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A More Meaningful Way to Measure Success

When companies hold an event or launch a national advertising campaign or product promotion, they’ve traditionally measured their success through metrics—for example, how many media impressions they secured, or, with the onset of social media, how many “likes” they’ve generated. Do those gauges really move the proverbial needle, though? “To me, reputation is the golden grail—being able to show through data that independent representatives and consumers are more likely to buy from you, trust you, say something nice about you, invest in you… those are the numbers that really matter,” says Crayton Webb, CEO and owner of Sunwest Communications, a Dallas-based public relations firm whose clientele includes several direct sales firms. “It’s not a short game—you may not see results at the end of the month or end of the quarter. But smart leaders are looking ahead. Reputation is a clear indicator of business success.”

While there are several actions companies can take on a daily basis to enhance their reputations over the long term, social media may be the lowest-hanging fruit. Its ubiquitous influence is impossible to ignore. And companies who ignore it do so at their own risk.

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