Learning to Use Google Analytics: A Hands-On Flop

  

   In the “About Me” section of this blog, you will see that I said that this blog will allow you to follow me as I falter, flop and flourish in the online world. Unfortunately, this week is one of those falters and flops. In the quest for full disclosure, here’s what happened…

   This week’s assignment was to generate traffic to our blogs and begin viewing data from Google Analytics (GA) that we installed. First and foremost, I’d like to disclose that I must have done something wrong when I installed my code for GA. Last week, I did a big push to send out the link to my blog to friends and family encouraging them to visit it and help me get some data to analyze. Many people did visit the site; however to my dismay my GA account is registering 3 visits. Not sure why?

   However, luckily Blogger also has analytics installed in their site so I was able to see that my friends and family had not let me down and I actually had 38 visitors with a big spike the day that I sent out the link which was June 21, 2012.

   This week in class we spent some time looking at other web analytic tools and comparing them to GA. My biggest takeaway is that there are a lot of programs out there and some are not as good as GA, but some compliment GA by allowing a deeper look into some areas. Therefore, for this week’s assignment I will be using the analytics from Blogger to compliment my lack of analytics from GA.

   The first report that I looked at was the Visitors Report. “This section provides information on visitor interaction with your site, the type of visitors, and information about how they are viewing your site” (Wells, 2012). Here’s a comparison of the data from both GA and Blogger.



   Since I am now a little more in tune with data and what it means, my first thought after comparing the two reports was about unique visitors, visits and page views “OMG, GA isn’t wrong Blogger is just counting me every time I log in and view.” However, I quickly disproved this when I had verification from at least 7 people who said that they visited my blog. [Darn, I had hoped maybe I didn’t mess it up for a second.] When I looked at the traffic sources, which tell you how people got to your site, I saw that Facebook was the number one source. This coincides with my big push to get users to visit.

   Had my GA been installed correctly, I would have been interested to see my Content Overview Report. This report shows the page views, unique page views, average time on page and bounce rate. The report below is puzzling to me when compared to the other GA reports, particularly Visitor Overview referenced above. The Visitor Overview report showed that I only had 3 unique visitors, so I was puzzled to see 4 unique pageviews on my content report. I’ll explore this further this week.  



   A Blogger report that would compliment my GA Content Report is Posts. Posts dig a little deeper into reporting and tell you the number of times each individual post has been viewed. This is helpful because GA just measures the main page for the blog not the individual blog postings. I was able to see that my first post “Achieving White Belt Status in Web Ninja Training” was my top visited post. This makes sense because the week that we launched our blogs we all shared our url’s with classmates and visited each other’s blogs. (See below)

   Needless to say, my data even combined from the two sites, is bleak. So, how am I going to fix it? The first thing that I am going to do is look into how to correct my code problem. By troubleshooting the error in reporting, hopefully I’ll be able to capture true data that will show a lot more traffic.  The next thing I am going to work on is driving traffic to my blog. Unfortunately, SEO and web metrics is not a hot topic that sharing with my friends would make my blog a success. So, this week I’m going to try to build viewership from my fellow IMC 642 classmates by adding a blogroll. A blogroll is “a list of other blogs that a blogger might recommend by providing links to them (usually in a sidebar list)” (Wikipedia, 2007). My hope is that by linking to other relevant blogs, their visitors will easily find my blog and check it out. I am also going to explore some of the design features that will make my blog more visually appealing and easier to share.

   As a self proclaimed novice user, I am not expecting my blog to blow up with visitors who keep coming back for more of my web analytics wisdom, but I am going to stay true to my goal which is to use it as a learning tool to break into the world of blogging and web analytics. Once I master these skills, I can then transfer them into a sexier topic like my “Lessons from Paula” blog that I plan to launch that will follow me on my journey of cooking my way through Paula Deen’s Southern Cooking Bible.

   Despite the claims that GA is easy to use, I have learned this week that getting the data that you need does not always work the first time and like many other things, sometimes you need to test, modify and reevaluate. I would not call this week a fail, because I got the code installed and knew enough to know what I didn’t know and that something was fishy.  Hopefully, next week I’ll be able to figure out what I did wrong and my data will start to flourish.

  

References:

Wells, M. (2012) Lesson 5: Google Analytics. IMC 642. P.I. Reed School of Journalism, WVU.

