Are you data-driven? You should be.

At Chartwell, we categorize our marketing expertise in to three verticals: healthcare, education, and financial/economic development, which is the team I’m on. And if the name doesn’t give it away, the financial institutions we work with LOVE numbers. Lucky for us, so do we.

For any given client, we have access to a large amount of data at our fingertips – traffic to websites, Google analytics, social media insights, email click-thru rates, and more. Meanwhile, there is no shortage of internal data that most businesses are tracking themselves. It’s when you marry that information for your marketing efforts that you can capitalize on all of the numbers for more informed decision-making.

When assisting in a social media or digital marketing campaign, we want to do two things: Increase brand awareness and convert web users in to actual customers. How do we do that? And how do we know? Well, snack on this.

Before you dig into the data, know what you’re seeking.

You might find yourself overwhelmed with numbers. If you’re spending all your time combing through data, you’re not going to give yourself time to strategize. That’s why we recommend following just a few key performance indicators, or KPI’s. A KPI helps measure the effectiveness of your digital actions toward achieving your ultimate goal. Ask yourself these questions: What do you want to know? Why do you want to know it? And is there value to knowing this data?

Some analytics we recommend tracking are:

• Social engagement/interactions
• Pageviews
• Visits & New Users
• Click-thru rates
• Traffic Sources (how users got to your website)

Know your audience – and target them.

Knowing who your social and digital audience is will help you determine if you’re marketing strategy is aligning with your company’s overall goals, or if there is a population who is seeking your services that you should pivot and target as well. Audience analytics help you explore who your customers are, what their income might be, where they’re from, what kind of technology they are using, and other detailed demographics. This information is invaluable as you perfect your marketing strategy, but also as you consider growth opportunities for your company.

Don’t panic – follow the trends instead.

Do not be emotional over data. If you see a spike in traffic, or incredible reach on a post, that does feel good. Quite the opposite, though, is when something doesn’t perform when you think it will. These are what we call outliers and not information you should be quick on which to react. Instead, you should be taking those KPI’s and measuring them across extended periods of time. Following trends will give you a better indication of your performance.

Be ready to act.

Recently, a Chartwell client wanted to focus its marketing efforts on a volume-driving digital campaign to direct people toward auto loan applications. They had an internal goal for loan applications that they wanted to reach, and they were savvy about tracking applications in relation to other analytics we were measuring, like website traffic and social engagement.

This campaign started right around the time the global computer chip shortage was starting to impact the car industry. As the shortage became more prevalent, the client and Chartwell started to notice a lack of applications for auto loans. This just wasn’t a time that people were buying cars. But instead of scrapping the social and digital campaign altogether, the client was quick to pivot and highlight auto loan refinancing options as a way to prevent or pay off holiday debt.

If you’re smart about your data, it will point you toward success in your business. When analytics and reporting become daunting, consider calling Chartwell so we can use our expertise to bolster your in-house data assets.

At Chartwell, we are storytellers. Our expertise allows us to tell a clear and compelling story with all of the numbers that come your way. If you’re overwhelmed by using social media analytics and business data, let us help you. We can help clear the fog, dive into your data, and present a meaningful marketing plan that allows you to take advantage of the numbers.