Facebook marketing for entrepreneurs

Facebook on the surface appears as a social network for friends and family to just hang out. Underneath the surface, and behind the business pages, lies an effective marketing tool that every entrepreneur should utilize. Facebook has an ability to connect real human interactions and networking with real people, along with a high Google Page Rank and Google indexing potential…and, of course, it's free. The cost can be an important factor for the budget strapped solopreneur.

One of the first things you discover when starting a business is marketing and advertising can be costly. They can also absorb a bunch of your time. You need your marketing and advertising to be the most effective for the precious time you have to spend. Facebook gives you effective marketing without the cost. If you have a marketing budget, you can purchase ads and it will increase your reach. However, not everyone starts off with an advertising budget, and many of the free social networks provide an incredible amount of exposure to help with that. This doesn't mean that you won't be spending time though. And you should consider the value of your time versus the cost of outsourcing your social media marketing. An important requirement of social media marketing is you have to be there, posting and creating effective communications with your network.

Another reason to use Facebook in your marketing strategy is Facebook has good google page rank. Google PageRank or GPR as it's more commonly seen online, is the scale, link analysis or algorithm Google uses to assign a numerical rating or measurement to a website. This measurement is on a 1-10 scale, with 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest rating.

Facebook's GPR is 9/10. To achieve these high rankings is quite difficult as a solopreneur. You might spend your entire lifetime on the Internet, and never see this kind of GPR ranking for your own site. This is ok because, you have a Facebook business page with a GPR of 9/10. With the sheer number of websites on the web (it reached 1 billion in 2014), finding your site may be like finding a needle in a haystack. However, what you post and market on your Facebook Business page has the potential of being indexed by Google. This is when the public does a search, and happens to find you, because Google has placed you on the first page of search results, or even the top of the first page in search results. You can be a newbie and potentially reach millions through Facebook that would be impossible to reach on your new website. Let's not forget the 1.49 billion active users on Facebook itself. When you are posting on Facebook, you're combining your no cost marketing efforts with an unprecedented outreach to the public. What you share with your friends can also be shared with their friends, and so on and so on.

As you can see, Facebook should be a part of every entrepreneurs marketing strategy. However there are best practices and even unwritten rules to make the most of your efforts. If you don't have a budget to get help from a professional, I encourage you to take advantage of the many free resources. Many of these you can find right on Facebook through your friends posts.

Source: Facebook marketing for entrepreneurs

Using Social Media Listening To Enhance Your Online Marketing Strategies

Based on figures from the global digital snapshot over two billion people have social media accounts. Popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram carry the largest share of users making them a fertile ground for marketing. Social medial allows brands to create close connections with audiences and even converse with customers locally and globally. Creating an online presence has become a crucial part of any brands marketing strategy. The benefits of social media marketing cannot be understated:

Social media is the most affordable media for advertising today as compared to conventional methods such as TV commercials and print placements. Most social media sites allow businesses to open pages free and have very affordable advertising costs.

Currently, social media is the largest audience you can target with a single advertisement, especially if the demographic you are targeting includes active internet users. Many people today will consult the internet first before buying a product or even choosing a restaurant. You definitely have your work cut out.

Social media marketing is instant and interactive; you can post up new promotions and sales as soon as they begin. You can also use daily blog posts to share new information and customers can respond to these posts through comments and replies.

Social media can also help you to attract traffic to your website and convert them into active users of the website. You can use post links of products and services to social media and this will attract traffic back to your website.

Social Media Listening

In order to be effective in your social media marketing efforts, you need to be knowledgeable and objective. Monitoring social media is called social media listening. Listening simply means you find out what people are saying on social media about your brand as well as competitor products. You can use monitoring tools and software available online to track social media conversations and habits regarding a particular product. Listening equips you with the information to form new strategies that will have a greater impact among your audience and lead to better sales. Social media listening can help you to:

Create a community

It is essential to create a loyal online community that uses your products and also recommend them to others through sharing your posts or links. Through using listening tools, you can track frequent buyers, people who share and comment on your posts as well as conversations about the product. You can target these individuals with conversations geared to creating a loyal following. These individuals can be your online brand ambassadors.