Wikipedia. (2007). Glossary of blogging. Wikipedia. Retrieved June 25, 2012 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_blogging

Google Adwords & Facebook Ads – Exploring the Online Advertising World

Today’s exploration into the online advertising worlds of Google Adwords and Facebook Ads was an eye opening experience. To date, I do not have any experience with online advertising. As my work is in the nonprofit world, we tend to not have a lot of advertising dollars to go around and our agency’s mission is to spread awareness so I’ve been a strict develop a message and disseminate it girl.

But as a girl going digital, once again my coursework and quest for knowledge have pushed me into uncharted territory. Here are a few things that I’ve learned…

According to Wikipedia,

Google AdWords is Google's main advertising product and main source of revenue. AdWords offers pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, cost-per-thousand (CPM) advertising, and site-targeted advertising for text, banner, and rich-media ads. The AdWords program includes local, national, and international distribution. Google's text advertisements are short, consisting of one headline consisting of 25 characters and two additional text lines consisting of 35 characters each (2012).

From the information that I’ve found, Facebook has a very similar dynamic way to target consumers based on the information on their Facebook profiles and target your advertising to them. It seems that the debate of which platform is more effective has been an ongoing one since the first article that I found in Advertising Age was from 2007 (which we all know was an eternity ago in the digital world.)

How can you compare the world’s largest social network and the world’s largest search engine to see which is better? Here is an infographic that I found that compares Google Adwords and Facebook Ads [although I think I should add the disclaimer that I think this was created by a company that is an Adwords rep- even still it’s nice for info]  http://www.wordstream.com/articles/facebook-vs-google-display-network

There seems to be a lot of mixed feelings about which is better, depending on the brand and probably the amount of money spent and search parameters indicated.

General Motors announced this year that “we've found Facebook ads to be very effective when strategically combined with engagement, great content and innovative ways of storytelling, rather than treating them as a straight advertising buy” (Crain, 2012).

However on the alternate side, “Ford Motor said it would "accelerate" ad spending on Facebook in conjunction with the content it's producing for the network” (Williams, 2012).

According to Scott Mondy, Ford’s head of social media, "We've found that Facebook ads are very effective, and they're most effective when we strategically combine them with great content and innovative forms of storytelling rather than a straight media buy,” [adding] “ that 20% to 25% of Ford's overall marketing budget goes to digital and social media)” (Williams, 2012).

Hmm… now I am seeing why my instructor paired these two assignments together – the content is king theme is again in the air. Again, it seems that content is the key to a successful marketing and advertising campaign.

References:

Crain, R. (2012, May 21). Despite the Buzz, Social-Media Users Still Not Really Interested in Your Ads. Advertising Age. Retrieved from http://adage.com/article/rance-crain/buzz-social-media-users-interested-ads/234842/

 Williams, S. (2012, May 15). GM Cuts Facebook Ad Spending, But Ford Steps on the Gas. Advertising Age. Retrieved from http://adage.com/article/digital/gm-cuts-facebook-ad-spending-ford-steps-gas/234781/

Content Then Conversation

   “If a journalism tree falls in a forest and no one hears it, does it do any good?” (Mayer, 2011, p.13 ).  Joy Mayer asked this question when she was writing about journalists new responsibilities of engaging the community. This question really caught my attention…

  Over Memorial Day weekend, my husband and I went camping in the woods and in the middle of the night a tree fell. After it came crashing down with a sound that could raise the dead, my husband joked “If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?” Both of us answered with a “Hell, yes!”

   But, this is not really the case when it comes to spreading news or marketing a product or service. If you put something on the web and no one knows that it’s there it doesn’t make a difference [or a sound]. That’s why we as marketers, take time to learn skills like how to reach our customers and search engine optimization.

This ties directly into the argument of content or conversation- who is king?

    I argue that without one the other is not as effective. So, instead of having two kings battling- they need to join forces to create a stronger army. Michael Greenberg argues that, “Without content, there is not a whole lot to talk about” (Greenberg, 2009). On the flip side, Catherine Novak says that, “Conversation is King, content is just something to talk about” (Novak, 2010). She goes on to explain that,

Content without conversation is just broadcasting, or just advertising. It goes to the listener/reader/viewer/visitor…and stops there. If the sender is lucky, it may lodge as a piece of information in the receiver’s consciousness, and they may act on it someday. If the sender is luckier, or perhaps more engaging, it may be something that the receiver wants to talk about. And then the message gets a whole new burst of energy. The energy behind the message is what gives it meaning, and a life of its own. That happens when we humans like to communicate with each other. Thus the conversation begins. (Novak, 2010)

   An article in Advertising Age, agrees that both content and conversation are important. According to Wheaton (2011) “Yes, companies should pay attention. Of course it all ties into the larger thing we call marketing. But I get the impression that too many people believe that ‘conversation’ matters more than other parts of the puzzle, that it will actually build brands, that it might replace actual consumer research” (p.52).

