Last night, I attended the first of Smart and Savvy’s monthly workshops designed to “up the leadership quotient” locally by helping strengthen attendees’ ability to lead and influence others. Here’s a transcript of live tweets created through Storify to keep track of the ideas and principles we covered.
After spending a week prepping for the GAIQ, I want to apply what I’ve learned with specific, concrete action items. Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll forget the lessons.
Consequently, there are a few features I’d like to take advantage of immediately when I return to work after the holidays.
In Google’s reporting interface, you can annotate your account’s timeline in order to highlight key dates like when you experienced a major outage to your call centre or launched an in-store sales promotion that may explain either a spike or drop-off in web traffic.
I’ve totally ignored this feature until now, but I see the value of tracking events that may impact your site or mobile app’s performance since memories fade and staff leave or retire. You need to record these dates so that you don’t lose the knowledge or the ability to then monitor and report attendant changes to your account.
Filters let you include, exclude or change how data appears in reports. In practical terms, filters can be immensely helpful by letting you exclude data from your head office’s IP address or force all URLS to be reported either in lower-case or upper-case characters, aggregating data that should be listed together. This is one of my greatest pet peeves—Google Analytics is case sensitive so the results for the same page (mysite.com/thanks and mysite.com/THANKS) get recorded separately unless you set up a filter to clean up how that data is reported.
While studying, I also discovered Jason Cartwright’s article on 6 Must Have Google Analytics Filters that I’d like to put into action as well.
Pro tip: try any new filters on the Test view only so that you can validate everything is running correctly before promoting changes to the Master view. Changes can’t be undone or corrected once the data is processed so take heart the old carpenter’s adage to “measure twice, cut once.”
In addition to filters, you can configure Content Groupings so that you can organize content logically in order to view and compare aggregate metrics. You could choose to create groups of content by product pages, blog topics, content types, target audience or whatever principle makes sense on your site.
In the absence of Content Groupings, I’ve relied on the All Pages’ advanced search feature to ferret out useful nuggets about how our content performs. But I’d like to implement Content Groupings to enable more methodical, rigorous reporting in the future.
Did you know that you can import your own data to be processed alongside what Google has tracked? This can result in sophisticated reports, enabling business insights to occur faster than ever before. As long as the two sets of data have a common “key” like a page URL then you should be able to tie the information together for reporting.
With a content-driven site, I’m most interested in the opportunity to marry data listing Content Authors with data gathered by Google’s JavaScript code. I can’t think of a better way to fight the impulse to create a wasteland of content published and then promptly forgotten than by integrating individual performance goals for each author.
Of course, some of these features will be easier to start using straight away, while others might have to wait until a full measurement plan has been crafted. There are larger pieces to put in place like:
What was the first thing you did on your account after finishing the GAIQ?
I’m a lifelong list-maker. And nothing pleases a list-maker more than crossing something off the list of to-dos like tackling the updated Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ) exam. That’s why I finally girded myself to prepare for the GAIQ over the holidays.
Why bother?
There are disparate views of whether the exam is worth the effort of studying or dismissed as mere resume fodder, window dressing for those who are shiny rather than substantive.
Frankly, the answer depends on whether you consider yourself a novice or a ninja with Google Analytics. The more advanced your skills, the less you’ll get out of the process (besides a screenshot of a certificate).
Personally, I found the material engaging and so I really wanted to retain the principles long-term instead of just for the 90-minute, multiple-choice exam. I think Google’s done a superb job of synthesizing the foundational concepts of web analytics for application across the field—not just their own proprietary product. And all for free.
Further, the exam reflects the evolution of the industry so you’re forced to think about how mobile has changed measurement; in a hyper-connected world, smart marketers assess how all devices, touch-points and micro conversions (behaviour indicator, e.g. newsletter registration) lead up to a macro conversion (business goal, e.g. online sale). That holistic thinking then also impacts how we attribute credit for conversions—automatically assigning it to the last channel (Google’s default setting) could be myopic depending on your goals. So even if you’ve been certified in the past, it may be worthwhile to brush up on what’s changed.
Ok—I’m in. Now what?
I spent about a week revising for the exam, and the first thing I did was read up on other folks’ experiences. There are two resources that I found particularly invaluable:
Afterwards, dive in to Google’s Analytics Academy and focus on these two self-study courses:
Each lesson includes a video, a PDF transcript and a short quiz. Because I’m an old-school visual rather than an auditory learner, I preferred reading the PDF, taking notes and then the quiz before watching the video.
I used Evernote to keep my notes; feel free to download them for the first course and the second set too.
Sitting the exam
Don’t do what I did—I got sick of studying and then sped through the exam, finishing in just over 60 minutes. While I passed with 90% (63/70), my heart was pounding and I felt sick throughout it. I let nerves get the best of me because I just wanted it over. Eep!
But there’s no need for you to be nervous—or at least that panicky—if you’ve studied the materials and played around with a sandbox account on Google Analytics (or your own), then you should be just fine.
