Using analytics to improve your marketing efforts

If you’re doing marketing but not measuring it, you won’t know what’s working. This guide shows you how to start using analytics to track your activity, spot what’s effective, and make better decisions. It covers setting goals, where to find analytics, and measuring impact of your marketing tactics.

What are marketing analytics?

Marketing analytics are the processes and technologies that allow you to evaluate the success of your marketing initiatives. Most tools that you use for marketing will have some form of analytics. The best marketing strategies involve collecting data from various marketing channels, analysing it, and using the insights to improve your marketing efforts.

The essentials of using marketing analytics for your business

Using marketing analytics can be a daunting task, let’s break it down into a process that you can put into action today.

1. Define your business objectives

Start by defining clear objectives for your business. What do you hope to achieve in the next month, year or even 5 years? Being specific with what your top level objectives are will make your smaller objectives clearer.

If you want to increase sales through organic marketing, you probably need to grow your audience. If you want to cut ad spend, focus on improving your CPC. Be clear on your goal—do you want to increase sales, boost customer engagement, or improve brand awareness? Clear goals guide your data analysis and help you focus on the metrics that matter.

2. Define your strategy

Your strategy explains how you’ll achieve your objectives. It connects your goals to your marketing activity. Without a clear strategy, data collection won’t be meaningful.

Start by identifying what type of activity will best support your goals. For example:

• To grow your audience: focus on content marketing, SEO, and social media.
• To increase customer engagement: look at email, remarketing, or community-building tactics.
• To reduce ad spend: focus on improving campaign targeting, optimising landing pages, or building organic traffic.

Then, choose the right channels by asking:

• Where is your target audience active?
• What kind of content or messaging performs well there?
• What’s the cost (money or time) to get results on each channel?

Match your tactics to each channel. For example:

• On Instagram: visual content, reels, stories, regular posting, influencer partnerships.
• On email: segmented lists, automated campaigns, personalised content.
• On search: optimised landing pages, regular blog content, keyword strategy.

You don’t need to be everywhere. Prioritise one or two channels that fit your audience and capacity. Your strategy should focus your effort, not spread it thin. Read my strategy guide for an indepth look at building your marketing strategy.

3. Define your milestones (marketing objectives)

Now that you have a strategy in place, you can think of what milestones help to showcase if you are achieving your goals. Try not to be vague with your goals, as this can lead to scope-creep or frustration.

A good objective is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound). Here is an example of a smart objective for a business that has had an instagram account for a year and has 300 followers, but wants to grow:

“Grow instagram followers from 300 to 500 in 3 months”

This goal has all of the characteristics of a “Smart objective”. For each change you make, set a specific goal so you know what success looks like.

4. Select the correct tools

There are numerous tools available for marketing analytics, each with its strengths and weaknesses. Some popular choices include Google Analytics for website data, HubSpot for inbound marketing analytics, and social media analytics tools like Hootsuite.

While a lot of these are free, some of the more expensive tools save you time by pulling in data from multiple sources. Select tools that suit your business needs and budget.

Digital marketing analytics techniques

With the basics in position, it’s time to delve into specific digital marketing analytics techniques that can improve your marketing efforts.

A/B Testing

A/B testing, or split testing, is a method of comparing two versions of a webpage or advert to see which performs better.

By testing variables such as headlines, images, and calls-to-action, you can determine which elements resonate best with your audience.

Customer Segmentation

Segmenting your customer base allows you to tailor your marketing efforts to specific groups. By analysing data such as demographics, purchase history, and online behaviour, you can create targeted campaigns that speak directly to the needs and preferences of each segment.

Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics uses historical data to forecast future trends and behaviours. By applying algorithms to your data, you can predict customer behaviour, identify potential leads, and optimise your marketing strategies accordingly.

Implementing Data-Driven Marketing Strategies

Once you’ve acquired the necessary skills and tools, it’s time to implement data-driven marketing strategies. Here’s how:

Integrate Data Across Channels

Ensure that your data is integrated across all marketing channels, including your website, social media, email campaigns, and more. This integration allows you to have a complete view of your marketing efforts and make informed decisions based on comprehensive data.

Make Data-Driven Decisions

Use the insights gained from your marketing analytics to make decisions based on data. Whether it’s adjusting your marketing budget, tweaking your ad creatives, or targeting a new customer segment, rely on data to guide your strategies.

Continuously Monitor and Adjust

Marketing is an ever-evolving field, and what works today may not work tomorrow. Continuously monitor your marketing analytics and be prepared to adjust your strategies as necessary. This flexibility will ensure that your marketing efforts remain effective and aligned with your business goals.

Conclusion

Marketing without data is guesswork. If you want to improve what you’re doing, you need to measure it. Use the steps in this guide to set clear goals, focus your strategy, and track the right metrics. Start small, keep it consistent, and use what you learn to make better decisions.