Use Google Data Studio to make sense out of your data
Have you been wishing for a smarter, faster way to approach your data reporting?
Because marketing analytics is so vital for your planning and tracking, it really pays to find the most effective, dynamic ways to collect, manage, and make sense of your data in as hassle-free a way as possible.
Lucky for you, Google has gifted the masses with yet another powerful tool to help busy data-driven marketers like you: Google Data Studio (GDS)!
Today’s blog post will cover:
- What you need to know about GDS
- The benefits of GDS
- And a few hot tips for savvy use
So grab your favorite cup of productivity fuel, and let’s jump in!
What Should You Know About Google Data Studio?
GDS is a free reporting tool that helps you collect and organize all of your marketing data in one place, making your complex data quite simple with a little effort.
From here, it can be branded and customized for reports that don’t merely deliver numbers and statistics for your meetings… but they also lend a style and readability that provides an experience sure to impress and save you from having to explain and interpret everything bit by bit!
With GDS, your marketing data can automatically be collected from up to 12 different sources. These sources will fall into one of two categories, and connecting them will be slightly different depending on where they come from.
These two types of connector categories are Google Connectors and Partner Connectors.
Google Connectors
Google Connectors are any tools that are owned by Google and are accessible simply by finding them in your navigation menu. Tools such as Google Ads, Youtube, Google Analytics, Google Merchandise Store, and more.
Partner Connectors
Partners are third-party tools that will help you import data from almost any source you need. You will have to pay for most of them, but then you can integrate stats from Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Mailchimp, Pipedrive, and more.
Manual Compilation Option
If Google Connectors won’t connect you to all your desired sources, and you’re not willing to pay for the data integration of those that charge, you can manually export data from different sources to a spreadsheet and use the Google Sheets connector.
It can be time-consuming to export and update data, so you might want to use automation for that, but we’ll save that for a different blog post as it can be a lengthy process to explain!
How Will You Benefit From Using Google Data Studio?
I’m sure you already have a good idea of how simplifying complex data chunks into easy to read reports pretty much sells itself, but just in case you need to see a few more perks before taking the FREE leap, here ya go!
1. Get Started Fast: Go to Google Data Studio, start by connecting your Google Analytics account, and play around with it to get a feel for the flow. Easy peasy! No huge downloads and hoops to jump through.
2. Reporting The Way You Want: Your reports can be brief or lengthy, depending on your needs, and they’re quickly customizable based on the level of information you want to convey.
Maybe you like bite-sized weekly reports? Maybe you like one big-kahuna of a report that stays relevant for the quarter with real-time updating? You can have it however you want it.
If only everything in life was so simple!
3. Interactive & Easy To Understand Visuals: There are many types of charts and graphics you can use to navigate your data easily. If rows of numbers make you itchy, you’ll love the variety of visual widgets you can add to your reports for simplicity and instant understanding at a glance.
Side note: Unlike with Google Analytics, you can use as many widgets as you like!
4. Real-time Data Viewing: You can get the most recent data available to show in your reports WITHOUT having to manually update numbers every time you need to see current information.
You can also set it to show data from a specific time-frame — all in the same report depending on how you share it.
5. Collaborative Report Creation: You can share your reports just as you can in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc.
This gives you the benefit of being able to have multiple team members contributing to and reviewing LIVE as needed without having to worry about converting, attaching, emailing PDF’s back and forth.
Nor will you need to purchase platforms with multiple user accounts, sharing passwords and login info, and such just so you can have all vital contributors able to access and edit quickly.
You can also share your reports with Link Sharing that can be accessed anytime for live updates and swappable data viewing, as shared in #4.
Data Studio is loaded with endless reporting possibilities, but it can also get a bit complicated for those who like to get a little click-happy. Here are a few bonus tips just in case!
Bonus Tips For Use!
Bonus Tip 1: If you’re the type of person who gets overwhelmed with unlimited options and creative potential, you might want to start off with GDS’s ready-made templates at first! Let this be as easy as possible, then customize bit by bit thereafter.
This will also help you get used to working with other Google Connectors such as Google ads, Youtube, Google Analytics, Google Merchandise Store, and more.
Bonus Tip 2: Use GDS’s learning center (found in the Help Menu) to check out their tutorials, tips, and trainings to shorten your learning curve and begin creating your reports quickly.
Even the most powerful tool is useless if it’s never given a job.
Bonus Tip 3: Did you know you can boost your SEO with Data Studio as well? Check out this blog for 3 Quick-Win GDS SEO Reporting Tips, but save that for AFTER you’ve gotten the basics down, so you don’t get distracted.
So Are You In Love Yet?
As we bring a close to our Marketing Analytics Series, hopefully you’re feeling more educated and inspired on fast and practical ways you can become more data-savvy in your business and marketing.
We’ve covered a LOT in these last nine articles — if you missed a few, check them out here! Some simple, some very complex, but all very important for making sure your marketing efforts bring you the results you desire.
If you feel your digital strategy has a few gaps you’d like help bridging, we’d love to invite you to schedule a free Marketing Analytics consulting session with one of our data professionals.
Otherwise, thanks for joining us for this series and comment below with suggestions of what you’d like to see coming up in future blogs! We have a feature specifically for Start-ups next in line, don’t miss out!