Use consumer behaviors

Social media listening will help you know how many people simply talk about a product and how many people use it with something positive or negative to say. Knowing consumer behaviors can help you narrow your target to making moves that are guaranteed to generate sales. For instance, if you identify a group of consumers who make frequent purchases with coupons and discount vouchers, you can encourage them to buy from your online shop using these vouchers.

Manage your social media page

You need to be careful about how you use social media. One of the biggest challenges about the internet is people can hide behind the keyboard of their computer and create a bold online personality. If you make the wrong move, such individuals can tear you down and damage your online brand devastatingly. Social media listening helps you to determine the current trends in the product market, what people want to hear, what people want to see and therefore makes it easier to manage your social media page for the best possible outcome.

Become agile

Many internet users often expect a response from brand pages and websites within an hour of making a request or comment. The urgency only increases when it is a complaint or question. In order to create a great brand image online, you can use social media listening to determine the window of opportunity where you can have a positive impact on your customers.

Enhance your product

Social media is brutally honest when it comes to describing products and services. You may have to sieve through quite a number of irrelevant comments but you can get many positive criticisms, comparison to other brands and comments about your product that can help you to make it better. Everyone would love to know they have made such an impact and you can encourage customers to get involved more by highlighting these inputs on your social media pages.

Conclusion

The strength of social media marketing cannot be underestimated. However, marketing strategies can only be effective if they are based on realistic assessment of the target market. Social media listening is the best way to assess various aspects of social media pages that influences how your product performs.

Source: Using Social Media Listening To Enhance Your Online Marketing Strategies

A brand’s content marketing journey

Related Items

Amazon

brands

BrandStory

Content Marketing

eCommerce

McKinsey

Milward Brown

Rashmi Berry

Like everything else in life, consumer journeys too have become haphazard, constantly evolving and highly unpredictable. The proliferation of new brands, the explosion of media channels and an increasingly well informed, discerning consumer has resulted in a continuous switching of brands at every stage of the buying cycle.

Brands today need to adopt a doggedly approach with respect to their brand communication, to ensure they remain relevant and emerge winners through this decision cycle.

Understanding the new consumer decision journey

McKinsey's 'consumer decision journey' model proposes the following circular approach to the buying decision: Unlike the earlier linear model where consumers started with a certain number of brands in their awareness set and systematically reduced the number of brands as they moved through the different stages of familiarity, consideration, purchase and loyalty, the McKinsey model propagates the initial consideration set is continuously evolving with new brands being added and deleted at the different stages of evaluation, purchase and post purchase. Another important distinction brought out in the model is the importance of the post purchase phase in influencing loyalty.

In a recent Nielsen report on the car buying decision journey, some startling facts support this model.

48 per cent of consumers say they search for information online before visiting or consulting any offline medium

87 per cent of the consumers reconsider one purchase decision factor (brand, model, fuel type, budget, colour etc.) at the time they buy

Sales staff at showrooms can heavily influence (73 per cent) last minute changes in decisions and guide car buyers' choices

The 'research phase' in the consumer decision journey As long as consumers were following the traditional linear approach to the buying decision, brand communication was more focussed on the early stages of the buying decision, namely building awareness and entering the consideration set. It was fairly safe to assume once you've entered the consumer consideration set, the right combination of product features, pricing and distribution with strong sales incentives would ensure the sale.

Not so any longer. The new element in the equation is 'the consumer research phase', leading to many a slip between awareness and purchase. During this phase other than the obvious references to family and friends, consumers spend significant time online evaluating different brands by visiting brand websites, third party comparison sites, ecommerce portals, social media channels & consumer reviews. At the end of this phase, consumers have deleted brands in their initial consideration and added new brands. The final decision is impacted either by the sales team at the point of purchase or messaging at the moment of purchase in case of ecommerce purchases.

