Dig deeper into data for better insights

Data. There's plenty of it. With Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, Google Ads reports, Twitter Analytics, Instagram Insights, the list is endless. All this data is great for us marketers. We want to know what's working, what's not, where our website traffic is coming from, which social media posts get the most engagement and how much revenue we generate through paid ads.

The problem with all this data

All this data can often lead to 'analysis paralysis'. There's often too much data to be able to collate results and gain meaningful insights. And platforms that claim to do this for us often come with a hefty price tag and fall short of what we need to make strategic decisions.

There's also the issue of having your data split across multiple channels and platforms. Not having your data all in one place means it's difficult to compare figures. Coupled with the fact different platforms report their data differently, such as using different attribution models, date ranges, engagement tracking criteria, the data we're analysing can be confusing to say the least.

Even when we're focusing on one data set, on one platform, the data we see doesn't always mean what we think is does. For example, you may see a Facebook post with a tonne of comments and think, 'wow, this is great! People are obviously loving this content'. But a closer look at those comments could reveal that the engagement you've received is 90% negative. People are actually angry and upset by your post, that's why they're commenting. Now, unless that was your intention, this type of engagement isn't something you want to repeat.

Just looking at the numbers could mean you misinterpret what they're trying to tell you and end up with a content strategy Katie Hopkins would be proud of!

The stories behind the data

It's not just about the numbers, it's the "why" behind those numbers. For example, one of our tweets received a huge amount of impressions and engagement compared with an average tweet.

The content of the tweet was about a previous blog post we'd written on attribution models in Google Analytics. It's tempting to look at this data and say, 'well this is what people want, we should create more content around attribution models'. But is it really what people want? Is that why it received more engagement? Attribution models is quite a dry subject and is only likely to appeal to those who love their analytics data.

Ahhh! Attribution models! If there's one thing us marketers hate having to explain, it's attribution. Thankfully, Google Analytics makes analysing conversions and where they come from a doddle (ish) https://t.co/L3380aarYo#AttributionModels #GoogleAnalytics

— Heather Robinson (@SkittishDigital) March 8, 2021

If we dig deeper into the performance of this tweet, we see that it was retweeted by the official Google Analytics Twitter account, sending it out to a potential 1.1 million followers (thanks Google ??). Some of these followers also retweeted the tweet, increasing our reach even further.

"Attribution models are really important in being able to identify sources of traffic that contribute to conversions, even if they weren’t the last interaction." - Attribution Models and Google Analytics https://t.co/EjbSz1Ras7 /by @SkittishDigital #measure pic.twitter.com/KH61DqCLVM

— Google Analytics (@googleanalytics) March 9, 2021

So, why did Google Analytics share this update and not others? Most likely because we'd used the hashtag #GoogleAnalytics which they are no doubt following. It's unlikely the tweet was just stumbled upon by the social media team at Google and they thought our article was top notch (although we'd like to think they did!).

A little knowledge goes a long way

There's lots of things the data cannot tell us. Think about the timing of your marketing activities - what else was going on in the world at that moment that could have influenced the reaction and engagement from your audience? Consider the hashtags you used in your social media posts - could they be followed by some serious influencers in your industry? How about the creative used (image/video) - could this have increased the engagement on your post?

Don't take numbers at face value, grab your deer stalker and pipe, Sherlock, and investigate the 'why' behind those numbers to gain better insights into your marketing activities and help you make better decisions for your future strategy.