No Fear Analytics

My name is Lisa and I have Numerophobia.

Diving into the charts and graphs of Google Analytics is daunting to me. My brain is not wired in this manner. I am a person who prefers to consume information via the written and spoken word. Numbers, especially those with a graph or a chart, vex me. I cannot draw. I dislike Pictionary, and Sudoku can bring on a cold sweat. I did not do well on those awful standardized tests that had a spatial relations section. Therefore, I studied communications, thinking I could elude numbers for the rest of my life. How wrong I was!

You can imagine how an analytics tool with lots of lines and pie charts can strike fear in someone like me. But, I am here to tell you Google Analytics is not too scary. I gingerly navigated my way through Google Analytics to see how this blog is performing. I’ll admit, Google does a pretty good job offering resources, videos, and blog posts to help the novice maneuver through the reports. I took on my fears and I am better for it.

I see that my pleas to friends, family and coworkers were successful because to date I have 45 site visits and 205 pageviews. On November 15, 2012, I posted a blog link on Facebook and emailed some of my close friends to ask for their help. I learned that I do not have many friends with a desire to learn about analytics. I am happy to report that on November 15, my blog site had 20 new visits, with 78 pageviews, with an average visit duration of 3:29! This means that a few people actually read my entries, though I see that many endured the experience for all of ten seconds. Pageviews per Visit is a good indicator of stickiness or, put another way, whether the content is interesting and valuable enough to draw readers in deeper. For an established blogger who really has something to say, this is a key performance metric.

Unexpectedly, when I looked at the Audience Overview report (with a date range of November 1-25), I saw that I had a visitor from Zurich, Switzerland, who promptly bounced realizing they reached my site in error. I looked at all of the cities, and I can make some good assumptions about who was on my blog. A high school classmate in Irvine, California, works in IT and it was no surprise he capitulated and checked out the page.

Looking at the Traffic metric, I see that 55.55% came via a referral, primarily Facebook, and 44.44% came via direct traffic, most likely from the direct link I posted for the class. I can see that the blogroll posted by fellow classmate Kayla E. was effective in driving one person here. A start up blog relies heavily on referrals and inbound links, so this was much appreciated.

New and Returning Visitors are useful metrics because they give a blogger like me an indication if we were developing a fan base. Cultivating a loyal legion of readers is an important component to helping a blog grow and thrive through shares, links and referrals. In my case, I have had seven returning visitors and I will surmise that most if not all of these visitors are my classmates.

I really enjoyed perusing the Visitor Flow chart. I found a good online tutorial and was able to go in and manipulate this report as I viewed the video, which helped my understanding of what was actually being illustrated. Though I did get many people to check out my blog, more than 60% of my total traffic stopped at the first page. On November 15, the date that I saw the most activity, 50% of visitors dropped after reading one page. Hmmm. I guess my content was not very appealing!  It is important to note that an established blogger might expect unique visitors to return frequently to read the latest post, and immediately leave. This type of action results in a high bounce rate, but should not be used to judge the quality of the content.

I also looked at Engagement, to see if I could make some assumptions about how long people were on my site and how they were interacting with it. While I was able to compare the visit duration of new and returning visitors, overall this doesn’t tell me very much. I think I understand what Kaushik (2012) meantwhen he expressed his concern that engagement is subjective and a “heart” metric.   There is no standard for time duration, as it is highly dependent on the type of site and the content. One can presume that a blog draws a particularly engaged audience to begin with, so a healthy time on site and/or visitor duration generally means the content is working. In this unique academic environment, I have to take into consideration that people are just stopping by my blog. However, in a “real world” scenario, PageViews per Visitor or Recency and/or Return Visitors would be helpful indicators to help me decide if the content is doing its job, bringing people back and developing some kind of loyal following.

