Taking Marketing Beyond the Marketing Department: Web Metrics

If there’s one thing that I’ve realized since enrolling in the WVU IMC program it’s that IMC is most effective when it runs through the veins of an organization. I hope this series of posts will help you gain buy-in for your marketing efforts across you organization and I hope that you’ll comment and share what is working for you, or what you’re having trouble with.

You can gain a great deal of information from Web metrics and there are many ways in which Web metrics can be used “outside the marketing department.” I wanted to share two things that worked for our organization and encourage you to share your stories.

Which app comes first?

The ID card office on our campus was faced with a challenge. They had the opportunity to develop a smartphone app, but didn’t know which one would be the best choice for the initial launch. When we got together with the department we discussed the possibility of doing a survey. A simple smartphone poll on Facebook would have provided us with preliminary information to make our decision. We have had success with surveys on campus, but we didn’t want to over-survey our audience.

As a solution to the issue, we analyzed the Google Analytics of our overall Web site and the pages that are specifically dedicated to the ID card office. From the information provided in Google Analytics we could see the numbers of viewers that accessed our content on an iPhone or Andriod phone. Using Google Analytics was faster, easier, and provided more information than a survey.

Using Google Analytics helped us show the ID card office the importance of Web metrics, which helped gain support for further evaluating other marketing initiatives including paid advertising.

Paid ads

Again, the ID card office wanted to measure the success of a paid ad that was on the cover of a local publication. We created a unique URL in order to track the traffic. We knew it was not a perfect solution, but we also knew that it would help guide the advertising efforts of the office. The result: There were only two hits on the unique URL. That doesn’t measure awareness of the ad, but it does measure action.

Implementing IMC in your organization can be very challenging. What have you found that helps you take Web analytics “outside” the marketing department and further into the organization?

INTEGRATE 2015: Speaker Profile – Lisa Nirell

How many times have you encountered marketing efforts that epically fail to deliver value to customers?

Last week, I came across a promotion from a car dealer that offered free wiper blades with any visit to the service department. When I presented my coupon to the Service and Parts Manager, he advised me that the free blades were of sub-standard quality. Instead, he recommended that I pay for the factory guaranteed wiper inserts. (#marketingfail)

Failed marketing efforts come in all shapes and sizes. Brands that continue to rely on the old bait-and-switch marketing tactic may get customers in the door, but the failure to deliver value will not keep customers coming back for more. As savvy customers, we expect more from brands. Customers, like myself, want brands to be transparent. A smart transparent brand would not even bother advertising a sub-standard product to a repeat customer.

Brands that still rely on advertising or promotional tactics without providing any value-add content need to become more mindful of the wants, needs, and desires of their customers. Otherwise, they simply become irrelevant.

Building content and fostering behaviors customers trust requires adopting a mindful approach. Lisa Nirell, chief energy officer at  EnergizeGrowth®  and the author of the book The Mindful Marketer: How to Stay Present and Profitable in a Data-Driven World, understands the current power struggle taking place in the marketing field between big data and mindfulness. Her advice to marketers is to “Set your intentions so that your best marketing innovations and programs improve your customers condition, and society as a whole.”

Lisa defines a mindful marketer as a “leader who influences the hearts and minds of others to improve their condition, or the world at large.” To make better decisions, she encourages marketers to find their Inner Marketing Guru (IMG). Contrary to what today’s technology and consulting providers will tell you, big data and quick promotional wins to get customers in the door will not win over your customers. Instead of encouraging marketers to do more, Lisa suggests you need to be more; to cultivate your inner wisdom.

I highly recommend reading The Mindful Marketer! The book is divided into three sections consisting of twenty-two chapters. The opening chapter titled, “Why CMOs Are Facing Extinction” helps to set the tone of this no-holds-barred book. Within each chapter, Lisa presents contemporary examples that will validate and confirm your feelings on the existing power struggle plaguing many marketing departments. At the close of each chapter, she poses a question to readers to help them to find their Inner Marketing Guru.

Lisa will be a featured speaker at INTEGRATE 2015. As we wait in anticipation for the event,  I asked Lisa what attendees can expect from her keynote. Here’s what she said:

@Julie_Long_: What can attendees expect from your presentation at INTEGRATE?

@lisa_nirell:  “Get ready to discover new approaches and strategies to help you eliminate the most common mindless digital marketing habits, build stronger customer communities, and create more time to innovate. You will hear fresh examples from my top clients, as well as Miraval, 15Five, Blackboard, and other marketing innovators.”

@Julie_Long_: I am looking forward to Lisa’s mindful session! I would also like to thank her for providing me a copy of The Mindful Marketer, which helped me to prepare this blog post. Be sure to follow Lisa on twitter (@lisa_nirell) and her complimentary book resources and videos here.

Please join us at the INTEGRATE conference from May 29-30, 2015 in Morgantown, WV! Click here to register and learn more.

Online Student Life: The Importance of the Furry Study Buddy

Student life is a little different at a 100% online program like WVU’s IMC. We connect virtually through Linked In profiles and we might follow each other on Twitter, but there’s no student union to foster classmate comradery. Each course begins with an introduction post – tell us about yourself, what brought you to the program and what you hope to get out of the course? As a common closing statement a lot of students mention their families and furry study buddies. Student comradery bubbles up when we can bond over rescue dogs and typical cat antics.

