is required. If you're trying for traffic, the psychographics and demographic profile of that traffic will determine your success.

Step 4: Select a Benchmark
Measurement is a comparative process. If what you're selling is water filters, you can't compare yourself to Ragu spaghetti sauce. You need to select a relevant organization or timeframe against which to compare your results. You also need to make sure that the information you receive from that comparison is useful. If you are a small local juice company, there's no point in benchmarking your results against Coca-Cola; the budgets, staffing and resources will never be comparable and thus your data won't be actionable.

Step 5: Compare to Objectives
Avoid the "this bar is bigger than that bar" syndrome and demonstrate your accomplishments with actionable data.

Step 6: Take Action
The purpose of measurement is to improve a program. To that end, you need to outline the steps you're going to make toward improvement.

Step 7: Measure Again
Measurement must be part of an on-going process so that you know what progress you've made. Then when you fix or change things, you know whether they are working or not working.

Go back to Part 1 of this article: Understand The Challenges and Your Objectives.

Go back to Part 2 of this article: Six Sets Of Tools To Answer Your Questions.