Any tips you’d like to share?
If you’re tackling digital storytelling for your brand, then it probably feels like you’re being asked to boil the ocean.
No wonder the task seems daunting—we just passed 1 billion websites according to Internet Live Stat’s count. And by the end of 2014, the UN’s International Telecommunication Union expects that we’ll hit nearly 3 billion Internet users.
Every second on the Internet equals:
The sheer scope and velocity of communication in the digital space is compounded by the platform itself; in fact, digital comprises multiple formats and channels—you could easily spend your time specializing in a single area from websites, email, video, social media and games to apps.
So where do you start?
I think a few basic principles can ground day-to-day content planning and creation, making the task manageable and your output more effective.
1. Online or analog, storytelling is the same.
Digital is still often referred to as “new media”; in fact, news headlines since 2004 show virtually equal preference for the two terms. The connected web has fundamentally changed how we list, buy and sell products and services—disrupting industries from banking and travel to education.
But the types of stories we tell online follow age-old patterns we’ve inherited from oral narrative through to stage plays, radio, TV, movies and advertising.
In the end, you still need to tell a good story with compelling characters and conflict—but in this context your brand, product or service should help fulfill the central protagonist’s need. One of my favourite examples is the Webby award-winning Milwaukee Police Department’s website, which highlights how the community’s desire for safety is fulfilled by dedicated officers—not the usual lionizing of might and authority.
2. Your customer is the hero.
Storytelling may bridge both analog and digital—but our cast of characters has changed irrevocably with the democratization of online publishing and social networks. Your customer’s now squarely center stage as the most valuable player in the narrative.
Not a terrible stretch in an era of widespread #selfies, eh? (Cool fact: selfies make up almost one-third of all photos taken by people aged 18-24.)
For marketers, that means that the specs of any product or service are secondary to how that purchase makes life for the customer better.
GoPro’s tagline is literally “be a hero” and its dedicated channel includes snapshots and videos created by customers using its action cameras. User-generated content gives customers the creative control to tell their own story.
Alternatively, Lowe’s is creating a series of six-second Vine videos that highlight quick fixes around the home rather than fixating on the features of individual tools or parts. Do-it-yourselfers are making a home into a sanctuary and Lowe’s wants to be part of that experience—not just sell widgets.
3. Online complements offline.
Customers expect a seamless experience when they move back and forth from clicks to bricks; a Forrester study reveals that 71% of customers expect to view your in-store inventory online. And 50% of customers further expect to buy online and pick up in-store.
Often, however, organizations can’t deliver an integrated customer experience because of how they’re structured. For example, a recent study by Forbes Insight and Wipro of 125 global executives in consumer goods highlights how internal fragmentation is holding back some companies:
While it’s tempting to stick to digital platforms when you’ve been put in a corner to muck around on your own, the end results will be better if you can marry online and offline efforts. Plus, the demand for greater integration doesn’t apply just to selling and fulfilling orders—it’s the same for storytelling too.
Event organizers have been doing it for a while by live streaming attendees’ tweets, photos and videos. Likewise, digital signage at brick-and-mortar locations have been widely used to reinforce key messages from in-flyer promotions and direct mail campaigns. And political activists routinely employ online petitions and rallies in real-life to advocate for change.
And even though “Weight Watchers has an online app, it continues to host weekly, in-person meetings as well,” points out innovation broker Katherine Bierce.
4. All content should reflect your voice and tone.
Even the lowly “Page not found” is a chance for you to connect with your audience. In fact, some brands and agencies have taken up the challenge and produced some really creative versions of the staple 404 page.
My personal favourite is the one for SpaghettiOs—a simple but clever reference to the famous “Uh-oh SpaghettiOs” jingle created when the brand launched in 1965 that still acknowledges the visitor’s disappointment after stumbling on a broken link.
These are some of the basics rolling around in my head that make the daunting task of telling digital stories more achievable. What are yours?
7 To-Dos for Every Entrepreneur
This Thursday, I had the opportunity to present a workshop at SVI Women in Vancouver, a three-day conference dedicated to women committed to social change in business.
Here’s the presentation in case you’d like to see it. As always, the best part of any presentation isn’t what I’m saying or showing but the active participation with, and among, the attendees.
For a sense of what we discussed in person, jump below the slides.
A few of the questions that I can remember are:
The most divided opinions centered on who should be handling social media for your organization: I maintain that this isn’t a task that you want to delegate to either interns or outside agencies.
After all, you’re using social media to build critical relationships with customers, partners and stakeholders. Entrust the task to those who are invested in your organization, closest to your brand and clear about evolving business goals.
Unfortunately, interns and even agencies come and go—when they leave, you’ll have to start over again.
But that’s just my opinion and there were folks in the workshop who’d had excellent experiences using interns and outside experts, including Denise Taschereau of Fairware.
And that’s the best lesson: what works for me may not make sense for you. There’s never been a single formula for success, especially not in the fast-paced arena digital media.
