Updated: Oct 28, 2022
In the marketing of any kind, whether its digital form or more traditional, it is of the utmost importance to maintain and track your specific metrics. This is because tracking your metrics allows you to understand and decide your current standings, what your goal or target is, and if your current marketing strategy is working. With this information in hand, it allows you to adjust your marketing strategy if needed, it allows you to set reasonable SMART targets, and gives you the information you need to market effectively.
What are SMART Targets?
SMART targets are a goal that people often set for their business to achieve, SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. The idea is that you set a goal that is within the parameters of these criteria, so by tracking your metrics and keeping up to date on your data you have all the information you need to devise targets and goals. By tracking your metrics, you have all the data to set goals specifically, because you know where you currently stand and what you should set your target as. Your metrics also allow you to make the target achievable because you can review your past numbers and metrics and that can lead you to decide on a target that is achievable and realistic. Additionally, the fact that you have metrics and are actively tracking them makes the goal of being measurable very easy because your metrics are measurable and you can see clearly if you hit your target, fell short, or overperformed and you can adjust your next SMART target accordingly. Tracking your metrics can also ensure that your targets are relevant to your company’s priority as you can analyse your metrics to decide which metric or what combination has the most correlation to your overarching goal. They also allow you to set a realistic time period for your SMART target because you can see your previous growth or statistics and how in what time period it was done, so you are more well informed to set a deadline that is realistic and achievable.
Now that you can see that just one of the benefits to tracking your metrics is being able to set SMART targets and make sure that they ascertain the criteria of SMART and in turn give your business or client some realistic and beneficial targets with all of the due diligence performed. For more information on how to use SMART Targets, click here.
Is Tracking Metrics Important?
Yes, there is a multitude of reasons why tracking your metrics is essential to any form of marketing, one example is the fact that you need to see what the work you have been carrying out is doing, whether it is negatively impacting, or the growth has been impressive? The only way to determine this is through tracking your metrics because you can see the gains and losses in many mediums and decide if your current work is beneficial, pointless, or even harmful. “Marketing without data is like driving with your eyes closed” Dan Zarrella pointed out that marketing without tracking your metrics and data is nearly impossible because you cannot see where you are, where you have been, and where you are going.
Data being important is quite evident, but there are ways to make the most of your data and metrics and you can compile quite effective spreadsheets with your data, giving you a lot of insight. You can learn to recognise certain trends and other behaviours and you can start to understand the early signs that your marketing is working or not working. Along with this understanding comes the ability to identify who is visiting your website, where they come from, and how long they are staying on each page, through this you can surmise the exact reasoning that you saw a steep increase or decrease in page views and click through rates.
Should you Track Social Media Metrics?
If you are running ads on various social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and other major ad networks such as Bing ads and Google Adwords, then you need to track their performances accurately. The only way to do this is by tracking your data, there is no point in running ads if you have no idea which are successful and which are a waste of money. Furthermore, bringing all of these elements together, and tracking your metrics allows you to create a customer-centric product where tracking your marketing campaign allows you to understand exactly what your target customer expects from your product/services and see what works. This is paramount because you can easily spend a heavy amount on your marketing promotion, but it will be nigh on impossible to sustain your business with a poor product or service. This is why understanding and tracking your metrics lets you understand who is interested in your product and from there you can do competitor research to see what works for other people in your niche and combine all this information to streamline your product or service into the best product it can be, all from tracking data and metrics.
Related to this article is the Remarketing article
For all our other articles, please click here.
Updated: Oct 28, 2022
Many of you out there will be using an Instagram feed on your websites, but did you know that on March the 31st 2020, Instagram will be changing its existing API from (Basic) to (Graph).
This means many of you who have migrated to the new API will need to reconnect your Instagram accounts so that the new API can work, if you do not reconnect before March 31, your current Instagram feed may not appear on your website.
What is an API and why do I need it?
API stands for "Application Program Interface" and it allows apps to talk to and function with Instagram, for example many of our clients request to have an Instagram feed on their website to showcase photos of works they have undertaken. The Instagram API allows for the feed to
communicate with the live account and to feed the information through to their website.
If you want to find out more about the API update and how it may affect you and your business, you can find out more on the Instagram developer page here.
If you are planning on integrating your Instagram account to your website, why not reach out to a member of the SEO Flatrate team, you can do this by calling our head office on 01202 911141 or by emailing the Support team here.
OMG, the 2019 SEO Flatrate 'Christmas Tree Bonanza' is back!
It's Christmas and boy did it come round fast this year and we have been chased yet again for our Christmas offers and as in every year before this one, we will of course be running the SEO Flatrate Christmas Tree Bonanza!
Last year was again a successful Christmas tree bonanza, with over 90 applicants looking to win the main prize and to cash in on a free £170 SEO Flatrate Search Engine Optimisation service for their online business. Last years prize was won by the Bournemouth based Drone Service Company "Drone Services Dorset".
For all those who have never heard of the SEO Flatrate Christmas Tree Bonanza, it is now time for you to pull your socks up and pay attention :-).
If you dont own your own business maybe you know of someone with an online business who is desperately looking to get noticed on the Search Engines this will make a fantastic Christmas present!
So what is The SEO Flatrate Christmas Tree Bonanza you ask?
Well, it is all a bit of fun and games to be honest, we have all heard of "Where's Wally" right? Well instead of hunting down Wally, this time you are hunting for the SEO Flatrate Christmas tree.
So where have we hidden the Christmas tree and can anyone take part??
Well, this year as every other year, we have taken the time to hide an SEO Flatrate "Christmas tree" somewhere on our website! We won't tell you where it is, then that would be cheating right!
The winner can be a person or a company, all you need to do is to tell us exactly where the Christmas tree is hidden on our website. The winner takes it all here at the Christmas Tree Bonanza and we will put all applicants in to a hat and pick one lucky winner, the results will be announced on our social media platforms in January 2020!!
Anyone can take part, you don't need to be a customer the rules are simple and very rewarding for anyone who needs Search Engine Optimisation for their website, blog or video.
What is SEO?
Please take a look at some of our other blogs or simply click here to find out more about how SEO can help you grow your business and drive more potential customers to your website.
How do I notify you when I have found the SEO Flatrate Christmas Tree?
Simply contact us, letting us know who you are and where the Christmas tree is hidden, we will reply in the New Year and let you know that we have received your suggestion.
The winner will be announced on our social media accounts in the week of 6th of January 2020.
So without further delay, let the 2019 SEO Flatrate Christmas Tree Bonanza games begin!
