Proving communications results in business can be challenging. Especially so if Communication effort is campaign based and sporadic. Using vain or faulty metrics can only make it even more of an issue.

Communications professionals like Katie Delahaye Paine and Gini Dietrich have been arguing for cease and desist of AVEs and similar improper measures for a while now and it actually did bring out some results with AMEC leading the way in call for abolition of AVEs. Still, despite visible progress, some practitioners still can’t resist the lure of easily providing PR reports. Despite those not providing real value to the organization.

There’s a common misconception about proper PR measurement being too expensive or needing a team of dedicated math wizards. While it is true, that a quarter of each dollar spent for PR should be invested in measurement, it’s an investment paying itself off. Especially so when proper results save you from the budget cuts.

Check out some ideas on how to show communications impact to organization instead of just outputs.