Last night, Target Canada threw its first Twitter Party for Canadians during the 85th annual Oscars, winning Twitter nationwide in the process.
The retailer is on the cusp of opening 124 stores in Canada this year with more to follow in 2014. To create buzz ahead of its grand opening celebrations across the country, Target Canada hosted a fast-paced forum on Twitter. Prizes were awarded to those who registered to participate and answered a series of questions using the hashtag #TargetCa.
The Twitter Party ran for an hour, generated 1,890 tweets, and trended across Canada.
Here’s how Target Canada hosted a winning party on Twitter:
1. Awareness of its audience
The retailer went after women aged 18 to 54 across the country, partnering with ShesConnected and @ShoppingWoman to help organize the event. Plus, Target Canada showed impeccable timing by scheduling their party to coincide with the Oscars when many women would already be watching the awards ceremony on TV and sharing their thoughts on Twitter…
To see the rest of the article, please see techvibes.com where the article was originally published.
Lately, I’ve been live blogging more frequently at local events like Me in Media, Inside Stories and Lost in Translation?. On a few occasions, I’ve been asked for tips on how to successfully create a live blog, leading to this entry.
There are a few free online tools available to live bloggers as Nancy Messieh outlines in 3 Easy Methods to Live Blog. But I’ll focus exclusively on CoverItLive, which is the service I use when live blogging.
I like CoverItLive, because it’s (1) free, (2) highly customizable, (3) allows me to embed its code in my WordPress site, and (4) offers basic analytics.
Pre-Event
I set up each Live Event in advance—ideally, a week or two before the event. Login to CoverItLive and select "Add New." Enter your event’s details, including date, time and title . Customize a range of settings for your Live Blog. You can automatically publish tweets from a particular user and/or tweets with your event’s hashtag. Grab the code to place the Viewer Window in your site.
Click on any image in the slider to see the full-size screenshot.
CoverItLivealso enables you to add links, photos, videos and prewritten text like your panelists’ bios to a Media Library in advance. I love this feature because it means I don’t have to scramble during an event to find relevant information to publish.
At the Event
Login to CoverItLive to launch your event. Then, double-check your website to ensure that the Viewer Window is working properly. As always, it’s worthwhile to arrive early and work out any kinks, like Wi-Fi access, before any event gets underway.
Initially, I managed my live blog via CoverItLive’s console. But the downside is that you can’t engage with others who are live tweeting at the same event—remember, your live blog is accessible to those on your website and not those following the hashtag on Twitter.
To address this problem, I now set up each live blog to automatically publish any tweets from my Twitter feed. This allows me to continue engaging on Twitter with others who are at the event, while automatically feeding content directly to my live blog.
Regardless of which tool you use, try to have a couple of people who are sending content to the live blog—one can provide colour commentary while the other offers a blow-by-blow account of the event. I find it’s too difficult for one person to take on both roles, because it’s hard to provide analysis on top of accurately documenting what people are saying or doing.
Post Event
Once your event comes to a close, remember to end it on CoverItLive. Now, you’ll have a great transcript of the whole thing on your website ready to be replayed at any time.
Got a cool tip for how to get the best out of CoverItLive? Leave a comment or email me.
Seven Takeaways for Marketers
I’m an avid user of LinkedIn—one of over 120 million professionals from more than 200 countries and territories who have signed up to manage their business identity, keep current with industry news, or search for jobs on this social network.
But when I put together a marketing plan, LinkedIn isn’t necessarily the first place I think to advertise. Since I work in the non-profit sector—higher education by day, community development by night—it hasn’t been a natural fit.
At least that’s what I thought entering this week’s LinkedIn Marketing Innovation session in Vancouver. After spending a couple of hours learning more about this platform, I’m starting to mull over how I can use LinkedIn’s sophisticated customer segmentation for my business needs. At the very least, it’s important to keep up-to-speed on what’s possible on this platform—even if I can’t apply that knowledge immediately.
Seven Takeaways
Do your marketing efforts include LinkedIn? Share your wins, lessons and wish list items below.
Last year, I met Rebecca Johnston right before a panel hosted by Third Tuesday Vancouver got underway at Ceili’s Irish Pub & Restaurant .
This September, we’ll be co-presenting at Headstart 2011, a grassroots conference run by and for Royal LePage realtors across Canada.
During the intervening months, Rebecca and I have become good friends, sharing war stories from our professional lives as well as our personal aspirations, interests and foibles. When she asked if I’d be interested in working together with her on a presentation for Headstart 2011, I jumped.
We’re now putting the final touches on our presentation entitled “Making the Message Matter: Five Dos and Don’ts of Successful Communication for Realtors.”
Working with Rebecca, I’ve learned (or been reminded of) a few key lessons:
I’m sure there’ll be more to make note of as we get closer to September and start practicing how we want to deliver the presentation. Do you have any tips to share? Drop a comment to share your killer presentation ideas or tell me what you hate presenters do!