RPIE Part 5 – It’s as Delicious as it Sounds (Evaluation)

So, we’ve researched, evaluated, and implemented – but did it work? Were we as successful as Stan Lee was when he tried to pull Mjolnir out of a pit with his 2nd gen Dodge Ram? Hopefully we did better.

Method

How we evaluate is going to depend on what our goal was. Using the example of increasing our VPC prep package sales by 15% in 4Q21, it will be pretty easy to measure our success – pull your sales numbers on the last day of the quarter, and compare them to the previous quarter. Done! But what if you don’t want to wait three months to see if what you’re doing is working? Let’s say you’ve pulled your numbers a month in, and you’ve seen no change, or even a decrease over the previous quarter. If social media was your primary communication method, you need to look at the social media analytics for the platform you’re using. All of the major platforms have fairly robust social media analytics and can help you figure out what types of posts were effective. Maybe the times you picked for your posts didn’t reach the audience you wanted to. Maybe you posted too frequently, and Facebook’s algorithm is punishing you. Maybe you slapped together a visually unappealing ad and it’s having the opposite effect of what you want. Don’t be afraid to alter your plan if you aren’t achieving your desired results.

So What?

Communicating is arguably the most important component of every organization. Being successful at communicating can help you overcome, reduce, or eliminate your weaknesses, and enhance your strengths. By being deliberate in your efforts, you will be able to greatly enhance your reach and effectiveness.