PR KPIs That Matter: Brands to Measure Awareness

A single feature in the right magazine can spark curiosity, elevate your status, and drive traffic to your site. But here's the twist: most brand owners still treat PR like magic — unpredictable, unmeasurable, and somehow separate from business performance.

Today, public relations is a strategic layer of your brand’s ecosystem, driving awareness, trust, and—yes—even conversions. Like every other part of your marketing, it needs to be measured.

The challenge? PR metrics are less straightforward than performance marketing open rates. You don’t get a neat little dashboard showing you “brand buzz per dollar spent.” But that doesn’t mean measurement is impossible.

This article breaks down the most relevant PR KPIs for fashion, beauty, and jewelry businesses — not the vanity stats, but the ones that tell you whether your brand is truly making an impact. Whether you're working with a PR agency or running your own outreach, these are the numbers worth paying attention to.

Before we dive into the numbers, let’s zoom out. What exactly is PR in the context of a modern fashion or jewelry brand?

It’s not just about getting featured in Vogue or sending your lookbook to editors. Today, PR includes everything from media relations and influencer partnerships to thought leadership pieces and event appearances. It’s any earned exposure that puts your brand in front of people through a trusted third party — not because you paid for it, but because it’s newsworthy, stylish, or relevant.

So why does it matter?

Because in industries like fashion, beauty, and jewelry, trust and aspiration drive sales. People don’t just buy because your product is good — they buy because they believe in your brand. PR builds that belief at scale. It signals quality. It creates social proof. It positions you as a brand that belongs in the cultural conversation.

And while PR usually lives in the top of the funnel — driving awareness and buzz — its ripple effects reach far beyond. It boosts branded search, SEO, social proof, influencer credibility, and yes, even conversions.

But if you’re not measuring it, you’re not managing it.

And you don’t need a full-blown comms department or a six-figure retainer to track impact. You just need to understand which indicators reflect meaningful progress — and which ones are just noise.

1. Media Mentions
This is the baseline metric for any PR effort: how often is your brand being mentioned in press outlets, blogs, or media platforms?
But don’t just count — qualify.
A mention in a niche jewelry blog is not the same as a feature in Harper’s Bazaar. Context matters. So does the format: a passing name-drop isn’t as valuable as a full feature or an editor’s pick.
What to track:

• Number of mentions over time
• Publication name and authority
• Type of mention (quote, feature, roundup, etc.)
• Link inclusion (SEO value)

Why it matters:
Media mentions signal relevance. They also provide content for your own marketing — from “As Seen In” badges to social proof on product pages.

2. Share of Voice (SOV)
Share of Voice shows what percentage of media coverage in your niche belongs to you compared to your competitors.
Let’s say you’re a fine jewelry brand in New York, and you want to monitor coverage around “sustainable jewelry” or “lab-grown diamonds.” If your brand gets 15% of all mentions related to those topics, your SOV is 15%.
What to track:

• Brand mentions vs. competitor mentions
• Industry keywords you want to be associated with
• Changes over time

Why it matters:
It’s not just about being visible — it’s about being more visible than others in your space. SOV is a competitive benchmark that shows whether you're leading or trailing the conversation.

3. Reach & Impressions
These two are often lumped together, but they measure slightly different things.

• Reach is the estimated number of unique people who could have seen your coverage.
• Impressions count how many times your coverage was potentially displayed, even if to the same person multiple times.

What to track:

• Audience size of each publication/platform
• Social media reach from influencers or reshared press
• Impressions from syndicated or republished content

Why it matters:
If your brand is mentioned in a piece that reaches 5 million people, that has a different strategic weight than a blog with 2,000 readers. These numbers help you estimate exposure — and tie PR back to brand awareness growth.

4. Backlinks & Domain Authority
Here’s where PR meets SEO. When media coverage includes a link back to your website, that link can boost your organic rankings — especially if it’s from a high-authority site.
What to track:

• Number of backlinks earned from PR
• Referring domain authority (use Moz, Ahrefs, or SEMrush)
• Landing pages getting linked (homepage vs. product page vs. blog)

Why it matters:
The value of a single backlink from a major media outlet can outweigh weeks of SEO work. These links signal trust to search engines and drive long-term traffic — not just one-time hits.

5. Sentiment Analysis
It’s not enough to know that people are talking about you — you need to know how they’re talking. Was the article glowing with praise? Neutral? Or did it include subtle criticisms of pricing or brand values?
What to track:

• Positive / neutral / negative sentiment ratio
• Quotes or headlines that reflect tone
• Trends in brand perception over time

Why it matters:
Fashion and jewelry purchases are emotionally driven. Sentiment directly affects brand trust — and can be an early warning sign when public perception shifts.