Some brands have got this right and follow up their brand awareness campaigns with aggressive follow-through content to ensure an actual sales impact. We looked at two brands that have run aggressive advertising campaigns in 2015 – Samsung and Apple and examine their follow – through content marketing programs.

We found that Samsung's follow-through content strategy is far more robust both in terms of presence on multiple engagement channels such as Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, blogs etc. As also, in terms of its messaging which is well designed to address popular points of consumer comparison between the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S6 including a parody on the long lines of consumers waiting for the new iPhone!. While Apple continues to be a cult brand with a loyal fan following, it remains to be seen if its lack of presence on various consumer engagement channels will put it on the back foot in times to come.

While this 'research phase' is extremely important for B2B brands as well as for B2C brands in categories like automobiles, travel, healthcare and education, recent studies indicate it is an increasingly important phase in beauty and wellness, baby care, laptop & mobile devices, dining and entertainment.

Content marketing can reduce many a slip between awareness & purchaseAn effective content strategy that maps consumers in the different stages of the customer journey, to provide the right information, at the right time, is one way of ensuring brand awareness campaigns result in high brand sales. While there's no 'one-size-fits-all' approach keeping the following broad based themes in mind could help brands get the most sales from their spends.

In the early stages of the campaign, with reach and impact being the primary objectives, brands could develop more consumer-centric content, based on an understanding of the target consumers attitudes & interests.

In a recent project for a baby care brand, we found seven out of 10 expecting and new mothers mentioned babycenter.com, as their go-to site for help, advice and reviews. A fact kept well hidden, is that baby center is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson. With 30 million expecting and young mothers visiting the site every month, the company has built a great content property that keeps its target audience constantly aware and engaged.

Tactics Advertising Content Marketing Objectives Awareness, initial consideration, credibility Active evaluation, Purchase, loyalty & advocacy Messaging Consumer led (Consumer segment interests, attitudes, aspirations) Brand Led (Benefits, features, usage, experience)

In the later stages of 'active evaluation' and 'moment of purchase' an effective content strategy would be more brand or product-centric, bringing out comparative benefits in an engaging and effective manner.

In a recent project for an IT Infra brand, we developed an industry neutral newsletter focussing on trends, news and happenings, supported by a series of thought leadership content to drive awareness and build the brand's reputation. The follow-through content strategy included electronic mailers, blogs, case studies, white papers, webinars and web marketing to influence brand choice. The result was a 10 times growth in sales leads compared to their previous product led web and direct marketing campaigns.

Finally, we all know the cost of acquiring new consumers is 5-10 times the cost of retaining existing consumers. While the tried and tested models of customer loyalty programs times price incentives for repeat purchase continue to work for most brands, a good content marketing program could not only ensure retention, cross sell, up sell and advocacy but could do it more profitably.

The popularity of Amazon's Prime Service offering free two-day delivery, video streaming and e-books, that has upwards of 20 million subscribers and is available at a charge of USD 99 per year. A study by Milward Brown Digital indicates Amazon's conversion rate among prime members is 74 per cent, compared to the average conversion rate for the top 500 merchants in North America at 3.32 per cent. Even worse news for other online retailers, once a consumer becomes a prime member, she is a lot less likely to consider purchasing from any other e-retailer. Could this be a wake-up call for Indian e-tailers, as Amazon gains traction in the Indian market?

To summarise, as the consumer decision journey gets more iterative and circular, the role of the traditional advertising continues to remain important in building brand awareness and associations, while the role of content marketing continues to grow in all the stages of the new consumer journey from awareness to repeat purchase.

Source: A brand's content marketing journey

Content Marketing: Just a Fad?

Is content marketing a fad? No, and here's why. As an MSP, your number one source of leads is online—through your website, social media, and online advertising. Although you may send out self-promotion campaigns, most of your new customers are finding you, and they are doing it on the web.