Of course, there are other determinants to a blog’s success beyond Google Analytics or similar tools. The number of RSS subscriptions, the frequency and quality of comments and the amount of sharing on social media channels can also give valuable insight into the relevancy of blog content and the loyalty threshold of the readers. In fact, Heidi Cohen suggests there are 65 metrics to track the success of your blog, and many of these have nothing to do with Google Analytics. Numbers can speak volumes, but sometimes you need to look beyond them. As a self-diagnosed Numerophobic, I liked that.

Are you a Wannabe Blogger? Do you want to see positive trends in those web analytics? Here is my advice. Work hard to create thought leadership, maintain credibility, and keep a reliable publishing schedule. Experts will tell you not to be too concerned with metrics too soon. First, concentrate on the purpose of your blog, and have clear, established goals. Next, focus on the content and deliver quality consistently. And finally, put a little marketing muscle behind it. There is nothing wrong with looking at some benchmark measurements to get started. But don't obsess on numbers over quality.

Reference:

Kaushik, A. (2007, October 1). Engagement is not a metric, it’s an excuse. [Web log]. Retrieved on November 25, 2012 from http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/engagement-is-not-a-metric-its-an-excuse/

What's Your Goal? Demand Generation & Demand Fulfillment Ads

Both of these online ad channels make compelling cases for their ease, simplicity and speed. But there is more to the story, and that is where the capabilities of both Google AdWords and Facebook ads really shine, provided that you have your desired result in mind.

Putting these tools to wor requires getting into the mind of the consumer and understanding where they are on their search journey. Both AdWords and Facebook Ads offer extremely basic ad templates that require very little creative juice. But in the case of online search and display ads, what the ad looks like is not nearly as important as who might be seeing it and when.

The treasure trove of personal data that Facebook has amassed about its 1 billion users runs around 500 terabytes a day (that's 1 trillion bytes). All of that user data, from the profile details, to relationship status, to workplaces, and even our "likes" is all offered up to severtisers on a silver platter within the Facebook Ad platform.

Ads on Facebook can be highly targeted according to very specific user attributes that users themselves have provided by building their profile or by participating in the platform. Reaching this audience has one significant drawback, and that is you don't have concrete evidence that an interest in your product or service exists. But because of the unique social information available, Facebook advertisers can take advantage of very specific small windows of opportunity (such as the newly engaged, or those attending a specific college). Tim Kendall, Facebook's Director of Monetization, summed it up this way in an interview, saying that highly targeted Facebook ads can "find your customers before they search" (Salkever, 2009).

Placing an ad for your business in front of a specific facebook target audience requires a leap of faith that they might be interested in what you are selling, and that you will prompt them to respond. This is known as Demand Generation. The goal is that they will see your ad and reward you with a click-through. There is no guarantee that click will result in any conversion. They might not be ready for you yet, but there you are with a prompt for something that they probably do have an interest in!

Additionally, the advent of "social search" will be a game changer in the ad arena because user interests and their web of personal relationships will drive how Facebook users find information within that platform, giving Google a run for its money.

Currently, the primary difference between Facebook display ads and Google AdWords is that people who are using the massive search engine are already looking for something; a strategy known as Demand Fulfillment. It's no surprise that most people utilizing a search engine have a goal in mind. Putting an ad in front of people who are already looking for what you offer is a smart, efficient approach which is exactly what AdWords does. The demand is already there and conversion is highly possible, though not guranteed. it is also likely that the user is shopping around, so you need to make a compelling case once that click-through occurs. The question is how are you going to provide engagement to continue their path to purchase?

"Using online advertising as a way to introduce or promote a Brand is the precursor and corollary to a direct response strategy" (Umeno, 2010). Both platforms offer comparable degrees of functionality, campaign analytics and easily deliver the masses. Whichever platform you choose, remember there is still work to be done. You need to offer a hospitable place for these potential customers to land, and be ready with an offer they can't refuse.

References:

Salkever, A. (2009, September 18). Facebook revenue guru says demand generation is secret to ad success. Daily Finance. Retrieved from http://www.dailyfinance.com/2009/09/18/status-update-facebook-revenue-guru-says-demand-generation-is-s/

Umeno, D. (2010, August 30). A mini primer on online advertising strategy. Confluence Digital Blog. Retrieved on November 11, 2012 from http://info.confluencedigital.com/blog/bid/118073/A-Mini-Primer-on-Online-Advertising-Strategy

And The Winner Is...