So this is a post dedicated to the dogs and cats (and even a horse!) that are the loyal, late-night companions of current and recently graduated IMC students.

Add a comment below about your furry study buddy and email me [jvlink@mix.wvu.edu] a photo so we can round up some more photos of furry honorary students.

Stephanie & Roscoe

Meet Roscoe… Roscoe P Kitty Cat… or as we refer to him around here – RPKC. He has been one of two furry study buddies throughout the IMC program that kept me motivated with purrs of pride, head bumps of encouragement, and the occasional face of disinterest to keep me grounded and focused on school and not how adorable he is. Which is hard, because he is.

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Andrea & Kicks

This is my study buddy, Kicks! I adopted him from the animal shelter almost two years ago and he has been with me throughout my entire IMC journey! He likes to help me with my courses by laying on my books, carefully watching me edit my papers, and sitting right in front of the tv so I don’t get distracted!

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Marie, Silas & Jericho

These are my study buddies… Silas (left) and Jericho (right). They’ve helped me through undergrad and now my time in the IMC program! They’re great at distracting and helping me relax when I’m frustrated with an assignment. Oh… and they’re super cute and soft… so I mean- cuddling with them while writing a paper makes the whole homework thing a lot easier.

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Rachel & Meeko

This is Meeko. She insists I get my homework done quickly so I can give her pets, belly rubs & kisses. She also makes me laugh when I’ve hit a wall with studying. Usually because she’s running around the house in a manner similar to parkour.

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Sara & Charlie

Meet Charlie, my one-year-old German Shepherd. He’s a rescue smile emoticon I’ve had him for four months now. Charlie makes sure I never go without a break from homework. He gets “paws on,” and he helps me by removing my laptop from my lap and inserting himself. He’s 80lbs, 26″ at the shoulder and still growing. He’s half my grocery bill. Oh, and he knows German commands. Besides the nuisance of having dog hair everywhere, he is the joy of my life.

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Kelly & Capt. Jack

Meet Capt. Jack…as you can tell from the picture he always right there to give me help when I need it! (except when he is in the plants knocking them all over the floor) With that being said, I love him so much and I’m so thankful I adopted him this past November

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Tyler & Nyla

This is Nyla. After I finish an assignment, she’s there to offer overwhelming positivity. Although, if the program wasn’t online, I’m sure she’d still try to eat my homework.

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Mary & Molly

From 610 through 636 Molly was my constant and faithful companion. I would get stuck into my IMC books and she would be right there at my feet.

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Lauren & Nora

Nora is our little rescue that we adopted this fall. She’s still learning that my MacBook isn’t a pillow so I usually have to keep her in a separate room while doing DPs. There’s no more rewarding feeling than coming out once I’ve turned everything in and cuddling with this little lady.

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Kate & Skye

Meet Skye, our rescue Aussie mix with bright blue eyes and adorable ears. She spends most nights laying next to me while I pound away at my keyboard only to occasionally close it on my hands as a reminder she needs love too. She’s been with me most of the program, and is pretty excited for me to finish in December so I can spend more time giving her belly rubs and treats.

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Brittany & Austin

Meet Austin: He may be a little bigger than your average furry friend, but he snuggles just the same!

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Carisa & Hodor

Hodor thinks studying via osmosis is worth a shot.

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Julie & Ruby Sue

My Boston Terrier, Ruby, is my 12-year-old IMC sidekick as she is my loyal foot-warmer and late-night companion. Here she’s basking in the midnight glow of the desk lamp. She’s survived my single days, newlywed phase, two children and now a Masters degree. Someone get this pup her own jar of peanut butter – she’s mastered companionship and deserves a treat! Any guesses on the movie character for whom she’s named?

Let us know about your furry study buddy!  We’ll post again with some more pics.

National Geographic Is Far From Extinct

In a modern media environment where digital dominates, National Geographic is what you may consider traditional. The brand has always been known for its iconic print and broadcast media. Picture a magazine cover displaying a young girl at a refugee camp or a television special featuring a cheetah racing across African plains.

Integrating digital, you might expect the visually-rich brand to flood its social media with photos. The more, the merrier—right?

Image credit: http://images.nationalgeographic.com

Instead, National Geographic has applied very unique, intentional strategies to its Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages, not all of which are visually heavy. Social media analytics platform Simply Measured studied these different strategies during a two-week period, and the reviews are fascinating for anyone looking to improve their approach to social media (raises hand).

Twitter. Rather than use brief tweet space for photos that may quickly become lost in timelines, National Geographic tweets content that links back to the brand’s main website. It’s about teasing with 140 characters rather than revealing images. Plus, those select times a photo is featured garner much more engagement.

Facebook. Maintaining a Facebook fan page can be tough. Having followers is one thing, keeping them engaged is another. National Geographic is careful not to over-post. When it does, the brand’s pairing of link previews with photos mimics magazine design. Speaking of links, did you know engagement rates are higher for Facebook posts that use a full-length URL?

Instagram. A platform designed for photos. And National Geographic serves them. One of the brand’s unique Instagram approaches is that it tags the people who made a photo possible: photographers, reporters, even the subject.

National Geographic also has a YouTube channel and Pinterest page—both have healthy numbers in posts and followers, although I’m surprised the company doesn’t feature links to these platforms on its website homepage.

What do you think about National Geographic’s strategy?

-R