Your CFO Doesn't Trust Your PR Metrics—Here's How to Fix It

A recent MarTech analysis put it bluntly: "Most marketing ROI reports don't fail because marketing underperformed. They fail because they answer questions executives aren't asking."

Executives don't question whether PR matters. They question whether it's materially impacting revenue, growth, and risk in a way they can trust and scale.

Key Takeaways: What CFOs Actually Want to See

• Pattern-based insights > perfect attribution: Statements like "Deals with earned media exposure closed 27% faster" build more trust than complex multi-touch models
• Directional efficiency trends: "Cost to generate $1 of pipeline decreased 19% YoY" demonstrates control and scalability
• Risk reduction metrics: Diversified pipeline sources, improved forecast accuracy, reduced churn risk
• Revenue-mapped outcomes: Pipeline contribution, win rates, deal velocity—not impressions or AVE
• Consistent quarterly patterns: Three quarters of consistent data beats one quarter of spectacular numbers

If you're reporting media placements, impressions, and AVE (advertising value equivalency) to your CFO, you're speaking a language they don't understand—and don't trust.

Here's how to fix it.

Why Executives Mistrust Attribution (And What They Actually Want to See)

According to the MarTech report, "Most executives mistrust attribution because it's unintelligible."

In complex B2B buying journeys, multi-touch dashboards often overwhelm rather than inform. When you show your CFO a Sankey diagram with 47 touchpoints, their eyes glaze over. They're not impressed by complexity—they're suspicious of it.

What executives actually care about:

1. Revenue growth
2. Pipeline quality and velocity
3. Customer acquisition efficiency
4. Retention and lifetime value
5. Risk mitigation and predictability

If your PR metrics don't map to these five outcomes, they're invisible to the C-suite. AuthorityTech's unified attribution framework helps brands connect earned authority to pipeline in ways CFOs can track and trust.

The Core Problem: Marketers Report Activity, Executives Evaluate Outcomes

Most PR teams lead with channel performance:

• "We secured 15 media placements this quarter"
• "Our press release got 2.3 million impressions"
• "We increased share of voice by 18%"

The C-suite hears:

• "You did stuff"
• "I don't know if it mattered"
• "Why are you measuring vanity metrics?"

Executives don't interpret volume as rigor. They interpret it as noise.

Here's the shift you need to make:

Instead of: Media Placements

Show: Marketing-sourced pipeline ($)

Example: "Earned media contributed to $2.4M in qualified pipeline this quarter, up 27% YoY"

Instead of: Impressions

Show: Win rates by source

Example: "Deals with earned media exposure closed at a 34% win rate vs. 22% for deals without"

Instead of: Share of Voice

Show: Cost per dollar of pipeline generated

Example: "Cost to generate $1 of pipeline from earned media decreased 19% YoY"

See the difference? One set of metrics describes what you did. The other set shows how it moved the business.

| What PR Teams Report | What CFOs Actually Want |

|----------------------|------------------------|

| 15 media placements | $2.4M in qualified pipeline |

| 2.3M impressions | 34% win rate (vs. 22% without earned media) |

| 18% increase in share of voice | Cost per $1 of pipeline down 19% YoY |

| 12 tier-1 publications | Deals close 27% faster with earned media exposure |

| AVE of $450K | 8 of 10 largest deals had earned media touchpoints |

The Framework: Patterns Beat Perfect Attribution

You don't need perfect multi-touch attribution to prove earned media ROI. You need consistent patterns that align with revenue outcomes.

According to the MarTech analysis, executives respond to clear, outcome-based patterns like:

• "Deals exposed to thought leadership closed 27% faster"
• "Accounts engaged across three or more campaigns had a 41% higher win rate"
• "Marketing touchpoints appeared in 9 of the 10 largest deals this quarter"

These statements don't require complex attribution models. They require you to track:

1. Which deals had earned media exposure
2. How those deals performed compared to deals without exposure
3. Whether the pattern holds over time

How to Build This Report (Step-by-Step)

Step 1: Tag deals with earned media exposure

In your CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.), create a custom field: "Earned Media Exposure" (Yes/No). Mark deals where:

• The account was mentioned in or engaged with a case study, byline, or media placement
• A decision-maker attended an event where you spoke or were featured
• The account visited your site after a tier-1 publication mentioned you

Step 2: Compare performance

Run a quarterly report comparing:

• Win rate (deals with earned media vs. deals without)
• Average deal size
• Sales cycle length
• Pipeline velocity

Step 3: Calculate directional efficiency

You don't need perfect attribution. Calculate directional statements like:

• "The cost to generate $1 of pipeline from earned media decreased 19% YoY"
• "Tier-1 ICP accounts with earned media exposure convert at 2.4x the rate of non-exposed accounts"

Step 4: Present as patterns, not perfection

When you present to the C-suite, don't defend your attribution model. Present the pattern:

"Over the past 12 months, deals with earned media exposure closed 32% faster and had a 14-point higher win rate. This pattern has held consistent across three consecutive quarters."

No CFO will argue with that.