I consider the whole content/conversation debate a non-issue because there is no need to take sides. Conversation develops because of content. Conversation that develops about your content among the people that are most important to your brand or business leads to conversion. Neither content nor conversation reigns supreme in the social universe.

Before the emergence of the Web and social media platforms, the process worked similarly. We’d watch the network news, listen to our favorite radio program on our way to work, or read the daily paper, consuming the content, and we’d enter into conversation with our friends and colleagues about what we had seen/heard/read. The content was the reason for the conversation. We’d act on what we heard, or we wouldn’t.

Fast forward to the democratic playing field of the social web and people are not just having conversations about content but are inspiring, directing and influencing it as well.  The masses are also creators of content, sometimes without even being cognizant of it. Likewise, it is not unheard of for relevant, targeted content to develop as a result of conversation. Ideas are always being shared, improved, amended and updated. This is the social part of “social media!”

Greenberg (2009) affirms that “social marketing efforts need to be driven by content, not vice versa. Without content, there is not a whole lot to talk about.” I am in agreement that content is the start of everything, and the thing that holds it all together. Content development is essentially making strategic decisions about the messages that we are going to put out into the universe and considering, in advance, what the response to that content is likely to be.

Taking a different point of view, Novak (2010) writes that “content without conversation is just broadcasting, or just advertising” and suggests that content is enhanced, improved, and made more memorable via conversation. This is absolutely true. But, the content IS the conversation starter. The platform where the content is published matters; you have to go where the people are and you must help them find you.

So in discussing whether content or conversation is “King,” perhaps we should instead ignore the debate and view them as more as Co-CEOs, or like Batman and Robin, each with a distinct role to play in the path to a desired objective.

Taking into account the “many to many” communications channels offered by the social web, I believe the more relevant and productive discussion should be about how content and conversation help each other thrive.  From a marketing perspective, we need to understand the relevance of both points and how we might incorporate this understanding into a sound communication strategy.

A report entitled Public Media 2.0: Dynamic, Engaged Publics from the Center for Social Media affirms that content and conversation are both relevant and symbiotic, making these points:

 Many-to-many digital technologies are fostering participatory user behaviors: choice, conversation, curation, creation, and collaboration.

Quality content needs to be matched with effective engagement.

What does this mean for marketers? Evans (2008) says that the Web offers marketers and consumers an equal voice. All parties have a chance to participate and create, shape, develop the content. And let’s not forget the vital link between content and conversation – listening. Listening to what people are saying improves the quality and viability of content, and also provides an indication as to the right time to participate.

Nate Riggs of The Karcher Group, an Ohio-based web services firm, was quoted in a Content Marketing Institute article saying “The content you create, as well as the content you curate and share, helps you build a following of individuals who fit your customer profile” (Crossfield, 2012). If you are doing it right, that content you’ve created will lead to conversations in which you can continue to participate because your content will be trusted and welcomed.

Great content that remains hidden on a web site or blog is not doing a lot to grow business, or to develop evangelists for your business or brand. It exists simply to be found (maybe) and leaves a great deal to chance, missing a large percentage of the whole universe of potential customers. Reaching sales goals requires more effort which Riggs (2011) describes as “building an online conversation around the content products you produce.”

So what do you do? Take that great content and share it via other platforms and channels and you are starting a conversation with infinite viral and sharing possibilities!  Pinterest opened up a realm of new possibilities for posting (“pinning”), following and sharing. Brands that lend themselves to great visuals work especially well on this platform, such as Whole Foods Market or Martha Stewart. 

A quick glance at the Solis Conversation Prism 3.0 demonstrates just how many paths exist to reach the universe of potential customers. Notice how, in the center of all of those opportunities for communication and conversation, is the brand.

