“Measure what Matters”

As I have now finished this book, I can look back at the value it has.  As the landscape of social media constantly changes, this book may become outdated within the next few years (in terms of some its recommended methods) but as of the moment, it is a great tool for PR practitioners.

The perception a business has is the most important thing.  A business’s image, whether good or bad, can single-handedly determine the success or failure of said business.  It doesn’t matter how ethically upstanding the business may be.  If it has the public perception of being morally corrupt the business will suffer.  This is why measuring public perception is of utmost importance.

With the rapid development of interactive social networks over the past decade or so, communities that businesses market to have become more blended and connected with one another.  Business perception from one community can leak into another community due to everyone being connected, especially with a website like Twitter.  Due to twitter’s real-time updates and design, people don’t necessarily have to go looking for information, as it may be found by accident. 

Another significant point in measure what matters is monitoring public perception to see how two competitors are viewed.  When measuring, a benchmark is always needed, as is a meter of success.  Therefore, if a company can have a better perception in the eyes of consumers, this would be a benchmark as well as a method of measuring success.