You have to ensure you’re measuring the right things.
According to Ragan’s 2023 Communications Benchmark Report, measurement is one of the most challenging aspects of the industry. Thirty-three percent of respondents said a lack of measurement is one of the things most holding them back from producing better comms.
Even if you’ve started a robust measurement program (good job!) and have data, there can be that niggling doubt.
Are you asking the right questions to measure what you’re trying to understand? Is the data you’re getting showing what you believe it does?
If you’ve struggled with this, you’re wrestling with the question of validity.
As Tina McCorkindale, president and CEO of the Institute for Public Relations, explained at Ragan’s 2022 Strategic Communications Conference, “Validity is if you’re measuring what you intend to measure.”
This can come into play in a variety of different areas of measurement. It could be in your own survey questions. It could be in the data you’re looking at. Or it could be measurements you’re being offered by outside parties.
Validating external data
“If you deal with vendors, question how they’re measuring things,” she cautioned.
Many vendors might offer you an all-in-one score that measures a huge, abstract concept like “trust” or “brand awareness.” These scores seek to condense these difficult ideas into one score that seems easy to digest.
But if you don’t know what they actually mean, what’s the point of it all?
It’s up to you to ensure you understand what’s going into that score.
“If they’re like, ‘it’s proprietary, I can’t tell you, ’say ‘bye,’” McCorkindale said. Question their definitions. Don’t let scores that seem simple become a black box that seems to offer clarity but only raises more questions — especially for the executives you answer to.
Because you can be sure they’ll ask what the scores mean. And if you don’t have a good answer they won’t be pleased.
The same logic applies to influencers. If they offer you an easy-to-digest “influencer score” to prove they have a huge reach, ask what precisely that means. In many cases, it might just be based on the number of followers they have.
“There’s a lot of bots that have a lot of followers too, FYI,” McCorkindale noted.
Validating your own data
But you also need to apply that same rigor to ensure your own studies, surveys, focus groups or other measurement activities are also getting the results you most need.
McCorkindale uses the example of trust to show how complex it can be to accurately measure a concept we think we all understand. You shouldn’t simply ask, “Do you trust this organization?” Rather, you need to break the concept of trust down and ask pointed questions to best understand sentiment, as these matrices show.
“A simple concept like trust is complicated. Measures like reputation are complicated. So make sure you know how your organization is defining that,” McCorkindale advised.
And understanding these definitions is vital to ensuring you can take that data and use it to tell a compelling story to guide strategy and secure resources. If your executive leadership is confused about what your terms mean or isn’t convinced of their validity, you’re likely not going to get the buy-in you need to thrive.
That, in turn, can promote what McCorkindale calls “success theater,” where the numbers indicate you’re doing great so you pat yourself on the back — even if there’s no real reason to.
Don’t just ask if you trust x. Ask multiple questions about multiple factors.
“A simple concept like trust is complicated. Measures like reputation are complicated. So make sure you know how your organization is defining that.”
“If you don’t understand, then you promote success theater.”
Remember: Your measurement strategy is only as good if you’re measuring the right things. Measuring the right things requires a proactive approach to data validation, but embracing this approach can help you earn a seat at the table and guide more successful comms efforts overall.
And we can all applaud for that.
Allison Carter is executive editor of PR Daily. Follow her on Twitter or LinkedIn.
The post Why you need to consider validity in your measurement strategy appeared first on PR Daily.
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