“Data will talk to you, if you’re willing to listen.” – Jim Bergeson
It’s true; data can be your most trusted confidant. Someone you can tell your opinions to but will only tell you the truth back. If only we all had someone like that in our lives!
One of the biggest issues with data nowadays is that we have so much of it. What we like to do here at CrowdSouth, is focus on the data that can truly “move the needle” for our clients. Here are a few ways we use data to make real-time decisions for our clients.
- Google Search – Google’s tools provide an excellent set of data, and with Search Advertising (Google Ads), we like to keep a close eye on how the keywords perform. Our Search Coordinator checks in on every campaign running across all our clients daily. Key data points there are CPC (cost per click) and CTR (click-through rate). We want to keep your CPC at or under industry standards for your particular industry, and we want to keep the CTR as high as possible and still keep you on budget.
- Social Advertising – With social, some data is focused on “conversion” or getting the client to your website or driving them to purchase. But much of what social does is “engage” the client and keep them engaged with your brands. That’s why “engagements” are a key metric we look at in your data monthly. We want to keep your engagements (clicks, likes, shares, comments) as high as we can, and focus on the type of posts that increase engagement, so we can help you grow your brand.
- Multi-Channel Funnels – This is a feature of Google Analytics. When it comes to your website performance, it can be difficult to determine which campaigns are working, and more specifically, which campaigns are providing conversions (form fills, purchases, etc.). Many marketers use “Source” or “Channel” to see where their traffic arrived from – (social, google ads, email, referral website, etc.). But often, a consumer hits multiple channels before making a purchase. Their buying experience was a culmination of many visits to the website. So, multi-channel funnels show us how many and which channels brought the converting customer.
Data can be overwhelming. We love combing through it, but it’s important to distill your view to ensure you aren’t spending too much time trying to make inferences when the answers may be right in front of you.
Reach out to us today if you’d like someone to watch your data for you, so you can stay focused on the business of running your business.
By Jason Heflin
Jason Heflin is one of CrowdSouth’s owning Partners and brings years of marketing experience from his past lives as a corporate marketing manager, writer, and freelancer. He also plays the ukulele for fun, which is cool.