The Fireside Chat: PR Metrics with Rebekah Iliff

Regular Spin Sucks readers have gathered by now that I’m a bit obsessed with PR metrics—with measuring our efforts to real business results.

That’s why I’m happy to see the death of advertising equivalencies and question the necessity of earned media value.

It’s why I’m happy to have friends like Rebekah Iliff.

Like me, she is obsessed with helping communicators measure the real value of their work.

And, through AirPR, she’s been integral in building software that does just that.

Who is Rebekah Iliff?

Rebekah Iliff is the chief strategy officer for AirPR.

Previously, she was the CEO of talkTECH Communications, which means she’s definitely one of us.  

She contributes to Entrepreneur, Huffington Post, and PRWeek’s “The Hub” and has written for Mashable and other infamous publications.

She got her bachelor’s from Loyola, right here in Chicago, so I knew we were meant to be fast friends.

Communications pro, agency owner, Chicagoan (at one point), data-driven, gorgeous inside and out, and ridiculously smart.

She also has a master’s degree from Antioch University at Los Angeles.

See. I told you. Smart.

For this month’s Fireside Chat, we thought there was no one better to discuss PR metrics.

Fireside Chat: PR Metrics with Rebekah Iliff

Here’s the outline we started with for our conversation:

1. We’ve known each other a long time. We met back in the day, when you joined AirPR and you guys were a matchmaker, of sorts, between agencies and tech startups. I love how AirPR has evolved. Give us the fun, sordid, inside baseball history.
2. I love that you’re so focused on metrics—and that AirPR can help communicators measure the right things. What are the top three things that should be included in every PR program?
3. Let’s shift for a minute and talk about machine learning. You recently wrote an article for Spin Sucks about artificial intelligence and Albert. It has begun to replace digital agencies. Should we be worried?
4. What are some of the most exciting things machine learning can do for the PR world?
5. You guys talk a lot about PRTech. What do you mean by that?
6. Can machine learning, artificial intelligence, or PRTech really only help organizations (and their agencies) that are focused on ecommerce?
7. You’re a woman in a very male-dominated field. How are you faring?
8. Speaking of back in the day, you used to run your own agency. What’s the biggest differences between being your own boss and working for someone?

My Favorite Parts of the Conversation

1. Why communicators are not seen as experts.
2. What types of PR metrics you should use to show your value.
3. When—and why—you need a digital content attribution model.
4. What the Power of Voice means, and how it differs from share of voice.
5. How to structure your messaging to better track results.
6. What machine learning will help us do.
7. Why you should consider a ranch vacation for your next trip.

I guarantee you’ll leave this conversation feeling motivated and inspired.

Enjoy the conversation…and let us know what you think!

(If you can’t view the video below, click here and you’ll be magically transported to YouTube to watch it.)