Mayer suggests that,

Journalists want what they do to reach those who want it. But most are accustomed to putting stories online and then hoping people find them. With so much content out there, hoping isn’t a sound strategy- it’s an excuse. Journalists need to become social by sparking conversation with people whose hobbies, work, ideas or interests make them natural audiences, and then find ways for their stories to enrich the conversation” (Mayer, 2011, p.14).

I believe the same holds true for marketing, you need to have a good story and then know how to engage people enough that they help you share it. Content then conversation.

References:

Greenberg, M. (2009, October 20). Content is king of social marketing. MultichannelMerchant.com. Retrieved April 12, 2012 from http://multichannelmerchant.com/social-media/1020-content-social-marketing/

Mayer, J. (2011). Engaging Communities: Content and Conversation. Nieman Reports, Vol. 65 (2), p. 12-14.

Novak, C. (2010). Why Conversation, not Content, is King. SocialMediaToday.com. Retrieved April 12, 2012 from http://socialmediatoday.com/wordspring/152636/why-conversation-not-content-king

Wheaton, K. (2011) What we need is a little less conversation, a little more actual marketing. Advertising Age, Vol. 82 (39), p. 52.

Knowing Your Audience

   As a marketer we are trained to know your audience, craft your message and target the dissemination channels accordingly. Imagine my surprise as a Girl Going Digital and tackling the digital world when I recently read a SmartBrief headline that quoted a Los Angeles Times story saying “Facebook is a ‘mom thing,’ teenagers say” (Guynn & Faughnder).

   My first thought went to today's article that I read about Facebook. Could this be why “Facebook Inc. is developing technology that would allow children younger than 13 years old to use the social-networking site under parental supervision, a step that could help the company tap a new pool of users for revenue”? (Troianovski & Raice, 2012)

Then there was relief when the data saved the day…

“Researchers who track the technology habits of teens say there is no statistical evidence that Facebook is becoming a teenage wasteland. Just because teens are using other services like Twitter and Tumblr more — and they are using these services in huge amounts — doesn't mean they're using Facebook less," said Alice Marwick, a postdoctoral researcher at Microsoft Research, where she studies how teens interact with technology. In fact, 8 of 10 teens who are online use social networking sites — and more than 93% of those users have a Facebook account, according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project.” (Guynn & Faughnder, 2012)

Luckily for us marketers, we have ways to track usage between audiences. Otherwise, this recent article in the Los Angeles Times and the few teens interviewed could have changed the way we planned our messages.

   This article got me thinking about who is the Facebook audience and I soon decided many times it’s the same audience as your other online messages. They are just hanging out in different places. I imagine Facebook like a mall, there are always tons of teens and tweens hanging out, but there are also their parents and grandparents walking around too. So, saying Facebook is a ‘mom thing’ is like saying the mall is a ‘teen thing’ – not true- there’s something and somewhere for each of them.

This is why it’s important to know your brand. A study by Facebook looked at 1,200 posts from 23 brands, it found that

"By far, the biggest predictor of engagement was that the post was on a topic relevant to the brand," said Sean Bruich, head of measurement platforms and standards at Facebook. "It impacts everything, from lightweight likes to more invested shares. It's actually one of the most important things a brand can do. People are seeing the content because they liked the brand, and it makes sense that content about the brand will get them engaged." (Creamer, 2012)

   This ties in to my previous post about having a purpose. According to Kaushik, “the single biggest mistake web analysts make is working without purpose” (Kaushik, 2012). So, with the online world changing so quickly how do you know who your audience is and where to find them? By tapping into the Facebook Insight tools that can give you demographic information about your visitors including age, sex and geographic area.

“Tip: Target posts to your ideal audience. If you’re not getting steady, increasing clicks on your posts over time, the most likely culprit is that you’re not giving your audience members the information they need.

To create more targeted posts, ask yourself:

• Who is my ideal audience? Age? Male/Female? Location?
• What type of information do they want from me?
• What are the main challenges I can solve for them?” (Porterfield, 2012)

Now that I am getting savvy enough to know that numbers and data does exist to help me craft my digital plans and how to start implementing them, I’m one step closer to becoming an analysis ninja!

