It’s not that businesses ignore PR, but they often don’t know how to approach it. Without understanding what and when to measure results, founders get an incomplete picture of PR ROI.
Getting PR ROI right is less about immediate impressions and social media likes. It’s more about what audience you’re reaching and being trusted during high-impact conversations.
The difference between strong returns and limited ROI often comes down to knowing what really matters.
Table of Contents
Where Founders Go Wrong
PR ROI doesn’t usually disappoint. It just might be misunderstood. Things begin to unravel when founders have the wrong expectations.
Approaching PR Like Performance Marketing
One mistake B2B founders make when assessing PR is using source of leads as the primary measure of success. Founders and marketing teams are often trained to pinpoint which touchpoints lead to conversions and expect PR to show up in ROI performance trackers.
The problem is that PR is almost never the final touchpoint. It usually has the most impact earlier in the funnel, improving awareness and credibility. The purpose of PR campaigns is to build trust, not necessarily to drive performance outcomes.
Expecting Immediate Results
PR campaigns should be a gradual, well-thought-out process that isn’t always easy to measure. When results aren’t seen immediately, founders may think the PR campaign was ineffective, especially when comparing PR to marketing performance channels.
PR ROI has a snowballing effect, building trust with partners and investors over time. When founders have short-term expectations, they tend to rush public relations efforts. Poorly executed campaigns can weaken messaging and cause teams to miss high-impact opportunities with decision-makers and investors.
Mistaking Visibility for Authority
Another common mistake that founders make is assuming that visibility alone builds reputation and trust. First impressions count, and most brands only have a few chances to set the tone for public perception.
PR campaigns that focus on volume instead of quality often lead to low-impact results. Being seen in more places doesn’t mean you’ll make an impression on stakeholders or industry leaders. Founders build authority by earning trust through consistent, relevant, and confident messaging, not by media blitzes.
Thinking Your Business Isn’t Big Enough
Waiting until a brand grows in size before addressing PR is a mistake some businesses make. Public relations can help build credibility and manage reputation, and the most substantial PR ROI is often seen in the earliest years of a business. Focusing on public relations early allows brands to shape their own narratives before visibility accelerates.
5 Things to Measure Instead
1. Quality of Media Coverage
Getting the most ROI from PR depends heavily on where your brand is published. Founders should pay close attention to which media outlets cover their story, as some resonate more with industry leaders and C-suite executives than others. Being featured in respected publications can position a company as relevant and help establish credibility early in the customer journey.
Not all media exposure is the same. One way founders can measure PR ROI is by looking at where website traffic and engagement come from. Tools like Google Analytics can help explain where your traffic is coming from and whether those leads are coming from high-quality publications or less relevant sources. Knowing which websites your visitors come from can help you determine whether you are reaching the right audiences.
When media coverage catches the eyes of decision-makers through publications they trust and engage with, PR ROI becomes much easier to see.
2. Market Presence Within Fundamental Narratives
PR isn’t just about where a brand’s stories are being published. It’s also important to pay attention to how frequently your narrative appears and if it’s relevant to your intended audience. If your company shows up often in meaningful dialogues, it starts to feel like a natural fit in a conversation. Over the long run, public relations placement can help your brand get recognized and stand out from the competition.
Founders should monitor their brands’ share of voice (SOV) by tracking how often their brand is mentioned for key issues and comparing results to competitors. Concentrating on stories that help you accomplish your long-term goals is more important than trying to increase overall visibility.
When your brand outpaces competition in relevant media coverage, it has more potential to change perspectives and connect with potential partners and customers. Increasing SOV can build trust and awareness, which is the PR ROI that founders should be looking for.
3. Founder Authority
Brands are often as trusted as their leadership. Founders who are constantly looking at new approaches and who use conversations to improve outcomes tend to have more credibility in the long run. When public perception of an executive is positive, it can help make audiences more willing to engage.
When a founder has authority, it becomes easier to unlock PR ROI. Respect from media outlets and audiences can lead to investor interest, more media coverage, and meaningful discussions. That trust can also give teams confidence and carry momentum as the business grows.
Excelling in industries like fintech isn’t just about visibility; it’s about credibility. Founders are considered authorities when they gain the trust of other industry leaders and are referenced by respected publications online.
When founders are invited to speak at events, are asked for quotes in print or online, or are asked to do media interviews, it’s a sign that a brand’s reputation is building, starting at the top.
4. How PR Influences Sales
PR should be approached differently from performance marketing, but it still has a meaningful impact on sales. You often feel the strength of a PR campaign by looking at where and when your brand shows up in the conversations that matter to you. When it’s done well, PR sets the wheels in motion, putting your name and narrative out there for the people you hope to reach. The goal is for your story to resonate with your target audience so they pay attention and begin to engage with your brand.
As brands build trust through PR, it can encourage decision-makers to start sales conversations with your team. While you can measure ROI using metrics such as referral traffic or surveys, the best insight comes from the dialogue itself. As leads move through the funnel, you can learn more about how they discovered your brand, what caught their attention, and what built the trust for them to reach out.
You can also think of PR ROI as the extent to which your brand becomes top of mind among the people and media outlets that influence decisions. When your voice starts leading conversations, it can guide inbound interest and high-quality opportunities. It may be challenging to identify which article or interview made the biggest difference, but the credibility built over time can improve your chances of revenue growth.
5. Sales Cycle Speed
It becomes easier to see PR ROI when sales are made quickly and decisively. When a brand builds trust and credibility through carefully planned PR efforts, sales cycles tend to move faster and with less friction. Prospects don’t need to spend as much time getting to know your brand, which can improve pipeline velocity.
But momentum requires consistency and brands need to align strategy and execution to accelerate sales. Once a narrative is set, ROI depends on getting that message delivered through trustworthy media channels. Hybrid agency models are becoming the standard, combining human insight with AI-driven scale to produce PR content efficiently. By increasing a brand’s presence online in blog posts, newsletters, and other platforms, founders can continue conversations started by PR coverage.
As the people you want to connect with become more familiar with your story, they may be more willing to take the next steps in the funnel. Transactions tend to feel less risky once a brand feels familiar.
Measuring sales velocity means paying close attention to conversations. Founders should listen closely to the questions being asked and to how much time a sales team spends explaining what the business does or why it’s credible. If these questions linger, PR may not be achieving its intended results. When sales cycles speed up, and conversations feel less shaky, it signals that your PR is establishing trust and credibility.
Measuring PR ROI In Terms of Human Connection
B2B founders are focusing more than ever on human voices in their marketing strategies. PR campaigns have the most impact when brands form connections with thought leaders, partners, and decision-makers. Thinking about ROI in this light, the focus quickly becomes nurturing relationships and becoming a voice that resonates across the most respected media channels.
Earning authority begins with finding your voice. When brands tell a clear, consistent story on high-impact media channels, it helps guide user behavior and influence narratives. At Avenue Z, our experts’ approach to strategic communications has helped founders build trust with other brands and customers.
Contact us to learn more about how human connection is the heart of PR and strategies for getting ROI right.
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