I started blogging just under a year ago now - the original intention was to 'log' examples of good practice in my distinct space. Measures of success was not really thought about although I obviously did think about the long-term benefits and landing those clients...
Only recently did I check out the 'unique visitors' stats and was well shocked/pleased to be getting on average 500+ per day...WOW - although converting that into actual clients is the next step!
The original intention of my log hasn't changed, although now I use it as an avenue to communicate my thoughts and feelings plus to make 'real' contacts with interested parties...
John,
I am interested in the answers to your question. However, I don't think it is fair to not share your own answers to your question with your readers. If you want to engage in dialogue you need open up and be willing to take the risk of telling us what you do-even if it is nothing. I am not a blogger yet and I don't sell my services but what I teach my students is that your goals should frame and drive measurement. If your goal is merely self expression measurement may be irrelevant. Measures of impact on goals will always require a more detailed analysis and different analysis than message exposure. I'll respond more later- I have to run an errand with my spouse now.
Vince Hazleton
John,
Excuse my quick response. I obviously should have read more before I replied earlier. I didn't realize that I was responding to the dinosaur and menace that I had read about on other blogs.
You are right in observing that causality may be difficult to prove. But it may also be simple to prove. And certainly it is not impossible. The devil is in the design(details) of research.
It is much easier to do when you have pre-communication baseline line research for comparision. Research should be the first step in planning communication. If you want to rule out other causal factors such as advertising and marketing there are powerful statistical tools that can be used to identfiy the unique variance that can be attributed to public relations.This is only possible if you have good meausres of those other causal factors however.
It is also easier when your communication is driven by theories about how and why people behave the ways that they do. There are many social science theories that are useful in both planning and evaluation.
If you want to rule out other causal factors such as advertising and marketing activities there are powerful statistical tools that can be used to identfiy the unique variance in outcome measures that can be attributed to public relations.This is only possible if you have good meausres of those other causal factors and your public relations activities however.
Most public relations professionals do not have the skills or training to do good research. But it can be acquired and it can be purchased.
Good question John, I will post about my objective and goals for Communications Overtones in the next few days.
Happy New Year!
A few intersting metrics for measuring success include subscriber rates, comment rates per post & overall comments, trackback rates and overall trackbacks, and site traffic. Technorati rank is fun to track as well.
Meeting people online through comments is also a great metric, although tougher to measure.
Ed:
Thanks for your comments ... like a lot of bloggers, I'm constantly checking the metrics you mentioned -- maybe too much so.
I think the measure of a success of a blog is not only a quantitative measure but also a qualitative one. I started the UT Creative Advertising Blog to help foster a community of current Tx Creative students and Tx Creative Alumni.
How do you see the results in helping people?
I suppose you could look at hits and repeat visitor stats. But I consider it to be successful when one of my friends emails me about the blog or some alumni emails me about it. Or even when some complete stranger emails me about it.
nice read. Looks a lot like the free cell phone number search site I saw the other day.
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