Effective programs connect communication activity to business outcomes. Start by aligning metrics to the job your communication must do, then select a small set of indicators you can track consistently. Use a blend of output, outcome, and impact signals so you can learn fast and prove value, not just count activity.

Core metric categories

• Reach and visibility: unique reach, impressions, share of voice by topic or channel, search visibility, and website entrances from comms sources.
• Engagement quality: open and click-through rates, dwell time, scroll depth, video completion, event attendance and drop-off, social interactions normalized by reach.
• Message effectiveness: aided/unaided recall, comprehension checks, message resonance by audience segment, percent who can correctly articulate the key takeaway.
• Audience sentiment and trust: net sentiment, credibility and trust scores, issue heat maps, qualitative themes from comments and inquiries.
• Behavior and conversion: intent signals, form fills, sign-ups, downloads, volunteer actions, applications, purchases, repeat participation.
• Outcome and impact: awareness lift, preference shift, reputation movement, adoption or compliance rates, cost per desired action, contribution to pipeline or program goals.

Why it matters

• Clarity: connects day-to-day communications to strategic objectives with time-bound targets and baselines.
• Learning: surfaces which messages, channels, and moments create movement so you can reallocate effort.
• Credibility: demonstrates contribution to outcomes leadership cares about, not vanity metrics.

Turn the concept into a repeatable system that your team can run every month. Keep it simple, comparable over time, and sensitive enough to pick up early signals.

Step-by-step framework

1. Define the objective: specify the audience, behavior or perception to change, and the time frame.
2. Map the journey: awareness → consideration → decision → advocacy. Identify the key moments you influence.
3. Select indicators: pick 3–5 leading indicators (engagement and recall) and 2–3 lagging indicators (behavior and impact). Document the calculation and source for each.
4. Establish baselines and cohorts: use last quarter or a comparable campaign as a baseline. Create audience cohorts to see differential lift.
5. Set benchmarks: define objective-aligned, time-bound targets for each indicator. Include thresholds for "needs attention" and "exceeds expectations."
6. Instrument and QA: implement consistent UTM conventions, event tagging, survey scripts, and media monitoring. Validate data flows before launch.
7. Monitor and optimize: review weekly leading indicators for creative and channel tweaks. Review monthly lagging indicators for strategy shifts.
8. Attribute contribution: use controlled A/B tests where feasible, pre/post lift studies, or marketing mix modeling for broader programs.
9. Report like a decision tool: present trends, context, and next actions. Avoid dashboards that list every metric without a narrative.

Practical scorecard example

• Leading: email CTR, video completion rate, message recall score, positive intent after exposure.
• Lagging: conversion rate to target action, cost per action, lift in awareness or trust vs. baseline.
• Context: cohort performance, channel mix contribution, top messages by effectiveness.