Data and analytics are playing an increasingly vital role in public relations, allowing practitioners to quantify their efforts and demonstrate concrete value to clients and leadership. However, a troubling gap exists when it comes to data literacy in the PR industry.
Pressure to Quantify Efforts
The PR industry as a whole is still struggling to meaningfully quantify and measure the impact of campaigns. However, clients are demanding more data and analytics. This pressure encourages PR pros to share metrics—even if they don’t have the proper data literacy to accurately understand and present those metrics. Essentially, the desire is there to quantify efforts, but the skillset is still developing.
Lack of Data Training
While most college programs now offer basic courses in social analytics and measurement, structured training and education around data analysis are still sorely lacking in PR. Data analysis requires an advanced skillset beyond just harvesting and visualizing metrics. Most professionals learn on the job in an ad-hoc manner instead of through formal training channels.
Easy Access to Data Visualizations
While the data literacy crisis indicates that PR pros struggle to analyze and derive insights from metrics, modern software makes it extremely easy to create charts and graphs. So while creating basic data visualizations is simple, working around the nuances of those charts requires more advanced analytical abilities currently absent in many practitioners.
Closing the Data Literacy Gap
Boosting data literacy must become a top priority for PR professionals and the industry at large. Structured training programs, advanced education opportunities, and a renewed focus on analytics and data interpretation provide pathways for improving currently inadequate levels of data comprehension. An investment in developing analytical abilities will empower professionals to leverage data to maximum effect.