How to Set PR Goals That Matter

Public relations (PR) isn’t just about getting your brand in the news—it’s about building credibility, shaping public perception, and driving real business outcomes. But to know whether your PR efforts are working, you first need to define clear, measurable goals.

Unfortunately, many businesses approach PR without setting specific objectives. They focus on vague ambitions like “get media coverage” or “raise awareness,” which are difficult to measure and even harder to link to tangible results.

Setting the right PR goals helps you focus your strategy, align your team, justify budgets, and ultimately prove ROI. Here’s how to set PR goals that actually matter and lead to long-term success.

Understand the Purpose of PR

Before setting goals, it’s crucial to understand what PR is—and what it isn’t. PR is about earned media and reputation management. It involves cultivating positive relationships with journalists, influencers, and the public, while telling your brand story in a credible and engaging way.

PR is not the same as advertising. You’re not buying space or clicks—you’re earning attention. As a result, your PR goals should focus on visibility, credibility, engagement, and influence, not just direct sales.

Think of PR as a long-term investment in trust and perception. The goals you set should reflect this broader purpose.

Align PR Goals with Business Objectives

The most impactful PR goals are those that tie directly into your overall business strategy. Instead of treating PR as a silo, ask yourself: What does the business need right now, and how can PR support that?

For example:

• If your company is launching a new product, your PR goal might be to secure a specific number of media placements or product reviews before the launch date.

• If you’re entering a new market, your goal could be to raise brand awareness in that region through targeted local media.

• If you’re fundraising, your goal might be to position your company as a category leader to attract investor attention.

By anchoring your PR goals in business needs, you ensure your efforts have real value and direction.

Make Your Goals SMART

One of the most effective frameworks for setting goals in any area—including PR—is the SMART model. This means your goals should be:

• Specific – Clearly define what you want to achieve.

• Measurable – Include metrics you can track.

• Achievable – Set realistic targets.

• Relevant – Tie goals to your business objectives.

• Time-bound – Set deadlines for achievement.

Example of a vague goal: “Get more press.”
Example of a SMART goal: “Secure 5 media placements in top-tier tech publications within 60 days of our product launch.”

SMART goals remove ambiguity and allow you to measure success meaningfully.

Know Your Audience

Your PR goals should reflect who you’re trying to reach. That means understanding your target audience: what they read, watch, listen to, and trust.

Are you targeting:

• Investors who read business media like Forbes or Bloomberg?

• Young consumers who follow fashion influencers on Instagram?

• Local residents who rely on community newspapers?

Setting a goal to “increase visibility” means very little unless you define where and with whom that visibility matters.

PR strategies differ drastically depending on the audience, so identifying the right one will shape your messaging, media targets, and success criteria.

Focus on Quality Over Quantity

It’s easy to get caught up in vanity metrics—like the number of press mentions or the size of an outlet’s readership. But not all media coverage is equal. One strong feature in a niche industry publication can be more valuable than dozens of brief mentions in unrelated outlets.

When setting goals, emphasize quality of coverage:

• Target outlets your audience actually trusts.

• Aim for deeper stories (e.g., interviews or opinion pieces) rather than just press release pickups.

• Set goals around sentiment (positive, neutral, or negative) and depth of engagement (comments, shares, backlinks).

High-quality coverage builds authority, while low-quality mentions do little to move the needle.

Set Goals for Different PR Channels

PR isn’t limited to traditional media. Today, it spans multiple channels, including:

• Media relations (press releases, interviews, pitches)

• Social media (organic reach, influencer engagement)

• Thought leadership (contributed articles, speaking opportunities)

• Crisis communications (managing reputation in a crisis)

• Internal PR (employee engagement, company culture messaging)

Each of these areas can have its own goals. For example:

• Media Relations Goal: Land 10 media placements in relevant trade publications over three months.

• Thought Leadership Goal: Publish 3 bylined articles in industry blogs or LinkedIn over the next quarter.

• Social PR Goal: Collaborate with 5 micro-influencers to promote an upcoming launch.

By breaking your PR strategy into channels, you can set more focused and actionable goals.

Measure What Matters

Setting goals is only useful if you know how to measure them. Here are some common and meaningful PR metrics:

• Media Coverage – Number of press mentions, interviews, features

• Reach and Impressions – Estimated audience of coverage

• Share of Voice – Your brand’s media presence compared to competitors

• Sentiment Analysis – Tone of media coverage (positive/neutral/negative)

• Backlinks and SEO – Number and quality of links to your website

• Website Traffic – Spikes in visits following press coverage

• Social Media Mentions – Increases in branded hashtags or engagement

• Lead Generation – Inquiry spikes tied to PR campaigns (tracked via UTM links or landing pages)

Choose metrics that match your goals. If your goal is thought leadership, track bylined articles, quotes, and keynote invitations. If your goal is awareness, track impressions and traffic.

Reassess and Refine Regularly

PR is not a “set it and forget it” activity. As your business evolves, your goals should evolve too. What made sense six months ago may be irrelevant now.

Regularly evaluate your PR performance and adjust your goals based on:

• Changes in business strategy

• Shifts in public perception

• Feedback from media or customers

• Unexpected results (positive or negative)

Quarterly check-ins or campaign reviews can help ensure your PR goals stay relevant and aligned with bigger-picture objectives.

Communicate Goals with Your Team

Whether you’re working with an in-house team or an external PR agency, everyone involved in your campaign should understand the goals you’re working toward.

Clear goals help PR professionals:

• Prioritize efforts

• Tailor messaging

• Choose the right media targets

• Stay accountable to results

When goals are shared and understood, teams can collaborate more effectively and move in the same direction.

Setting PR goals that matter is about more than just chasing media hits—it’s about aligning your public messaging with your business strategy, knowing your audience, and using meaningful metrics to track success.

By setting SMART goals, focusing on quality over quantity, and continuously measuring and refining your approach, you can turn PR from a vague ambition into a powerful driver of visibility, credibility, and growth.

In an age where attention is currency, having clear PR goals is the first step toward earning it—and keeping it.