People in the PR industry used to say, “Marketing is science; PR is art”. In recent years this view has changed; the focus, particularly in B2B tech PR, has shifted to delivering against numerical targets.  

For marketing professionals and tech companies working with a PR agency, demonstrating measurable results has become essential to justify communications investments. 

But there’s a balance to be had here. Successful external communications and media relations strategies absolutely require creativity and a willingness to embrace the art of the possible. On the other hand, to secure and maintain C-suite and budget-holders' buy-in, we must demonstrate business impact through hard numbers.  

The real question is, which numbers matter? It's easy to get caught up in those that look good on paper— coverage numbers, reach metrics, and LinkedIn likes. These ‘vanity metrics’ are helpful when working to grow share of voice and increase brand awareness, but don’t always reflect meaningful impact on the bottom line. Today’s B2B tech PR professionals must go further and focus on outcomes that truly drive business results. That means integrating with sales and B2B marketing tools, tracking website engagement, and (gasp) actually talking to customers and prospects.  

Connect the dots: Salesforce & HubSpot 

One of the most overlooked ways to prove the impact of PR programmes is by integrating with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platforms. By integrating tools like Salesforce or HubSpot, one can see how PR contributes to lead generation, nurturing, and even closed deals. For example, if a lead reads an article or downloads content following a press release, that touchpoint can be logged and attributed. This linkage enables teams to see how PR drives awareness and engagement at the top of the funnel, and how it converts over time.  

The key here is visibility. Communications professionals can make PR a traceable part of the B2B marketing revenue engine, and give strategic external communications efforts the internal recognition it deserves. 

Essential analytics for B2B tech PR: Google Analytics & UTM links 

Once a story, whether that’s a press release, research paper or influencer social post, is out in the wild, PR professionals need to know how it impacts audience behaviour. Building UTM links into content enables PR teams to track this in detail using Google Analytics. Including UTM parameters in links is like laying a trail of digital breadcrumbs: communicators can see which content drove users to their website, and crucially, what those users did once they arrived.   

This data is particularly valuable when engaging commercial teams and the C-Suite in PR efforts. If the PR function can show that a feature mention in a highly targeted trade publication led to increased demo requests, or that a product launch announcement drove users from the press release to case studies, it can demonstrate without question that PR is contributing to the sales pipeline.  

It’s also important to feed this data back into PR teams for learning and refinement. Understanding how target audiences are responding to content can help communicators move beyond measuring reach to measuring resonance – how well they are engaging the right people at the right time.  

Don’t forget the finish line: conversion tracking for B2B tech PR 

Website traffic is fantastic for demonstrating you're filling the top of the funnel, but even better is showing that you’re pulling prospects from awareness into consideration. That’s where conversions come in.  

There’s a lingering perception that conversions are predominantly for e-commerce businesses; that ‘conversion’ always means ‘sale’. This isn’t the case at all. Every PR campaign should have a specific and measurable goal, such as downloading a report, booking a demo, or signing up for a newsletter – and every single one of these can be set up as conversions in Google Analytics or your CRM.  

By tracking these conversions, communicators show that their content didn’t just get seen, it inspired action. 

The power of qualitative feedback in B2B tech PR 

While digital tracking is essential, don't underestimate the value of human conversations. Sales and customer-facing teams are on the front lines and often receive candid feedback from clients and prospects. Are inbound leads referencing points made in media coverage? Did a prospect mention a recent thought leadership piece, or reach out as a result of listening to a podcast with the CTO? These qualitative insights can offer depth and nuance that quantitative data alone can’t provide.  

Encouraging regular, two-way communication between the PR and sales teams ensures both quantitative and qualitative evidence of impact is being captured. That generates a deeper understanding of how narratives are landing in the real world. 

Final thoughts

It's time to stop relying solely on vanity metrics and start embracing a wider view of success. With smart integration, thorough tracking, goal-based conversions, and genuine conversations, PR can (and should!) move from a “nice to have” to a business-critical function. 

Ready to transform your communications approach? Partner with a data-driven B2B tech PR agency that focuses on metrics that actually matter to your business growth.