6. Influencer & UGC Mentions
PR is no longer confined to traditional media. Influencer content and user-generated content (UGC) are part of the modern PR mix — and highly visible in fashion and jewelry spaces.
What to track:

• Organic mentions by influencers (not paid collaborations)
• Customer posts tagging or featuring your brand
• Hashtag usage and reach

Why it matters:
When an influencer voluntarily posts about your piece, it’s powerful PR. Same with customers — every piece of UGC is a public endorsement. These mentions often feel more authentic than press features.

7. Event Impact (If You Host or Participate)
Whether it’s a fashion week showcase, a pop-up, or a press preview, events can generate waves of press and online buzz. But only if you track them.
What to track:

• Press mentions tied to the event
• Social shares, live posts, and tagged content
• RSVPs vs. attendance
• Post-event traffic or brand search spikes

Why it matters:
Events are expensive. Tracking their media and social impact helps you evaluate whether they’re worth repeating — or reworking.

While brand exposure and media love are great, most business owners eventually ask the same question: “But did it lead to sales?”
The answer isn’t always black and white. PR isn’t paid performance marketing — it doesn’t always give you clean attribution or UTM-tagged conversions. But that doesn’t mean you can’t spot the impact.

These KPIs act as bridges — connecting PR wins to sales signals and helping you identify patterns that prove PR is moving the needle.

1. Website Traffic Spikes After PR Hits
One of the clearest signs that PR is doing its job is a spike in traffic after a media mention. If your brand is featured in a major outlet or worn by a celebrity, you’ll often see the impact right away in your analytics dashboard.
What to track:

• Traffic source (referral, direct, organic)
• Traffic spikes tied to media drop dates
• Landing pages receiving the traffic

Use Google Analytics or Plausible to compare traffic before and after the PR hit. Look for spikes in direct or branded search traffic — those are strong indicators of interest generated by media exposure.

2. Branded Search Volume
When people start typing your brand name into Google more often, you know your visibility is growing. PR — especially earned media and influencer exposure — drives this kind of brand awareness.
What to track:

• Monthly branded search volume trends (e.g., “Maison X Jewelry”)
• New keyword variations (e.g., “Maison X review” or “Maison X earrings Vogue”)
• Compare pre-PR and post-PR campaign periods

Tools to use:
Google Trends, Google Search Console, Semrush, or Ahrefs.
Why it matters:
Branded search is one of the most powerful indicators that your PR is not just getting attention — it’s sticking.

3. Referral Traffic from Press Links
If a media outlet includes a direct link to your website, it’s trackable. You can see exactly how many visitors came from that article, how long they stayed, and whether they converted.
What to track:

• Volume of referral traffic from specific publications
• Bounce rate and time on site for PR traffic
• Conversion rate for visitors from PR links

Why it matters:
This shows not just how many people saw the PR piece, but how many were intrigued enough to click — and what they did next.

4. Discount Codes or Trackable URLs
For influencer campaigns or lifestyle media that allow it, you can offer exclusive discount codes (e.g., “VOGUE15”) or custom landing pages to track performance.
What to track:

• Number of redemptions or visits from the code/URL
• Conversion rates for those users
• Revenue generated per campaign

Why it matters:
While traditional PR isn’t performance marketing, modern hybrid campaigns — especially those with influencers — benefit from trackable links and codes. This gives you a more immediate connection to revenue.

5. DTC Signals: Email Sign-Ups, Follower Growth, Wishlist Activity
Sometimes PR doesn’t trigger an immediate sale — but it brings people into your world. That’s just as valuable in the long run.
What to track:

• Newsletter sign-ups after PR drops
• Increase in social followers or post engagement
• Add-to-cart or “save for later” actions on products featured in press

Why it matters:
These “micro-conversions” show intent. Even if the sale happens later, PR got them through the door.

Public relations is often a long game. But when you track these signals, you start seeing the pathways — how one great feature leads to 300 new site visits, which lead to 40 new subscribers, which eventually convert into loyal customers.

If you want your PR efforts to drive real business growth, it’s critical to separate vanity metrics from value metrics.

1. Likes and Follower Counts
Yes, it feels good to see your post rack up likes or your follower count spike after a press mention. But those numbers don’t tell the full story.

