Show me the numbers:
basic metrics Susan Mernit Oakland Local at Learning LAB 2013 Renaissance Journalism Center, SF University January 11, 2013

What we’re discussing •
How can I look at core metrics and use them to grow what I do? • What are the basic tools and 8ps to work with? • How do I make decisions based on metrics data? • What are best prac8ces to follow working with metrics in an ongoing way? • What are some good 8me management prac8ces around metrics repor8ng 2 All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

QuesMons Answered How can
I look at What are the basic How do I make core metrics and use tools and 8ps to decisions based on them to grow what I work with? metrics data? do? What are best What are some good prac8ces to follow Mme management working with pracMces around metrics in an metrics reporMng? ongoing way? 3 All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

GeQng started with metrics
• Web analy)cs is the measurement, collecMon, analysis and reporMng of internet data for purposes of understanding and opMmizing web usage Metrics are CORE for any small site operator 4 All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

Core measurement tools Google
Analytics Facebook & Facebook Insights Twitter & Tweetreach All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org 5

• Google Analy)cs dashboard measures
site data including • Traffic • Audience • Content • Geography knightdigitalmediacenter.org 6

EssenMal GA metrics to evaluate
– Time spent – Pages viewed – Returning vs. new visitors – Referral source – LocaMon – Unique visitors – Page views – PlaYorms But it’s a matrix: Metrics are most meaningful in relaMonship to one another 7 All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

Watching the GA connecMons to
drive site growth • Google AnalyMcs factors: – Referral traffic: Where are the most engaged users coming from? (referral traffic/Mme spent metrics) – Content behaviors: What is average )me spent per story? How do content stats per story (NOT averages) relate? – Content: What keywords drive traffic for my site? – What are top entrance pages (correlate with search engine traffic) All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org 8

Decisions based on Google
AnalyMcs • Type of content (topics, trending issues, cost) • Geographic focus (review of locaMon & mission) • Social media markeMng outreach: Focus on top social media referral sources based on – Top referrers – Best Mme spent metrics from specific referrers – Campaign reviews (newsleders) All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org 9

LocaMon: Checking geographic focus
The LocaMon tab (under Audience Demographics) shows where your audience is from— essen)al for sales/ funders 10 All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

Understanding Mobile Under Audience,
Google Analytics will tell you what percentage of your audience Is via mobile—and which platforms 11 All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

GA: Checking content & interest
vs. referrals IMPACT: Improve understanding of top content and referral sources 12 All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

Other core metrics tools
Facebook Insights Twitter Likes Followers Comments Retweets Tweet reach Facebook Insights Measures tweet Measures Facebook impact page data 13

Facebook Insights-­‐Admins can access
Insights is the equivalent Of Google Analy)cs for Business—not personal-­‐Facebook pages—need 30+ followers Data is exportable—correlate with Google Analy)cs in your analyses 14 All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

Use the FB demographics data!
Who’s talking shows demographics—key for adverMsers—and for targeMng content 15 All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

Facebook provides INSTANT feedback
Content & Audience Ads & social marke)ng • What’s popular (views) • Tracking response on social • What’s being referred (viral) markeMng/promoMon posts • Who is your audience • Tracking likes & reposts (followers & demographics) Apply Facebook data to recruit new adverMsers, fine tune your content, define audiences, drive traffic to website All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org 16

Tweetreach is a criMcal Twider
metrics tool 17

• Shows most retweeted
• Shows top retweeters • Shows top tweets and how far each reach 18 All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

Oakland Local: Tweetreach How
many people are you reaching via TwiNer—and who are they? Tweetreach gives you data 19 All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

Tweetreach report First screen
All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org 20

Tweetreach data dive—who’s ContribuMng
to your stream? All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org 21

Workflow and process best
pracMces Source: http://fobango.com knightdigitalmediacenter.org 22

Create a reporMng dashboard to
track stats over Mme-­‐ Excel Spreadsheet tracking key metrics month by month, quarter by quarter. Build or download a template to collect data Check data weekly 23 All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

Your dashboard should track
Let’s discuss: how does this work • Google Analy)cs as a weekly/daily report? • Unique visitors • First Mme vs. repeat visitors • Time on site • Pages per visit • Bounce rate • Top 10 Content (by page views or by unique visitors) • Number of comments (conversion goal) • Number of member blog posts (conversion goal) • New members (conversion goal) • Top referring sources All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org 24

Your dashboard should track
Let’s discuss: how does this work as a weekly/daily report? • Facebook Insights • Followers • Demographics • LocaMon • Likes/virality • Tweetreach • Top Tweets • Top Tweeters • Most retweeted All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org 25

Want to learn more?
Videos on the Official Google AnalyMcs YouTube Channel are a quality resource. 26 All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org

Putting knowledge To work— Things
to Ask & Try 27 All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org Source: http://blog.podio.com

When do you check stats?
• Daily or weekly • Monthly – 30 minutes or less – 90 minutes – Review all stat sources – Look at basic – Build a monthly report weekly stats – Compare 6 month trend • Top content data • Google AnalyMcs • Top referrers • Facebook Insights • Tweetreach • Time spent/ bounce metrics All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org 28

PuUng info to work-­‐-­‐Start with
basic analysis Planning • What is your site’s greatest strength according to Google AnalyMcs? • Example: High number of returning visits, high Mme spent on pages metrics • Use stats to portray your strengths-­‐Create a 1 pager • What is a problem you see in your site that Google AnalyMcs shows you? – Example: High bounce rate, poor referrals from social media despite puQng investment there – Use stats to portray-­‐-­‐Create a 1 pager All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org 29

Workflow: Monthly reporMng? •
What does a monthly report about your site look like? – Construct a monthly report across all data sources highlighMng metrics you consider meaningful/ important – Make some inferences/asserMons and test them All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org 30

Followup • Should we
have a peer learning circle? More trainings? YOU TELL US – If yes, contact susan@oaklandlocal.com – More on metrics (including the basics): hdp://slideshare.com/susanmernit – More individual and group training possible— contact susan@oaklandlocal.com – See this preso and download at hNp://slideshare.com/susanmernit All rights reserved. Houseoflocal.org 31