In the early 1990s, there were nearly 60,000 commercial printers. Today, that's down to 23,000. Competition is no longer local and regional. It is national and global. With website templates democratizing the quality of website design, the smallest commercial printer can look like the largest. How are MSPs differentiating themselves? With content.

"Your brand image is driven by your content," notes Patrick Whelan, president of Great Reach Communications, which licenses print newsletters, e-newsletters, and other print and digital content to printers. "You are what your content is . . . or what it says you are."

Moreover, Whelan says, the buyer is taking over more and more of the sales process. They determine when they will be marketed to, how they will be marketed to, and what channels marketers will use to do it.

"By conservative estimates, 80 to 90 percent of the buying process is already complete before someone makes contact with you for the first time," said Whelan. "That's conservative. That means 80 to 90 percent of a prospect's perception is based on your content. The print, email and other communications you are sending out (or have posted online) are what you are being judged on."

According to Marketing Sherpa, content marketing is the "single most effective" SEO tactic. DemandMetric reports that, per dollar spent, content marketing generates approximately three times as many leads as traditional marketing.

Three Impacts of Content Marketing

Why is content marketing so effective? Content does three things. It draws people from the seemingly infinite online world into your individual sales funnel, it qualifies leads once people come to your website, and it establishes your credibility.

1. Draws people into the sales funnel.

With it comes to being found online, SEO is king. Content that resides on your website (text, blog posts, videos, downloadable white papers) is searchable. Companies with little content on their websites are not as visible to search engines as those with content-rich sites, especially those with content that is continually being updated.

Think about your content as being like a Japanese beetle trap. Within seconds of attaching the first scented tag to the trap, homeowners can see a thick line of beetles beginning to head toward the trap as they follow the scent. That is what good content does for you online.

Google's Hummingbird changed a lot of the rules for content marketing. SEO is no longer about stacking up your copy with search terms. It's about providing content-rich material. To search engines, good content is like a stream of pheromones.

Printers should not overlook the content on their personal LinkedIn profile either. "Customers don't just want to check out the company," said Whelan. "They want to check out the salesperson they would be working with. Add regular blog posts to your profile that establish your expertise."

2. Qualifies leads.

Not everyone who comes to your company's website is a potential customer, but someone who takes the time to download a white paper on cross-platform color management probably is. Pay attention to who does what. Who watches your plant tour videos? Who takes the time to send comment on your blog post about Every Day Direct Mail? Those are your warm leads, and you need to know who they are.

Gating high-value content (case studies, white papers) behind online forms is one of the most common ways to qualify leads. You've done it yourself. Fill out a form, answer questions about your business and your need for specific services, and then you can download the content. This is a highly effective lead generation tactic.

3. It establishes your credibility.

Content is the way you not only tell your story but to demonstrate your credibility. It's one thing to say "we will boost your marketing results," but it's quite another to offer a downloadable case study of a client who got 300 percent ROI on a multichannel marketing campaign you executed.

"When it comes right down to it, customers will give the job to the printer they feel they trust the most," said Whelan. "To win business, you don't need to have a 10-color press. You need content that your customers and prospects trust."

Track and Measure

Winning at the content marketing game is helped by measuring the success of your efforts and tweaking as you learn what works and what doesn't. According to HubSpot, an online resource for inbound marketing, here are some of the most common measurements used:

Unique page visits to your website

Downloads

Time spent on a page

Inbound links

Shares

Comments and interactions

There are others, and you should determine which are most appropriate to the types of content you are distributing.

Content marketing is not a fad. It's a response to the buyer-driven marketing world in which we live. It's one of the most critical ways to capture leads, establish your business identity, and differentiate yourself from the thousands of other printers fighting for the same customers you are.

Five Types of Recommended Content

1. Company blog.

Establishes you as a thought leader and helps with SEO.

2. White papers and e-books.

Gate high-value content behind a form to collect lead data to support lead gen efforts.

