Media Coverage Volume
Number of earned media placements (press, blogs, podcasts) in a period
What is Media Coverage Volume?
Media coverage volume is the number of earned media placements an organisation gains in a period. Earned coverage is press, broadcast and online mentions that were not paid for.
Coverage builds credibility and reach that advertising cannot easily buy, and its volume is a simple indicator of how much attention public relations activity is winning.
How this KPI is measured
- Function
- Marketing
- Sub-function
- Brand & Awareness
- Industry
- All Industries
- Type
- Lagging
- Impact
- Operational
- Unit
- #
- Measurement frequency
- Monthly / Quarterly
- Formula
- Count of earned media placements in period
How to calculate it
Count the earned media placements published during the period.
For example, if a PR programme secured 42 articles, interviews and mentions in a quarter, the volume is 42.
Count only placements you did not pay for, and record the outlet, date and tone of each. Volume alone ignores quality, so consider also noting the audience and relevance of each outlet.
Where it is used
Evaluating PR activity
Track whether outreach efforts are producing coverage.
Reporting to leadership
Show visible results from communications work.
Spotting what earns coverage
Identify the stories and spokespeople journalists respond to.
How to improve it
Tips and common mistakes
- Ten placements in respected outlets can be worth more than fifty in minor ones.
- Track the tone as well as the count, since negative coverage is still coverage.
- Do not measure PR by volume alone. Look at reach and message pick-up.
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