• A thousand likes on a feature post might result in zero website clicks.
• A surge in followers can include bots, passive scrollers, or people who forget your brand a week later.

What to focus on instead:

• Engagement quality: Are people saving, sharing, commenting with intent?
• Website actions: Did those likes turn into visits, sign-ups, or purchases?

2. Total Impressions (Without Context)High impression numbers often sound impressive, but they don’t tell you how many people actually engaged with your brand.
Example:
You might get 500,000 impressions from an article that includes a tiny name-drop versus 15,000 from a dedicated feature that links directly to your shop.
What to focus on instead:

• Click-through rate (CTR)
• Time on page
• Mentions with high-quality links or brand storytelling

3. Irrelevant Press Just for the Logo Wall
We’ve all seen it: “As seen in…” followed by a list of outlets that may or may not align with the brand’s actual audience.
Chasing press in unrelated publications might give you bragging rights — but it won’t move the needle.
Example:
If you sell fine jewelry, a mention in a general news aggregator won’t do much. A feature in The Cut or a stylist's curated gift guide? That’s where your buyers are.
What to focus on instead:

• Audience relevance
• Editorial alignment
• Placement quality (product spotlight vs. list inclusion vs. full story)

4. Overvaluing Influencer Exposure Without Context
A repost from a big-name influencer can feel like a win. But without knowing if it was paid, organic, or part of a larger strategy, it’s easy to misjudge the value.
What to check:

• Was it a genuine endorsement or just content filler?
• Did the influencer’s audience engage or click through?
• Was there a bump in followers or sales — or just views?

In short? Vanity metrics feel good. But only value metrics help you grow.
The best PR strategies are grounded in purpose: reaching the right people in the right places, and knowing exactly how that attention serves your brand.

Most small and mid-sized fashion, beauty, and jewelry brands don’t have a full-time PR analyst watching every mention, click, or sentiment shift.

Here’s how to set up a lean, effective PR tracking system without burning hours or budget.

1. Set Up Google Alerts
Google Alerts is one of the simplest ways to stay on top of new mentions. Just input your brand name (and common misspellings), product line, or key founders/designers, and Google will email you every time you’re mentioned online.
Use it to track:

• Unlinked brand mentions
• Blog features and smaller press
• Industry conversations around your niche

Set separate alerts for your competitors, too. That’s free intel.

2. Use UTM Parameters on Every PR Link You Control
If you’re pitching your own press or collaborating with influencers, add UTM codes to the links you provide.
These little tags tell your analytics platform exactly where traffic came from — whether it was a press piece, a campaign, or a social post.
Use tools like:

• Google’s Campaign URL Builder
• Bit.ly or Rebrandly to shorten and track links

Without UTMs, all your PR traffic may just look like “direct” in analytics, which makes it hard to connect the dots later.

3. Monitor Website Behavior with Google Analytics (or Plausible)
Once traffic hits your site, what do those users do?

• Do they bounce after 3 seconds?
• Do they head straight to your product page?
• Do they sign up for your email list?

Track things like:

• Referral sources
• Bounce rate per traffic source
• Sessions triggered by PR links or UTM campaigns
• Time on site and pages visited

For privacy-friendly brands: Plausible Analytics is a lightweight, GDPR-compliant alternative to Google.

4. Set Up a Simple PR Dashboard
Use a Google Sheet or Notion database to log your PR hits and key metrics:

Color-code for sentiment, add links to screenshots, and log any sales or site activity connected to the hit.

5. Tap into Tools When You’re Ready
As your brand grows, you might want to level up to tools made for PR tracking:

You don’t always need a fancy dashboard or a six-person team to track PR. Start with the tools you already have. Focus on clarity, consistency, and interpretation. PR isn’t magic — it’s momentum. And when you measure it, you can multiply it.

In the fashion, beauty, and jewelry world, where emotion, story, and status shape buying decisions, PR holds enormous power. But without measurement, it’s just a nice story. With measurement, it becomes strategy.

By tracking the right KPIs — from media mentions and sentiment to referral traffic and branded search — you move beyond vanity and into clarity. You stop guessing whether your press is working and start knowing what’s moving the needle.

You’ll see which publications send qualified traffic. You’ll know whether that influencer's mention resulted in a sales spike or just empty likes. And you’ll gain the power to double down on what’s building your brand.

PR is about shaping perception, building trust, and opening doors that paid ads can’t reach. When you track it like a strategist, not just a dreamer, it becomes a core growth engine for your business.

No fluff. No guesswork. Just smart, measurable impact.