3. "Snackable" video content.

Video-hosting sites like Wistia and Vidyard make it easy to collect lead data and integrate it directly into your CRM. (According to SEOmoz, blog posts with video attract three times more inbound links than plain text posts.)

4. Visual content.

Buyers want content that is easy to absorb and doesn't require a large time commitment.

5. Case studies.

Shows potential customers how others are using and benefitting from your print and marketing services. Case studies carry more weight than generic marketing copy.

Adapted from "The Content Creation Guide" (Salesforce Pardot, 2015)

Source: Content Marketing: Just a Fad?

Super-Speed Internet Packages Mostly About Marketing, Suggests Prof. Jeff McCall '76

September 6, 2015

A new Internet package, offering Indianapolis-area homeowners Internet speeds of "up to 2,000 megabits per second, 167 times faster than the average U.S. connection speed" is analyzed in an Indianapolis Business Journal story.  Jared Council writes, "Most residents won't even come close to needing that bandwidth, industry experts said, and even the households bustling with movie streaming and music downloading would easily be pleased with around 100 mbps."

Jeff McCall, professor of communication at DePauw University, tells IBJ, "A lot of this is just the marketing of the companies, I believe. These Internet suppliers can't ever have an image that they are behind the times technologically. They can't tell customers, 'Well, there's new higher-speed technology available, but we don't necessarily need to provide it.' " 

Council reports, "Internet usage -- which paves the way for pay-TV alternatives like Netflix -- continues to climb and represents the best prospect for telecom growth. But, as with cell-phone carriers, that growth will largely come from nabbing competitors' customers, DePauw's McCall said, so the perception of technological staleness can prove disastrous."

Access the complete article at the publication's website.

A 1976 graduate of DePauw and a former journalist, Jeffrey M. McCall authored Viewer Discretion Advised: Taking Control of Mass Media Influences and is regularly called upon by media outlets.  He authored a column on America's obsession with football that's appearing in newspaper's across the nation this weekend and was recently cited in a New Orleans Advocate story on the role of traditional media outlets in modern presidential campaigns. Dr. McCall also authored a USA Today column previewing the first Republican presidential debate. The professor is faculty sponsor of DePauw's student radio station, WGRE.

Source: Indianapolis Business Journal

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Source: Super-Speed Internet Packages Mostly About Marketing, Suggests Prof. Jeff McCall '76

6 reasons to attend the Call to Action Marketing Conference

Unbounce is Vancouver tech's understated friendly giant. While Hootsuite might still get much of the buzz and fuzzy owls, companies like Slack and Unbounce are perfect examples of the depth in B.C.'s maturing technology sector. Tech is hot, and companies are now just starting to put their stamp on influencing the local scene. Unbounce's two-year-young "Call To Action Conference" (#CTAConf), taking place at Granville Island from September 13 to 15, is boldly striking out on a laid-back, West Coast path.

Jam-packed with actionable & exciting marketing content by world class marketing experts, the Call To Action Conference will make you jump out of your seat and implement what you've learned the very next day. You can expect topics around conversion optimization, landing pages, copywriting, email, PPC, growth, web psychology, design, a/b testing and video marketing as well as a ton of opportunities to meet new friends through non-stuffy, unique networking and social events.

Here are six reasons why you should check out CTAConf, a very atypical marketing conference:

1. World class speakers

These online marketing experts are coming from as far as The Netherlands, London and Australia to drop serious knowledge bombs. They are also hilarious. Just watch this video for proof:

2. The activities

Image: Unbounce

In atypical Vancouverite fashion, the lineup of social activities raises a few eyebrows with tug of war, stand-up paddleboarding, a craft beer tour and white water rafting in Whistler.

3. The food

Image: Unbounce

Who says conference fare has to be boring? Enjoy lunch from local vendors at the famous Granville Island Market. Included in the conference fee are breakfast, a full slate of snacks throughout the day, and delicious appies at the bumping afterparties.

