Searching for a PR reporting template?
Straight off the bat, here are some tips on how to craft the perfect PR reporting template:
- Front-load the report with the most valuable PR metrics.
- Provide context and explain the relevance of specific results.
- Mention all supporting activities, such as PR planning.
- Create a striking visual presentation using a PR reporting tool.
- Measure what matters and include the most relevant PR KPIs.
- Add a table of contents for executives to skim-read the report.
- Set the scene for the future with forward-looking statements.
- Leverage digital tools to present the report in the right format.
In this guide, we are going to break down the core components of effective PR reporting and offer a simple public relations report template. While many factors will ultimately determine the overall impact of a PR report, it’s important not to lose sight of the basics. So, let’s dive straight in!
PR Reporting Templates – Why Do They Matter?
PR reports can make or break client relationships. The best PRs in the business are master storytellers with a talent for crafting compelling narratives. Experienced professionals should also know how to present themselves through a meticulously crafted PR report. While PRs excel at doing PR for clients, many often struggle at ‘PRing’ themselves through compelling reporting.
With access to the right PR report template, communicating accomplishments to clients and executives will become far easier. An effective public relations report should help nurture the client relationship. Let’s explore the core components of PR reporting.
To summarise, here’s why PR reporting templates matter:
- Kickstart the process of ‘PRing’ yourself.
- Shape the narrative on campaign performance.
- Communicate accomplishments with clients and executives.
The Core Components Of Effective PR Reporting
Start Off Strong!
It’s important to hit the ground running and front-load the report with the most valuable stuff. It can be a mistake to assume that busy clients or executives will have the patience to sit down and read through the entire report. We believe in showcasing the best coverage, metrics and activity at the beginning of the report (according to our data, clients typically have 1-2 minutes of attention to read PR reports).
Provide Context
It’s often surprising to see how few reports explain the relevance of specific results. The key is to circle back to why the coverage is important, and how it fits into the bigger picture. If clients or execs do not have a strong understanding of PR, it’s critical to continually provide context and reinforce objectives.
Add context to key points in a PR report by considering the following questions:
- How does this piece of coverage show that we are achieving our objectives?
- How does this metric demonstrate that we are making meaningful progress?
- How does this activity show that we are providing value for money?
Include Supporting Activity
We all know there’s far more to modern public relations than coverage – and it’s essential that this is communicated in the report. If there are various projects or strategies in the pipeline, mention these in the report. If there is little coverage for the month, talk about what the team is in the process of planning and how this fits into the overall strategy.
Focus On The Visuals
A strong visual presentation is about conveying a clear message to clients in an enticing way. If a PR agency is firmly committed to delivering results, a report with a smart design will reflect this. It’s best to avoid low-quality screenshots of online coverage and dense copy. Inconsistent formatting in the report will make it challenging for the client to navigate through the document.
Releasd PR reports are designed to showcase content in a visual way.
Measure What Matters
While it’s tempting to include as many metrics as possible, this may overwhelm the reader and lessen the impact of the metrics that matter. When dealing with readers who are often short on time, it’s important to focus on only the most relevant KPIs. Dedicating pages and pages to inconsequential data provides little value to the reader.
Provide A Table Of Contents
Good PR reports are easy to navigate and structured logically, and a table of contents can be a helpful feature. If the client cannot dedicate enough time to read the report from front to back, they will benefit from a table of contents in order to identify the most relevant information.
Set The Scene For The Next Month
Taking a forward-looking approach makes it easy to explain how everything is building towards hitting broader objectives. In other words, clients and execs need to know what is on the horizon and how the PR efforts are pushing them closer to key milestones. When this is detailed in the report, it can illustrate the month-to-month compounding effects of the PR strategy.
Use The Right Format
PDF or Word documents were not built to showcase the work of modern PR professionals in an engaging way. For PRs to prove their worth to clients and executives, they must leverage digital tools to showcase their work. This is where Releasd comes in – as a next-generation PR activity reporting tool.
Releasd showcases modern PR activities in a clear, engaging format that busy clients and executives can quickly absorb.
To summarise, here are a few key takeaways:
- Front-load the report with the most valuable insights.
- Explain the relevance of specific PR metrics.
- Avoid using dense copy and highlight key wins.
- Focus on the bigger picture and talk about the future.
As a PR reporting tool, Releasd enables public relations teams to prepare evergreen coverage reports that update in real-time and include all the PR metrics needed to communicate campaign performance.
PR Report Template To Hit The Ground Running
| Regardless of the format being used, we recommend adopting the following simple structure for a typical monthly PR report: 1. Introduction/ContentsSet the scene by outlining the work that has been done, with a handful of bullet-pointed highlights. It’s surprising how many PRs skip this step! 2. Key MetricsInclude a handful of clear KPIs, understandable not only to the direct client but to their own internal stakeholders too. 3. Coverage HighlightsIf lots of coverage has been generated, split out the most impactful articles and showcase them upfront. The rest can come later. 4. Social WinsInclude key social posts. This is where context can be useful, as some execs have a limited understanding of how social and PR fit together. 5. Key QuotesEven with the best reporting template available, it’s unlikely that recipients will thoroughly read every piece of coverage. After spotting a key quote buried within an article, tease it out and showcase it within the main report. 6. Supporting ContentPress releases, reports, white papers, and other supporting collateral represent valuable work done behind the scenes. Mentioning this helps to justify budgets, and can demystify the day-to-day work of PRs. 7. Learnings and Next StepsProvide a quick heads up on what’s coming next. This maintains the feeling of momentum and can also help align all involved parties. |
Public Relations Report Template – Closing Thoughts
To summarise, here are the key components of a public relations report template:
- Start off by outlining the completed work.
- Break down all pivotal PR metrics and KPIs.
- Highlight coverage and key wins for the campaign.
- Embed stand-out quotes from coverage.
- Showcase behind-the-scenes work.
- Offer forward-looking statements.
Having access to a robust public relations report template has the potential to transform relationships with either clients or executives.
Releasd includes over 20 report layouts based on best practices.
This PR reporting tool is equipped with all the necessary features for teams to prepare striking presentations for clients and executives.
Ready to get started?
Book a 15-minute demo for a free guided tour of the tool.
PR Reporting Templates (FAQs)
What is a PR coverage report?
A PR coverage report should contain the following:
- Key PR metrics
- Coverage highlights
- Social wins
- Quotes from coverage
- Forward-looking roadmap
When it comes to communicating campaign performance with clients and executives, a PR coverage report is a pivotal document.
PR teams use Releasd to create stunning coverage reports using real-time data at the click of a button. The whole process is seamless – and perfect for PRs looking to produce coverage reports on the fly.
How do you write a PR report?
Don’t know where to begin? Start by assembling PR metrics and KPIs. Bring data to the forefront of the report and fill in the blanks (where necessary) with comments on campaign performance.
What makes a good public relations report?
An effective public relations report will communicate key wins with stakeholders and map campaign performance to KPIs.
The best public relations reports strike a balance between showcasing coverage with diving deep into the campaign performance data.
Our next-generation coverage reporting tool enables PRs to present the full scope of campaign activities in a compelling format that clients and executives love.
Book a 15-minute demo and take our PR reporting tool for a test drive.
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