How to elevate your marketing analytics with Google Data Studio
Tl;dr
→ Dashboarding tools are powerful yet complex to use;
→ GDS has compelling features to help marketers become;
→ Success is based on clear visualization, not showing all data;
→ Excellent results in a short amount of time and easy onboarding;
The Data Conundrum
Marketers are always looking for better ways to understand their funnel and campaign data to make data-driven decisions on campaign iterations and funnel adjustments.
As the amount of collected data grows, data analysis has become more and more complex.
It is often not easy to isolate the most meaningful and insightful bits and pieces of it.
The more sources you need for your monitoring and analysis, the less efficient the process.
The difference between Data Studio and existing reporting solutions is data Studio combine data from multiple sources in a single dashboard while the other solutions combine only their data (Google Analytics, Facebook analytics, Adword, Mailchimp….).
Every tool have particularities and you can manage them easily and individually.
This is a significant advantage when you need one precise data about a single source (Facebook ads, Adword…).
The pain point comes when you need a full report of your funnel or your entire activity.
You’ll lose a lot of time going through all these tools and extract data.
One Visual Dashboard To Rule Them All
Google Data Studio is the shiny new dashboarding tool analysts and marketing teams have been dreaming about for years.
Data Studio gives you the ability to create visually beautiful and compelling custom views of your data.
Data Studio can allow you to reduce the amount of time you spend pulling reports.
It’s a game changer when it comes to reporting.
🔥🔥🔥
COMPELLING FEATURES FOR AGILE MARKETERS
- No need for a Google Sheets workaround
- Get data from multiple accounts of one data source
- Blend data from multiple sources
- Compare data from different ad networks in the same char (Facebook, Google Adwords, Twitter, Linkedin..)
- Save changes automatically, just like Google Docs.
- Share and collaborate in real time. Work together quickly, from anywhere.
Connect → Visualize → Share
FIRST STEPS WITH DATA STUDIO
→ {Tuto} Insert your data sources into Google data studio which is updated automatically
→ {Tuto} Duplicate existing campaigns and import your data source
→ Best practices below
→ With Google Data Studio, you’ve got excellent results in a short amount of time
Let’s get started 😎
To get started, create an account and follow the steps.
Click “use template”
Accept the terms and conditions and click “continue”.
Next, you’ll be given the opportunity to connect your data sources so that they are aligned with the data you want to show on the dashboard.
If you haven’t used Data Studio before, you won’t have any sources set up.
Click “Create New Data Source” link below.
Once you get to the New Data Source screen, you can then choose which data systems you want to integrate into your dashboard (for example Google analytics).
Click “Select”
Data Studio will show you a list of Dimensions and Metrics that are about to be pulled into your dashboard that you can utilize (below).
You’ll notice that for this example we are using a pre existing template.
If you want to start from scratch, there are a lot of different options when you start playing with the dashboard.
Just don’t go too crazy and make it look funky :)
How to add new chart:
→{Tuto} Add a new chart
→Make a report copy
For example, if you want to know from which acquisition source your leads are, you can create a chart for that.
Click insert → Pie chart → Click “Acquisition source”
Then, insert a “Date range” to personalize.
This is an example, but you get it and you understand the power of GDS.
Change the Data Source.
Let’s imagine you created the best template ever, and you want to reutilize for another website.
Don’t worry
You can duplicate this template.
“Make a copy of this report”
Then you have to change the Data source.
Click on one of the Adwords metrics shown on the right side of the dashboard.
This will bring up the data properties option that you can utilize to change the metric.
With the properties shown, click “data source”
Then you’ll have to add new one or to select an available data source “Create new Data source”
Select the connector you’ll want to use (like Google analytics, Google AdWord…)
You have the choice between Google connectors and partners connectors.
Some of these work great, but most do not.
I would suggest trying them out, and if they work for your report your dashboard will become all the more powerful.
PRO TIPS 🙊💡
We are not gonna leave you without best practices about GDS.
1°Filter controls give power to the users
Filter controls are like coffee with chocolate, they will drive your users forward and offer a rich analysis experience.
If you choose the right filters and design them well, the analysis will be easier.
2. The Report purpose informs the design.
It is important to remember that knowing the purpose of the visualizations is critical to the conception and creation of your Reports.
Think about the main purpose of your analysis, what are your users looking for?
3. Headers and page dividers for organization and consistency
Using headers can help to streamline the experience when using a multi-page Report.
It not only brings a consistent experience to users, it also quickly tells them what data is available in a specific Page.
4. Color styling helps to guide the eyes
This helps to direct the eye.
If there are not enough colors reading can be annoying and confusing, but it’s a matter of personal preference, as some people will find too many colors difficult to read
5. Chart diversity makes the report more engaging
Having different chart types makes the analysis more interesting.
Diversity is key.
You can use line charts for trends, tables where the value is essential and visual elements will help keep users engaged.
To go further…
If you want to go further, here is a useful link:
Conclusion:
A lot of tools already exist to analyze your data, like Google analytics.
These methods have their limits, and the setup process is very time- consuming.
But, with Google Data Studio, you’ve got the same results in a couple of minutes.
But, Google Data Studio isn’t perfect.
The primary issue is that its data source integration is limited, at least directly. You will not be able to integrate the data coming from most social networks, for example
As Data Studio is still in the Beta phase of development, I would expect that this capability will be added later on.
Thanks for reading!
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