I have been given the opportunity to talk about PR on Salford City Radio 94.4 FM today at 2-3pm. Most of the hour is a selection of my tunes based on my superlative taste - no irony intended.

But what are the benefits and how do you measure them?

Well there is RAJAR, which stands for Radio Joint Audience Research Limited. This produces research that shows reach, share of possible reach, average listening time etc.

But being surveyed is not cheap, it can run into the thousands. So many local stations will be a mystery concerning their success.

I was told that previous guests had gained new business as a result of their appearance, including a toast master that secured two new bookings. Perhaps the best measure.

Anyway whatever the result, it is worth going through the process to see what clients go through as I dismissively tell them not to be nervous.

Thanks to Jon Monks of Chapel Street Business Group for settling my nerves and setting up the opportunity.

It is not the name of a new bar that Manchester needs so badly.

But the perennial PR problem: justifying spend.  It all comes from PR being so hard to quantify.  How do you measure raised profile, greater understanding of what your client does, reputation being enhanced?

You can’t unless you have a big research budget, so anything but blue chip clients will be unable to gage the benefits accurately.

There are leads, which is where many businesses judge their PR.  It is wrong to base any judgement solely on this premise.  I have had clients that have more than covered their PR spend with new clients derived from PR.  You also have new clients where PR has played a par, but this has not been identified or noted.

The solution?

Answers on a postcard or in the comments please.