3 Major Takeaways From Our Big NYC Analytics Field Trip

Hi, we’re Grace and Gianna. We’re your go-to Blasters when it comes to translating social media data into targeting and marketing experiences. So when we heard LinkedIn and the Digital Analytics Association were hosting a customer data and analytics event, we hopped on the first train to the Big Apple.

NYC. The city that never sleeps. New York City. LinkedIn is headquartered in New York City, is what we’re trying to say here. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZMqvhIFn3L/

Here we are! 

Anyway. We learned a whole lot about everyone’s favorite social media subject: data. Here are some of our biggest takeaways. 

Integration

You can have more than one tool at your disposal, you know. Image: Salesforce

Did you know it’s OK to integrate your primary digital analytics technology (aka Google Analytics) with third-party technologies? This could be Salesforce, Adobe or IBM Analytics.

There are plenty more, but these are the heavy hitters. Industry leaders like Ogilvy, American Express and Pitney Bowes utilize multiple analytics platforms to research and discover the path to conversions. Some people want to stay on the Google Analytics island, some want to get off, but then others would love to combine the two. What’s better than one island? Two.

What’s the catch? Discrepancies. Your social advertisement says 1,245 users clicked a link, Google Analytics says there were 934 pageviews and your third-party tool is reading less than both. APIs, worse than being put in the friend zone. Each platform keeps certain aspects of your personal information safe through this. HEY, that’s a good thing.

But for marketers who are collecting data, well, we come up a little short handed from each analytic technology. Can’t win them all.

Audiences

If you live within 25 miles of Philadelphia, we at ChatterBlast have probably served you a social media ad. Hope you liked it! The importance of placing ads is finding the right audience paired with the perfect messaging at the right time. You must remain relevant and on point. How do we find this information?

Data. Data. Data.

So you collected a bunch of numbers and information. Now what? Tools like Google’s Audience Center 360 assist marketers by translating mounds of data into clean and clear-cut information which then becomes actionable for marketers alike.

There are plenty of other ways to collect prospective customers’ information. Sure, users can browse a website anonymously. Companies don’t know who you are, but certain tools are able to learn more about you just from an IP address. Freaky, right? Be careful surfing the web, friends.

Attributions

This is who gets to claim the cake. In the end, it comes down to the ROI. When a user makes a conversion, it’s wise to research how they got to that point.

What was their journey? Which ad did they click on? What was the landing page like? Did an online ad convert to an offline sale? Who made it happen and how? Lots of questions here. We have plenty more.

While we have high hopes to follow this path, most likely there will be missing data and you can’t always connect the dots. A large factor to this is the most protective parent—social media. Yes believe it or not, platforms like Facebook, Snapchat and LinkedIn withhold information. Can’t give away the secret recipe. Anyone who encounters this deadly combo of missing data and APIs will have a hard time learning a user’s path to their conversion.

Last, but not least, LinkedIn produces their own wine. Who would’ve thought?

Goes down smooth.

You see, data and numbers are our friends. They can be scary, but after collecting everything, agencies like us and other businesses are able to develop clear, relevant and strong social marketing strategies. Juicy data can lead to the right messaging, targeting and a way to stay ahead of the competition. Brownie points, baby. You wouldn’t drive down a dark road with no lights or directions, right? Maybe you would. Who knows.

Thanks for all the knowledge and forward thinking, LinkedIn and Digital Analytics Association. We had a wonderful time and met some pretty cool people too.

What challenges do you face when building social media campaigns? Give us a ring. Let’s brainstorm together.