How to set PR goals and KPIs
By Joel Andren · Published by PressFriendly, a PR agency · Reviewed July 15, 2026 · 4 of 9 in this section
Start with the business need, target audience, desired change, baseline, target, and deadline. Then choose measures that connect the work to that change. The same method applies when a founder, employee, freelancer, or agency runs the program. Coverage, pitches, and events can show what the team produced; they do not by themselves show what an audience understood or did.
A useful objective names the audience and change
AMEC's planning guidance recommends objectives that specify what should change, for whom, by how much, and by when. Use this structure:
By [date], [audience] will move from [baseline] to [target] on [belief, behavior, or business result], supporting [business objective].
If no baseline exists, establish one before setting the target. Use existing analytics, CRM data, surveys, search data, media analysis, interviews, or a documented starting count. Record the source and collection method so the comparison remains consistent.
KPIs should cover the full result chain
AMEC's framework separates activities, outputs, outtakes, outcomes, and impact. Choose only the measures relevant to the objective:
| Stage | Question | Example measures |
|---|---|---|
| Activities | What work happened? | Research completed, pitches sent, briefings held, content produced |
| Outputs | What reached an audience? | Relevant coverage, message inclusion, event attendance, owned content published |
| Outtakes | What did the audience notice or understand? | Attention, recall, comprehension, engagement, consideration |
| Outcomes | What changed in the audience? | Trust, preference, intent, inquiries, applications, site actions |
| Impact | What organizational result moved? | Qualified pipeline, hires, fundraising conversations, retention, risk reduction |
Target-outlet coverage is an output. It may contribute to fundraising, recruiting, or sales, but the downstream measure is what tests that contribution.
Every KPI needs an operating definition
For each KPI, record its definition, data source, baseline, target, reporting cadence, owner, and known limitation. Define the competitor set for share of voice, the qualifying action for a conversion, the treatment of syndicated copies, and the method used for sentiment or message analysis.
Review the chain, not one number. Strong activity with weak outputs can indicate a targeting or story problem. Strong outputs with weak outtakes can indicate the wrong audience or message. Strong audience response without business movement may expose a problem elsewhere in the customer, hiring, or fundraising journey. Use the review to change the plan and document why.