This document discusses integrating analytics across digital channels to measure success along the consumer journey for higher education institutions. It outlines moving beyond individual social media or email metrics to understand how audiences engage across channels. Examples of integrated metrics include social referrals, landing pages, and conversions tied to goals. The document also provides examples of using integrated analytics in advancement reporting, such as measuring the impact of announcements on website visits and programmatic goals. The overall message is that an integrated approach to analytics allows higher education institutions to better illustrate user journeys and optimize efforts.

1. INTEGRATED ANALYTICS:
MEASURING SUCCESS ALONG THE JOURNEY
#CASED1
Gene Begin / @gbegin
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Wheaton College
Vanessa Theoharis / @vanessatsmiles
Associate Director, Integrated Content Strategy
Babson College

3. OUR OBJECTIVE
MAKE DIGITAL CHANNELS MATTER BY
COMMUNICATING HOW THEY
DRIVE VALUE FOR OUR INSTITUTIONS.

4. AN INTEGRATED JOURNEY

5. HIGHER EDUCATION CONSTITUENCY MAP

6. Consider Evaluate Buy
Good
Luck? Alumni
HIGHER EDUCATION’S PAST RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE CONSUMER DECISION JOURNEY
Apply
Engage
Enroll
Register

7. TODAY’S HIGHERED CONSTITUENCY JOURNEY
THE LOYALTY LOOP

10. WHERE WE TYPICALLY GET DATA
Data Sources

11. DATA SOURCES: SOCIAL MEDIA
 Platforms
 Facebook Insights
 Twitter Analytics
 LinkedIn Analytics
 YouTube Analytics
 Iconosquare (for Instagram)
 Monitoring Tools
 Advocacy Tool (i.e. GaggleAMP)
 Private Community Measurement and Engagement
 Qualitative Feedback

12. SOCIAL PLATFORMS AS DATA SOURCES
While this data is valuable… why is it not enough?
 Focused on individual platform engagement and growth
 Siloed within channels
 May rely on assumptions
 Primarily support the “Advocacy” stage
 Does not illustrate our users’ integrated journeys

13. DATA SOURCES: EMAIL
 Email Management System
 Open Rate
 Click Through Rate
 Opt-Outs
 Giving Code Tracking
 Conversions Based on
Timeframe

14. EMAIL SYSTEMS AS DATA SOURCES
While this data is valuable… why is it not enough?
 Focused on individual email performance
rather than integration across emails
and other channels
 Higher Ed use of email is usually
multidimensional, with numerous goals
communicated around the same time
 Siloed within channels
 May rely on assumptions
 Does not illustrate our users’ integrated journeys

15. GOOGLE ANALYTICS
The Social Report

16. THE SOCIAL REPORT: FROM GOOGLE
“The [Social Reports] bridge the gap between social
media and the business metrics you care about -
allowing you to better measure the full value of the
social channel for your business.”
Measuring Social Media Impact
• Network Referrals
• Landing Pages
• Conversions

17. THE SOCIAL REPORT: QUESTIONS
1. Which social networks drive engaged visitors?
2. From social networks, what website content have
our audiences engaged with the most?
3. How does traffic from social networks impact
programmatic goals?

18. THE SOCIAL REPORT: OVERVIEW
Acquisition > Social

19. THE SOCIAL REPORT: NETWORK REFERRALS

20. Secondary
Dimensions
• Social Network
• Date
THE SOCIAL REPORT: LANDING PAGES

21. THE SOCIAL REPORT: CONVERSIONS
Based on goals (i.e. Program Inquiries, Donations, Alumni Class Notes)

22. GOOGLE ANALYTICS
Campaigns for Email Communications

23. EMAIL CAMPAIGNS: FROM GOOGLE
“Email campaigns are a cost-effective way of attracting quality
return visitors to your site. It's important that you tag your
email campaigns with campaign tags so that you can track
how well each email performs. This lets you optimize your
efforts and track your return on investment.”
Measuring Email Impact
• Channels
• Campaigns
Tips for Tracking Email Marketing Campaigns
Google URL Builder

24. EMAIL CAMPAIGNS
Acquisition > All Traffic > Channels > Primary Dimension: Source

25. WHERE DOES THE DATA FIT
IN THE JOURNEY?
Advancement Reporting and Dashboards

26. TODAY’S HIGHERED CONSTITUENCY JOURNEY
THE LOYALTY LOOP

27. THE WAYS WE MEASURE ADVANCEMENT
ALONG THE JOURNEY
Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs)
AWARE CONSIDER EVALUATE BUY ENJOY
Social Engagement
• Impressions
• Reach
• Comments
• Shares
Email Opens
Social Followers
Email CTR/VTR
Page Views
Time on Site
Giving: $$ and
Participation
Volunteering
Ambassadorship
Event Attendance
Social Comments/
Sharing

28. QUARTERLY DASHBOARD
 Shared with Senior Leadership
 Shared with Program Managers
 Shared with Marketing & Social Media Councils
 Data Helps Drive Future Campaigns and Content
 Use Data to…
– Educate
– Educate
– Educate

29. EXAMPLE:
MAJOR INSTITUTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 Institutional “digital announcements” shared primarily through social
channels and email.
 Measure the impact of announcements on new visitors to the website
(become aware) and programmatic goals (consider/buy).
 Use data to illustrate how audiences engage with the content.
Sample Goals:
Undergraduate Inquiries
Graduate Inquiries
Executive Education Inquiries
Alumni Class Notes

30. YOUR NEW MANTRA

31. THANK YOU
#CASED1
Gene Begin / @gbegin
Vice President, Marketing & Communications
Wheaton College
Vanessa Theoharis / @vanessatsmiles
Associate Director, Integrated Content Strategy
Babson College