 

The social marketing plan of any company must employ both content and conversation to ensure it will be both heard and understood. To assume that one is more important than the other is a strategic mistake.

References:

Clark, J. (2012). Public media 2.0: Dynamic, engaged publics.  American University Center for Social Media. [White Paper]. Retrieved from http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org

Crossfield, J. (2012, November 2). Turning social media follows into content marketing leads. Retrieved on November 11, 2012 from http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/11/social-media-follows-content-marketing-leads/

Evans, D. (2008). Social media Marketing: An hour a day. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley.

Greenberg, M. (2009, October 20). Content is king of social media marketing. MultichannelMerchant.com. Retrieved from WVU eCampus.

Novak, C. (2010, July 27). Why conversation, not content, is king. SocialMediaToday.com. Retrieved from WVU eCampus.

Riggs, N. (2011, October 14). 10 content marketing principles for the corporate marketer. Retrieved on November 11, 2012 from http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2011/10/content-marketing-principles-for-the-corporate-marketer/

Solis, B. (2010, October 13). Introducing the conversation prism version 3.0. Retrieved on November 10, 2012 from http://www.briansolis.com/2010/10/introducing-the-conversation-prism-version-3-0/

 

Beyond The Page View Metric

Chapter 4 in our text discusses a number of ways to slice, dice and analyze data to understand how the user/customer is using a website. Kaushik (2010) pointedly states that “the future of the Web will be substantially richer and immersive. To track these experiences we must think of new ways of collecting data.”

When I think of web experiences that intrigue me, my mind goes to the sites that are heavy on interaction, video and even gaming, also known as rich media. These sites offer great potential for branding because they encourage a longer interaction from the user. "Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) utilize software such as Ajax, Flex, Silverlight, AdobeAir, and Java FX, that makes the user experience more natural - more connected, more alive, more interactive and more responsive" (Ward, 2007).

Here is one you MUST check out (trust me on this…)

James Bond/Heineken

In addition of offering the user a better online experience, Rich Media ads offer advertisers benefits such as:

1.       Higher interaction rate (captures user attention, delivers on experience)

2.       Ability to measure browsing behaviors (not just impressions and click throughs)

3.       Higher performance levels (consumers are more likely to take action after viewing Rich Media ad than a standard ad)

4.       Increased brand awareness (over other online format ads)

The problem is that these types of experiences are harder to measure because rich experiences don’t generate page views. The user is not clicking on an ad to go somewhere else. This is solved somewhat by creating an Event Tracking metric that can help set benchmarks for the user unique experience of rich media and diverts from the traditional page-driven data metrics (Kaushik, 2010).

So how do you measure success in this rich media environment? You first have to determine what defines success for your campaign and work with developers to put in the proper coding up front. According to Kaushik (2010) when attempting to track the fluid web, you need to know what questions you want answered and translate your requirements to your developers. There is no right answer, you just have to know what it is you want to know and plan for it by putting the right mechanisms in place. 

In the above campaign, perhaps the metric is simply how many visitors view the video to completion (thus seeing numerous Heineken messages). Maybe the desired measurement is based on the click-through rate to additional Heineken content pages after the video is watched. There is an option in the video game to post a photo. I did not do this the first time, wondering if it was worth the trouble.  I exited the game, but after thinking about it, my curiosity got the best of me and I went back and fully participated. I was rewarded with a highly customizable (and fun) adventure. But, how many people don’t go back like I did, or how many stop playing the video after a few minutes?

There may even be a different experience offered for males than females. This is a media experience likely to be shared, and I suspect there is a metric in place that measures virality of this video game. You can even skip the James Bond Skyfall preview ad and go right to the interactive component, which probably says something else about the user that is relevant to measure.

And, considering my earlier post, I wonder if I’ll start to see some ads pop up for SkyFall or Heineken as I do some online research for my classes this week!

My customized James Bond Dossier

References:

Kaushik, A. (2010). Web analytics 2.0: The art of online accountability & science of customer centricity. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley, Inc.