References:

Creamer, M. (2012, May 7). Facebook to Brands: You’re Posting Stuff Wrong. Advertising Age. Retrieved June 4, 2012 from http://adage.com/article/digital/facebook-brands-posting-stuff-wrong/234580/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AdvertisingAge%2FLatestNews+%28Advertising+Age+-+Latest+News%29

Guynn, J. & Faughnder, R. (2012, May 30). Some teens aren’t liking Facebook as much as older users. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 4, 2012 from  http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-facebook-teens-20120531,0,5676320.story

Kaushik, A. (2012, February 20) The Biggest Mistake Web Analysts Make…And How To Avoid It! Retrieved June 4, 2012 from http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/google-analytics-custom-reports-paid-search-campaigns-analysis/

Porterfield, A. (2012, January 20). 3 Metrics that Will Change the Way You Market on Facebook. Mashable. Retrieved June 4, 2012 from http://mashable.com/2012/01/20/facebook-metrics-marketing/

Troianovski, A. & Raice, S. (2012, June 4) Facebook Explores Access for Younger Kids. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 4, 2012 from http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303506404577444711741019238.html?mod=dist_smartbrief

Achieving White Belt Status in Web Ninja Training

   This weekend as I was at the Integrate 2012 conference listening to the morning general session speaker, Dave Pavelko, the Head of Google Travel spoke of Avinash Kaushik. Thanks to my IMC 642 class, for once in my life I felt techie and “in the know” – Kaushik wrote the textbook for my class. It was at that moment that I had one of those aha moments! Holy cow, I’m starting to get it! This is exactly why I decided to enroll in the DMC program so that I could stay current on trends and comfortable in the digital world as a marketer. I took a minute to relish in the moment and feel proud that I was on the right path and was one of the few in the audience who had even heard of Kaushik.

   The name of my blog is a direct bow to Kaushik whose book “Web Analytics 2.0: The Art of Online Accountability and Science of Customer Centricity” teaches you in easy terms how to be a web analysis ninja. After one week of my class and a few chapters into the book, I am already looking deeper into for my agency’s website statistics and am making plans for changes for next year (which conveniently for us starts July 1).

   According to the Adobe 2012 Digital Marketing Optimization Survey released last week, “When asked to identify the top five optimization strategies they intend to employ this year, marketers cited website analytics and social media analytics.” (ClickZ, 2012)

Whew! Maybe I’m not so behind after all if over half of marketers have the same plan as me for next year.

“The survey found that 53 percent of digital marketers fail to optimize on-site search results and 26 percent "manually tweak" results - meaning that marketers are potentially missing a big opportunity to convert visitors into customers. Optimizing site search ‘is about guiding visitors to exactly what they want to find, enhancing overall navigation, and providing an efficient path for users to meet their goals,’ the report said.” (ClickZ, 2012)

   This seems like such a simple concept, design your site so that visitors can find exactly what they want. Often many of us get sucked into the corporate model of putting the jargon on the web that the board wants that we lose sight of usability.

According to Kaushik, “the single biggest mistake web analysts make is working without purpose” (Kaushik, 2012). Check out Kaushik’s “five step process that forces the engagement of key stake holders to produce a blueprint of why digital exists in a company, and what it is trying to accomplish.”

“You should decide what you are and what you want to measure…Design your own metric system.” (Wasserman, 2012)  

   How do I plan to do this? By digging deeper into my web reports. “Custom reports…are hand crafted by you for a specific purpose with a set of guiding principles ("Acquisition, Behavior, Outcomes! ") that ensure that they don't so much deliver data as much as deliver insights.” (Kaushik, 2012)

Once completed, I believe that I will have earned my white belt and will be well trained in the basics to pursue my web analysis ninja status.

References:

ClickZ. (2012, June 1). 56% Plan to Use Social Media Analytics in 2012. ClickZ Marketing News & Expert Advice. Retrieved June 4, 2012 from http://www.clickz.com/clickz/news/2181932/56-plan-social-media-analytics2012?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+clickz+%28ClickZ+-+News%29

Kaushik, A. (2012, February 20) The Biggest Mistake Web Analysts Make…And How To Avoid It! Retrieved June 4, 2012 from http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/google-analytics-custom-reports-paid-search-campaigns-analysis/

Kaushik, A. (2012, June 4) Google Analytics Custom Reports: Paid Search Campaigns Analysis. Retrieved June 4, 2012 from http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/google-analytics-custom-reports-paid-search-campaigns-analysis/

Wasserman, T. (2012, May 5). Why Marketing Is Broken and How to Fix It. Mashable. Retrieved June 4, 2012 from http://mashable.com/2012/05/05/cindy-gallop-marketing-connect/