The measurement stage of any marketing campaign can sometimes be the most difficult step, but it will always remain the most important. If you can’t find a way to figure out what’s working and what’s not, then it’s time to hit the drawing board.
Analytics reports can include a multitude of numbers and stats that sometimes make figuring out which ones are important too complicated. Here are some of the top numbers you’ll want to be taking a look at:
- Traffic – Look at how many people are visiting your site and where they’re finding it. Are they coming to your website from the link on your Facebook page or from a blog they found in a Google search? Knowing where people are finding you will give you a better idea of what areas are lacking and where you could be reaching potentially untapped customers.
- Blog Views – Which of your blogs have been receiving the most views? Check to see if there is a recurring theme among the most popular ones, and write more about it. If your posts about best practices have been consistently getting the most hits, then keep regularly working that topic into your blogging schedule while still keeping the idea fresh.
- Top Landing Pages – Landing pages are links from other web pages that bring people to your own site. Figure out what your most popular landing pages are by looking at the numbers. Are there any that drive significantly more traffic than others? If so, then promote those ones. Use what works.
- Social Media Reach – Effective use of social media will never hurt a campaign. When looking at your social media analytics in particular, the most important number will be how often your content is shared. Don’t concern yourself so much with the number of followers or page likes you have on your accounts. The most beneficial aspect of social media is having your content shared. This increases your online presence and expands your reach to people outside of your own follower base.
So the next time you get that analytics report in your hands, keep these important statistics in mind and just remember what you need to be looking for. After you’ve taken a close look at them, see what areas of your online presence might be lacking and make the necessary changes. That’s what analytics are for: to see what works, what doesn’t and how to go about changing it.
Kyle McClure is an intern for WordWrite Communications. You can find him on Twitter @kylmcclr.
