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You’re paying for PR. You’re getting coverage. Your name’s popping up in places it never did before.
But in the back of your mind is that nagging thought:
“Is this actually doing anything?”
You’re not alone. Most business owners wrestle with the same doubt.
One of my clients put it perfectly on a recent call:
“We’re getting good press coverage… which is great. Presumably it’s helping… but I don’t really know how to measure it.”
And that’s the catch with PR. It works - but it doesn’t look like it’s working. Not in the tidy, trackable way Google Ads or email campaigns do.
PR is more like yeast in bread. You can’t see it bubbling away, but leave it out and the whole loaf falls flat.
Or salt in your dinner. You don’t notice it when it’s there, but without it? Everything tastes a bit… meh.
PR doesn’t come with neat attribution tags. But done well - and done consistently - it quietly makes everything else work better.
Why PR is so hard to measure
PR builds trust, not clicks. And trust is slippery stuff to quantify.
No spreadsheet will tell you: that article led directly to this customer. It doesn’t work like that.
Here’s what really happens:
Someone reads a piece in an industry magazine. Or spots your name in a trade newsletter. Or hears you quoted on a podcast.
At the time, they’re not buying. They notice it, then move on.
Months later, they’re ready to buy. They search online. They see your ad or find you in search results.
And there’s this flicker of recognition: “I’ve heard of these people somewhere before…”
That flicker? That’s PR doing its job.
The last click gets the credit. But PR is what made them trust that click.
PR is your backstage crew
Think of PR as the backstage crew in your marketing machine.
They’re not on stage. They’re not belting out the big solo.
But they’re the ones who set up the lights, tuned the guitars, and made sure the sound system worked.
Without them, the show still happens… but the audience aren’t clamouring for the next one.
That’s what PR does for your marketing. It gives you credibility, authority, and that “I’ve heard of you before” feeling - and that is absolute gold dust when someone is deciding whether or not to buy.
And this is even more important right now when the economy is struggling and people are nervous about spending their money. They need to REALLY trust you.
So how do you know if PR is working?
Forget about tying it neatly to conversions. Instead, look for signals - the signs that PR is quietly fuelling your pipeline.
Those signals might be:
- More coverage in the publications your buyers actually read.
- Backlinks from those outlets that boost your SEO.
- Uplift in direct traffic to your site.
- More branded searches - people Googling your company name.
- Referral traffic from PR pieces (yes, you can track this).
- Higher conversion rates from other channels like Google Ads.
- Prospects saying things like: “I think I’ve come across you before…”
⚠️ Just remember: these are indicators, not outcomes. They show PR is doing its bit in the background. The outcome you still care about is conversions - and PR helps lift those.
When you see several signals at once, that’s when you know your brand trust is climbing - and that’s the fuel your conversion engine runs on.
One of my clients, for instance, has seen a noticeable improvement in conversion rates from their Google Ads since we started PR. We’ve been working on the ads as well, but the uplift is really impressive. The difference is regular coverage in key publications. That recognition made people click, and crucially, convert.
Why PR often gets cut (and why that’s risky)
When money gets tight, PR is often first on the chopping block. It doesn’t produce tidy lead reports, so people assume it’s expendable.
But here’s the problem.
Six months later, your ads aren’t converting like they used to. Your pipeline feels sluggish. Your cost per lead goes up, and those leads feel colder.
Why? Because you switched off the boiler. PR is what keeps your whole marketing system warm. And once it cools, it takes time (and money) to fire it back up again.
You went quiet when you needed to stay visible - and the rest of your marketing is now working harder for worse results.
“But we’re not newsworthy…” (Yes, you are)
If you’re a technical or consultancy-led business, you might be thinking:
“We don’t really have any news. What would we even pitch to the press?”
That’s a myth - and it holds too many businesses back.
PR isn’t just about press releases and announcements. It’s about creating stories that matter to your audience and weaving in your expertise. That could mean:
- Commenting on industry trends.
- Sharing insights on the challenges your clients face.
- Explaining a tricky topic in plain English.
- Offering expert commentary when news breaks in your sector.
You don’t need to be dramatic. You just need to be relevant.
And it’s not about doing one article and hoping it lands. The real value comes from showing up regularly.
One article gets you noticed. Consistent PR builds recognition and trust over time.
PR is a long game. If you’re not seeing those signals after 3-6 months of consistent activity, that’s the time to review your approach - not to assume it isn’t working.
Final thought: PR isn’t fluff. It’s fuel.
I have a love-hate relationship with PR because I do love to measure stuff so I know what’s working. But I learnt that if you’re trying to measure PR the same way you measure ads, you’ll always be disappointed.
Look at the bigger picture. Look at how your brand is being perceived. Look at how much easier your other marketing feels.
And if you’ve never really used PR properly, maybe now’s the time. Not scattergun, not fluffy - but as part of a structured, joined-up marketing machine.
Want to see how PR fits into your wider marketing strategy?
Marketing shouldn’t feel like a gamble. If your current mix of PR, ads, content and campaigns feels disjointed or hard to measure, let’s fix that.
As a fractional CMO, I’ll help you step back, see the full picture, and build a marketing machine that’s clear, measurable, and built to grow with your business.
So, how are you measuring trust in your business right now?
Or are you only counting clicks?
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