A quick glance around the internet won’t tell you much about how to form a truly dynamite digital marketing strategy. Indeed, though the web is a tremendous resource for a number of things, its very nature means that lots of “same-y” content gets distributed far and wide. The tried-and-true marketing cycle of blog, social media post, followed by SEO support, might still be effective –– but it’s not going to turn many heads. In fact, anyone who’s been running a company for a while is bound to know and utilize that very system already. Today then, we’re going to take a deeper look at something that gets consistently overlooked –– yet is massively important in regard to digital marketing: analytics and metrics. No, poring over marketing and sales data might not be the most glamorous use of your time; but, with the right application it can help you land on the ultimate blueprint for future marketing endeavors.
Which Metrics are Worth Tracking?
The sad truth is that plenty of businesses don’t even bother properly tracking their marketing and sales performances. Though this lacks sound business logic (how can you ever hope to improve if you’re not sure how you’ve done in the past?) lots of entrepreneurs either don’t have the time, motivation, or technology to make sense of a jumble of marketing analytics. To keep things a little more grounded for the uninitiated, it’s probably best to key into several money-based metrics like ROI (return on investment) and ROAS (return on ad-spend). Furthermore, metrics like cost-per conversion, and cost-per-sale will clue you into how effective your marketing efforts really are.
Going from Reactive to Proactive
Once you’ve taken the first step and begun plotting your marketing progress you can then work to convert those reactive metrics into proactive marketing tactics. Utilizing tech advancements like call tracking software, for instance, can enable you to see which ads and pieces of marketing content are driving leads to your website. From there, you can begin to optimize your existing work to better attract and convert leads. What’s more, identifying which ads aren’t performing well will help you trim your budget and eliminate unnecessary spending.
Final Thoughts
At this point, nearly every serious business owner understands the basic tenets of sound marketing practice. What separates the most progressive companies from their counterparts then, is their willingness to do the behind-the-scenes work and form cogent multi-level marketing tactics. Digging through the numbers and trends from previous months and years might prove tedious from time-to-time, but the payoff for that sort of work is massive. If you’re looking to take the next step with your company, don’t neglect this vital aspect of marketing any longer.