What "Good" Earned Media ROI Reporting Looks Like

Here's a real example (anonymized) from a B2B SaaS company we work with:

Quarterly Earned Media Impact Report (Q4 2025)

Revenue Impact:

• Marketing-sourced pipeline with earned media exposure: $3.8M
• Average deal size: $47K (vs. $32K without earned media)
• Win rate: 38% (vs. 24% without earned media)

Efficiency Trends:

• Cost per qualified opportunity: $4,200 (down 22% YoY)
• Cost per dollar of pipeline: $0.18 (down 19% YoY)
• Sales cycle with earned media: 67 days (vs. 89 days without)

Strategic Insights:

• 8 of our 10 largest deals in Q4 had earned media exposure
• Tier-1 ICP accounts exposed to thought leadership converted at 2.6x the rate of non-exposed accounts
• Earned media contributed to stabilizing pipeline during a down quarter in outbound activity

Recommendation:

Double down on case studies and tier-1 bylines—these formats show the strongest correlation with deal velocity and win rate.

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That's a report a CFO can trust. It's not perfect attribution. It's pattern-based insight tied to outcomes that matter.

Predictability and Risk Reduction Are Also ROI

One of the most underutilized levers in earned media ROI reporting is risk reduction.

Strong earned media reduces business risk in measurable ways:

• Diversified pipeline sources: Reduces dependency on outbound sales or paid ads
• Improved forecast accuracy: More predictable deal flow
• Reduced reliance on discounting: Stronger brand trust shortens negotiation cycles
• Competitive moat: Harder for competitors to displace you when buyers see you as the category leader

Here's how to present this to your CFO:

Instead of: "We got 20 media placements"

Say: "Inbound now represents 38% of pipeline, reducing dependency on outbound sales. This diversification stabilized pipeline during Q3 when outbound activity dropped 15%."

Instead of: "Our share of voice increased"

Say: "Improved ICP targeting through earned media reduced churn risk in new accounts by 12 points."

Instead of: "We won an industry award"

Say: "Brand-led demand shortened deal cycles by an average of 18 days, reducing forecast volatility."

Marketing that improves predictability becomes a strategic asset rather than a cost center.

The Questions Your CFO Wants Answered (And How to Answer Them)

Here are the five questions every CFO is asking about your earned media investment—and exactly what to show them:

1. "Is this moving revenue?"

Show: Marketing-sourced pipeline ($), win rates by source, average deal size comparison

2. "Are we getting more efficient or less efficient?"

Show: Cost per qualified opportunity (trend over time), cost per dollar of pipeline (trend over time)

3. "Can I trust these numbers?"

Show: Consistent patterns over multiple quarters, not one-time spikes. Directional insight beats absolute precision.

4. "What happens if we cut this budget?"

Show: Risk analysis—% of pipeline that would be lost, impact on deal velocity, increased dependency on paid channels

5. "How does this compare to other channels?"

Show: ROI comparison table (earned media vs. paid ads vs. outbound sales), with context on compounding effects (earned media builds long-term brand trust; paid ads stop when budget stops)

The Biggest Mistake: Defending the Model Instead of Elevating the Insight

When your CFO questions your attribution model, don't defend it. Elevate the insight.

Don't say: "We use a weighted multi-touch attribution model that allocates fractional credit across 12 touchpoint categories based on..."

Say: "Deals exposed to earned media close 27% faster. That pattern has held for three consecutive quarters."

You're not trying to prove your model is perfect. You're trying to show that earned media materially improves business outcomes.

Executives don't need every touchpoint. They need confidence that your activities are moving the needle.

How to Start This Week

If you're currently reporting impressions and media placements to your C-suite, here's how to shift:

1. This week: Add an "Earned Media Exposure" field to your CRM and start tagging deals

2. Next 30 days: Pull a baseline report comparing win rates, deal size, and sales cycle for deals with vs. without earned media exposure

3. Next 90 days: Present your first pattern-based report to leadership. Focus on one clear statement: "Deals with earned media exposure closed [X]% faster with a [Y]-point higher win rate."

That's it. You don't need a new attribution platform. You don't need perfect data. You just need to start tracking the pattern.

FAQ: Earned Media ROI and C-Suite Trust

Why do executives distrust marketing attribution?

Because most attribution models are unintelligible. Multi-touch dashboards with 47 touchpoints overwhelm rather than inform. CFOs don't need to see every touchpoint—they need confidence that your activities are materially improving business outcomes. Pattern-based insights build more trust than complex models.

What's the difference between earned media ROI and traditional marketing ROI?

Earned media ROI focuses on how authority and credibility (tier-1 placements, thought leadership, case studies) influence pipeline quality, win rates, and deal velocity. Traditional marketing ROI often measures last-click conversion. The key difference: earned media builds compounding trust that affects every deal in your pipeline, not just the ones with a direct click attribution.

Do I need perfect attribution to prove earned media works?

No. You need consistent patterns. "Deals with earned media exposure closed 27% faster" is more actionable than a perfect multi-touch model showing fractional credit across 47 touchpoints. CFOs respond to directional insight that demonstrates control and scalability.

What if my CRM doesn't track earned media exposure?

Add a custom field today. It takes 5 minutes. Create a Yes/No field called "Earned Media Exposure" and tag deals where the account engaged with case studies, attended events where you spoke, or visited after a tier-1 mention. In 90 days you'll have enough data to show your first pattern-based report.

The Bottom Line

Your CFO doesn't distrust earned media. They distrust unintelligible metrics.

Stop reporting what you did. Start showing how it moved the business.

• Replace impressions with pipeline contribution
• Replace AVE with efficiency trends
• Replace placements with win rate analysis
• Replace vanity metrics with pattern-based insights

When you speak the language of revenue, risk, and scalability, the C-suite stops questioning your value and starts asking how fast they can scale it.

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— Christian