When Every Second Counts: 5 Metrics to Guide Your PR Crisis Response

When you’re at the center of a communications crisis, every second counts. Speed and strategy determine whether your brand sinks or swims.

The faster you see what’s happening—and understand why—the better you can steer the story.
Real-time monitoring and social listening aren’t optional anymore. They’re essential tools for protecting your reputation and keeping your message in control.

Set up an “always-on” monitoring plan with custom alerts so your team is notified the moment a situation begins to unfold.

Here are five metrics that every communications team should track before, during, and after a crisis.

Metric 1: Track Sentiment Shifts

What to track:
Monitor how audience sentiment changes over time to pinpoint when and where the issue began. Compare your typical sentiment baseline to the current tone to understand how the story is evolving.

Use keyword tracking for your brand and related topics across traditional and social channels to capture the whole conversation and see where the crisis is heating up.

Why it matters:
Sentiment changes reveal when a narrative turns and why, giving you precious early minutes to respond before negative framing hardens. 

Pro Tip:
Get ahead of negative coverage by setting up automated sentiment alerts that notify your team instantly. Early insight gives you more time to act strategically.

Once you understand sentiment, volume helps show the scale of the issue.

Metric 2: Monitor Volume of Mentions

What to track:
Keep an eye on total mentions across online, broadcast, and social channels. Look for unusual spikes and pinpoint when coverage peaks—even hour by hour if necessary.

Pay attention to where the coverage is concentrated geographically. The more localized the conversation, the easier it is to contain and manage.

Why it matters:
Volume shows the scale and speed of the crisis. Spikes help you predict when the issue may peak—and where resources need to be focused.

Pro Tip:
Know your baseline. Establish your normal daily volume of mentions so you can spot early warning signs of a crisis in the making.

Metric 3: Measure Social Engagement

What to track:
Engagement—likes, shares, comments, and hashtags—reveals what’s resonating and what’s not. Analyze user-generated content to uncover new themes, misunderstandings, or concerns that need to be addressed.

These insights help tailor your response and identify which audiences or platforms deserve the most attention.

Why it matters:
Engagement uncovers what’s sticking with audiences. It helps you correct misunderstandings quickly and tailor messages that actually resonate.

Pro Tip:
Be selective. If the conversation is happening primarily on one platform, focus your efforts there rather than spreading resources too thin.

With engagement mapped, compare it to the larger landscape.

Metric 4: Compare Share of Voice

What to track:
Compare your mention volume and sentiment to that of your peer organizations and institutions. Has your share of voice dipped—or shifted in their favor? Are others using your moment to capture attention or customers?

Tracking this metric shows how your communications are influencing the broader market narrative.

Why it matters:
Share of voice shows whether you’re controlling the narrative or losing ground to competitors, critics, or peer institutions in real time.

Pro Tip:
Keep tabs on competitor mentions during a crisis. Their activity can reveal opportunities to protect your position and anticipate market shifts.

Metric 5: Evaluate Response Effectiveness

What to track:
Measure the reach and engagement of your official statements, press releases, and social posts. Watch for shifts in sentiment as your response unfolds.

This tells you whether your messages are landing—and if the narrative is turning in your favor.

Why it matters:
This metric tells you whether your messaging is doing its job—shifting sentiment, closing information gaps, and rebuilding trust.

Pro Tip:
Focus on message penetration, not just reach. The goal isn’t to flood the feed, but to ensure your audience clearly understands your response.