Sharma, R. (2011, August 23). The benefits of rich media ads. Retrieved on November 4, 2012 from http://insights.marinsoftware.com/rich-ads/benefits-of-rich-media-ads/

Ward, J. (2007, October 17). What is a rich internet application? James Ward [Web log]. Retrieved on November 4, 2012 from http://www.jamesward.com/2007/10/17/what-is-a-rich-internet-application/

C is for Cookie (And who doesn't love a cookie?)

 

Though I’ve no choice but to consider myself an analytics novice, I’ve at least been exposed to a plethora of analytics terms even if I was unsure of their exact meanings. “Cookie” is one of those terms. I can see why marketers and data junkies love these things more than a Girl Scout Thin Mint.

The seemingly innocent cookie, in web terminology, is the way the web remembers us as unique visitors. It’s a text file, a unique code, that can source information on your hard drive and remember you. Cookies are the building block of an online profile. Advertisers can use them to create a memory of your interests, purchases, page views and online activity and then they can customize your Web experience, presenting more things that are likely to capture your interest.

Here’s a video that helped me understand exactly how they work.

There are two types of cookies:

Transient: This cookie groups clicks within one session on a website.

Persistent: This cookie is set during the first visit to the website, and stays for a specific period (continuing after the session ends).

It is not a perfect system. It “sort of” tracks unique people to a website. According to Kaushik (2010) there is no way to track unique people, but you can track unique browsers used to visit our websites though this assumes that the same person is using the same browser.

As it happens, not everyone loves these cookies. But, there are other ways to collect information from users besides cookies. Some sites require a log in, and collect basic (voluntary) information on the user, which is another method of data tracking that does not use cookies. Banks and other companies that have to be careful with customer information may not allow their users be tracked via cookies. Some users who don’t wish to be tracked and measured may choose to opt out or disable cookies in their browser. From a consumer point of view, cookies present some privacy issues. Persistent cookies don’t contain “personally identifiable information (PII)” though they do remain on your browser until you delete it or reinstall your browse (Kaushik, 2010).

Some people, like marketers, really love cookies! Cookies aid in behavioral targeting, which helps advertisers get content to the people who are most likely to be interested in it, increasing the likelihood of conversion and desired outcome; such as a purchase. The costs of such targeted ads are higher, but reaching the most relevant, engaged audience can pay off. Behavioral targeting, courtesy of the ubiquitous cookie, can also offer a better user experience because there are less interruptions from advertisers offering things that are of no interest to us (Weber, 2011).

Tracking technologies continue to evolve as more sophisticated methods and uses come into play. A dilemma exists as more of our online use takes place using smartphones, because these channels don’t offer the same tracking capabilities. Additionally, consumers are becoming skeptical of those entities that wish to track online behavior and share it with other parties.  The FTC is considering a number of options for consumers including a way to opt out of online tracking and make determinations on how their personal and location data is used. Also, there are browser add-ons that consumers can install to shield your personal browsing habits from tracking technologies or that will alert you when a tracking cookie is detected (Paul, 2012).

Cookies. You think you can’t live with them, but you can’t quite live without them either. To break it down in simple terms, we users of this amazing and free worldwide web have to decide the if the price of admission to such infinite information access is worth it.

References:

Kaushik, A. (2010). Web analytics 2.0: The art of online accountability & science of customer centricity. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley, Inc.

Paul, I. (2012, April 8). Do not track tools: Hands on showdown. PC World. Retrieved on November 3, 2012 from http://www.pcworld.com/article/253378/do_not_track_tools_hands_on_showdown.html

Weber, R. (2011, July 28). What’s new in behavioral targeting for mobile advertising. Retrieved on November 4, 2012 from http://www.clickz.com/clickz/column/2097411/whats-behavioral-targeting-mobile-advertising

The Beginning

This blog was created on November 2, 2012, for IMC 624, Web Analytics and SEO, at West Virginia University. As a graduate student in the Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) program there, I am embarking on a study of these new and somewhat unfamiliar topics. This blog is where I will share some discoveries and insights and it is also an assignment for my class.