Do you know your audience?

Knowing your audience is one of the most important aspects of communication. You would not want to talk to your best friend the same way you would to your professor or the dean of student and definitely not like you would talk to your grandmother. So then why would you make all your public relations post to the company you are working for the same?

To make your messages mean something you must take into account the type of consumer you are trying to bring in through your post.

A meme, for example, might be funny to your peers; however, the older generation might not know what it is and find the words used during the meme offensive. All the power of that campaign would be in the picture and if only have the audience understands the picture, only a quarter of your potential audience will be reached.

This is why Google Analytics can play such an integral role in the development of websites.

Developed in 2005 after Google bought Urchin Google Analytics (originally Google Site Optimizer) is a free service that can track your website and “turn insights into action.”

While there is a more in depth Google Analytics 360, for those just starting out in PR the unpaid version can do just fine. The site can track date such as, how often is your site reached, how many interactions does it have, it can track e-commerce from sales on your site, and more.

So, if you are looking for a way to see the impact your posts are making, Google Analytics has got your back. The information feedback is great for business and developing a strong campaign but, it could also be used in student organizations as a way to track reach. Plus, knowing the quantitative side of your website impact is great for resumes!

Photo Credit: <a href=”https://www.flickr.com/photos/61804295@N00/33129331732/”>spelio</a&gt; Flickr via <a href=”http://compfight.com”>Compfight</a&gt; <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>cc</a&gt;