A focused set of metrics helps leadership connect media coverage to real outcomes.
Start with outcomes, not volume
Coverage volume is easy to count and easy to misread. Executives care about reputation, demand, and risk. Align measurement with those outcomes and use volume as context rather than the headline metric.
Useful outcomes include message pull through, qualified share of voice, and coverage in priority publications.
Keep the KPI set small
A strong PR dashboard usually has five to eight metrics. Anything more becomes a report that nobody reads. Prioritise trend lines and comparisons rather than long tables.
If the KPI cannot influence a decision, it should not be on the executive view.
Link to business signals
Overlay coverage with web traffic, lead quality, or customer inquiries. You rarely get a perfect attribution chain, but you can show directional impact and timing.
Document assumptions clearly so leadership understands what the data can and cannot prove.