In this post, we’ll explore key metrics you should can use to measure marketing campaign success. Assessing the success of your campaigns isn’t just about celebrating achievements. It’s also about recognising what worked, what didn’t, and how you can improve in the coming year.
Winding up to winding down
It’s that time again! There’s a mad end of year rush as we all try to squeeze as much as humanly possible in before the Christmas break. That’s assuming your calendar follows the same schedule as mine – not always the case, but definitely a big “yes!” for most of my clients.
So, how did your marketing efforts measure up this year? Do you have the numbers at your fingertips, or are you looking at a muddy pool of rather expensive uncertainty? Perhaps it’s a case of “Numbers? What numbers?!”
It may not feel like it, but now is the perfect time to stop, reflect, and carve out time to measure marketing campaign success over the last 12 months. So let’s take a breath, relax, and look at the tools, techniques, and metrics you can use to measure your digital marketing campaign success.
Key metrics to measure marketing campaign success
1. Define your marketing goals
Before diving into the data, let’s revisit the goals you set at the beginning of the year. What did you want your marketing to do for you? Were you aiming for increased website traffic, lead generation, brand awareness, or sales growth?
Defining your objectives will help you measure your success against the targets you initially set. Don’t feel too guilty if you don’t have a well-defined goal up your sleeve. Take the time now to think about what you would like your marketing to achieve for you and go with that.
2. Website traffic analysis
Next we need to look at some numbers. One of the most straightforward metrics to assess is website traffic. You can use free tools like Google Analytics to evaluate number such as:
If you don’t have measurement set up on your site, talk to us about how you can get this done right now. You’re missing out on invaluable, free information about how customers are finding and using your website.
3. Website actions and engagement metrics
Once you’ve attracted visitors to your website, it’s essential to gauge how engaged they are with your content. Key metrics to measure the success of your content marketing include:
- Bounce rate: A high bounce rate may indicate that visitors aren’t finding what they expected. In short, they arrive at your site, don’t find what they need, and bounce right off again.
- Average session duration: Longer sessions typically suggest that users are engaged with your content. They’ve found something interesting or useful – like this article hopefully! – and hang around to read to the end.
- Pages per session: This number tells you how many pages a visitor views during a single visit. More pages generally mean higher engagement. Your visitor is interested enough to browse around the site to find more good quality information.
4. Conversion rates
Let’s not mince words, the end goal of any marketing campaign is to convert visitors into customers. Whether you’re looking at sign-ups, downloads, or sales, conversion rates are critical to understanding your campaign’s effectiveness.
The conversion rate percentage is calculated like this: (number of conversions / total number of visitors) * 100. Measure the conversion rate of your marketing campaigns using:
5. Social media performance
Social media is just one strand of a multi channel digital marketing campaign. As such, social media marketing campaign success should always be measured in the context of your overarching strategy.
So if you use social media as part of your marketing strategy, you can evaluate its effectiveness by looking at:
6. Customer feedback and satisfaction
Never overlook the value of direct feedback from your customers, whether positive or negative. This is your exclusive link to your actual customers. So it’s really important to listen to what they’re telling you.
Consider using surveys or feedback forms to gather insights from your customers about their experiences. Make these simple and easy to complete so you’re more likely to get the information.
Some simple questions to ask your customers include:
7. Identify areas for improvement
Once you’ve gathered and assessed your data, it’s time to identify areas for improvement. Yes, you’ve had some success and you should celebrate that, but what can you do even better in the next 12 months. This gap analysis is what will inform your marketing strategy moving forward into the new year.
Look for trends or patterns in your metrics that may suggest weaknesses in your strategy. Perhaps your SEO efforts need refining, or maybe your email marketing could benefit from more targeted segmentation.
New year marketing planning and strategy
We all know in our souls that reflecting on the marketing success of the last 12 months allows you to gain valuable insights into your marketing strategy and set a strong foundation for new year. But do you make the time to actually do it?
If you’re anything like me, the answer is probably “not enough”. Let’s take that damaging internalised criticism out of the equation and work together to get it done. I guarantee it’s not as painful as you’re telling yourself it is.
By measuring your marketing campaign success using these key metrics, you’ll be empowered to refine your strategies, create results you can be proud of, and really nurture your business.
Ready to measure your marketing campaign success?
If you need support in analysing your marketing data or planning your strategy for the next 12 months, don’t hesitate to reach out.
At Davison & Brain Digital, we’re here to help you achieve your goals and grow your business. Book a free consultation call today.