4. Random surprises of love

Image: Unbounce

What does the Unbounce team have in store for this year? Balloon animals was just one of the many surprises from last year's event:

5. Craft beer

Image: Unbounce

It might be another food-related reason, but it is foodie-haven Vancouver, so we're allowed. There's an official beer for the conference, exclusively brewed for attendees. After the presentations, take down a cold bottle of the Actionable Insights Lager or Unbounce Pale Ale (on the house, of course)!

6. The people

Image: Unbounce

And last but certainly not least – you'll get to hang out with the coolest kids in digital marketing, getting to form new connections and friends over a three-day span. People are coming all the way from New Zealand, Budapest, Sweden, India and more!

The Call to Action Conference, hosted by Unbounce, comes to town September 13 to 15. Want to be spoiled by so much marketing knowledge, food, fun, beer and Unbounce hugs? More information here.

Source: 6 reasons to attend the Call to Action Marketing Conference

5 Analytical Techniques to Leverage Your Website

It takes much more than just building a website for your business to see leads, conversions, and growth. You need to strategize and think about the best way to attract your target audience. Your audience knows the service or product they need. They just want to trust your brand.

How are you going to speak to your customers? How are you going to let your voice be heard?

It starts by putting yourself in your buyer's shoes.

Show your audience you understand what they are looking for, and write content that resonates. Speak the language of your customers, share your passion for your brand. Create objectives and formulate each page of your website with that objective in mind.

Your top objective is to generate traffic and leads from your website, but as more and more content fills up your site, the objective alters slightly. Now, you want to increase your sales, show you are a trusted name in your industry, and create shareable content that is worthy of linking back to your site.

Implementing keywords will help users find your site, and there are a variety of keyword research tools to help you get started. These tools often offer additional features, including helping you place the appropriate text title tags, meta descriptions, alt tags for images, and keywords tags—all integral aspects of your website.

Once your website has all the appropriate factors in place, you can begin to leverage each page to increase your leads, click-through-rate, and conversions.

Five Analytical Tools to Boost Conversions

Like any marketing campaign, you want to track progress and performance of your online strategy so you can adjust on the fly before you miss out on potential leads. To leverage your website for an increase in online conversions and to maximize your marketing efforts, you must understand and track analytical data.

Internet marketing is increasingly a necessity in today's business world, and in turn there are a number of analytical tools available. Mull over the data, look at the search trends, and burrow into your reports to analyze the steps that must be taken to convert online.

When you're utilizing tools like Google Analytics or Google Search Console, reporting offers you valuable insights on your campaign. Use these insights to your advantage.

Click Path Analysis

How are your customers navigating your site? Did you know that you can follow visitors on their journey from the moment they land on your website? Through click path analysis, learn the behavior of your users and adjust your marketing efforts to increase conversions.

You can start your click path analysis through Google Analytics, and once you're comfortable, branch out to other tools for further insights. Additional tools you can use to your advantage include KISSmetrics and HubSpot.

Once you set a marketing goal, gaining the insights of your customer's path will help you reach your goal. You can see answers to all of your questions regarding the navigation of your site's end users. With access to key metrics, use the data to your advantage.

Ask yourself the following questions:

How many visits and page views does it take for your visitors to convert?

Which pages are viewed the most?

Which pages have the highest bounce rate?

Next, gather which pages were shared on social platforms, amount of clicks and page views, page load speed, and buyer personas. After gathering, provide the user experience your visitors are looking for by analyzing click path data. These kinds of metrics open a window that offers unique campaign assessment so you can better understand how your website is performing.

Finally, delve deep into the customer journey. For e-commerce websites, you can see items that were added or removed from a shopping cart, pages in which the user spent the most amount of time, and what items were purchased. Knowledge of the various factors associated with click path analysis will propel your campaign.

Conversion Rate Optimization

Have a low conversion rate online? For the majority of business owners, your conversion rate is determined by how many visitors take a particular action. Whether filling out a form, calling your company, or making a purchase, conversions are different for every business online.

Improve your conversions and increase your revenue to spend more in advertising and achieve a return on investment. No matter how good you think your conversion rate is, there is always room for improvement.

Through analysis and funnels, find out why your visitors aren't converting. By setting up goals and funnels in Google Analytics, you can quickly determine where you're losing visitors and how to make adjustments for an increased conversion rate.

When you can build your brand authority and improve your credibility online, visitors are more likely to convert. Always run tests on your site to gain additional insights.

Split Testing

Split testing, sometimes referred to as A/B Testing, is the most direct way to earn higher conversion rates, and you shouldn't overlook this step in your marketing efforts. The more tests you run, the more you'll see a consistent rise in your conversion rate.

Running a split test means that you use multiple strategies and compare results. With different tests, and the more tests that are run, your understanding of user behavior helps to leverage your site over your competitors. CrazyEgg provides an extensive rundown of how split testing will improve the bottom line of your business.

Think about the marketing efforts that have the most impact on your revenue stream. Each visitor to your site becomes part of your experiment, allowing you to determine which aspects need alterations.  Keep the tests simple, and focus on one area of your site at a time.

Discover how to meet the preferences of your customers, and propel them to travel from point A to point B on your website. The most practical way to run a test is through email marketing or PPC ads. The goal is to get the click.

After you've spent some time testing the performance of your campaigns, move on to the landing pages. You need that click to turn into a conversion.

Segmentation

Location Segment Comparison.

Split testing is a technique designed to help you figure out how to market your website. Remember, one size doesn't fit all, and each of your customers are different. Follow distinct funnels that are relevant to unique personas.

Through segmented data in Google Analytics and assorted reporting tools, you can track your visitors. You can see where they're coming from, how often they're visiting the site, and the exact product or service pages they frequent.

Segments allow you to filter your metrics based on demographics, traffic sources, and duration of each visit. Plus, you can discover the funnels and click path of each user that has come from various sources. Compare traffic from different segments, such as Facebook or Twitter, and determine which platform is delivering the most valuable traffic.

In your analytical campaign, you can track and leverage many segments to learn about your audience. Create segments for various age groups, campaigns, traffic sources, or keywords. Plus, see which visitors landed on your site from different devices, browsers, and date of first visit.

Help personalize your campaign and better reach your target audience through Advanced Segments. It's all at your fingertips when you utilize Google Analytics and other associated tools properly.

Flow Reports

User Flow

Similar to click path analysis, you can easily track how your audience is navigating your site through flow reporting. A step by step flow will allow you to watch the path of your visitors as they make their way through your site and see any roadblocks or detours to help identify issues with content or usability.

The key is to stay organized and keep tabs on your traffic. There are numerous flow reporting measures you can set up in your campaign. When used correctly, the reporting measures can lead to significant growth for your company. You can utilize the Behavior Flow metric, Goal Flow, Events Flow, or Users Flow.

Analytics uses the term nodes, which indicates how traffic flows through your site. The nodes are the steps your users are taking, and you can customize your reporting to analyze the flow of traffic. By analyzing the flow of your visitors, you can see where a user exited the flow, the volume of traffic and users through the path, as well as the behavior of your audience.

Use the flow reporting to monitor your content marketing efforts. Determine how the content on particular pages resonates with your audience and minimize drop offs. Use the information gathered to understand the mentality of your audience, and modify your efforts based on the reports.

Conclusion

To truly convert online, you must rely on the metrics. They tell you what is performing well in your campaign, and what aspects need adjustments. Having analytical tools at your disposal will save you time and money. The goal is to convert online through organic traffic and links, but it's up to you to make sure that happens. Valuable analytical insight is the key to seeing your strategy through to success.

Image credit: Created by Gabrielle Frake | 1SEO.com Digital Agency (Used with permission) 

Source: 5 Analytical Techniques to Leverage Your Website