Bounce rates have long been a standard key performance indicator (KPI) in digital marketing reports. However, with the transition to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), Google has recently deprioritized bounce rate as they are focusing more on engagement. This reframing of performance brings about a multitude of challenges. Marketers need to understand the disparities and implications between these nuanced metrics so they can guide key stakeholders through this evolving ecosystem.
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On July 1st, 2023, Google's Universal Analytics properties stopped processing data. If you haven't set up Google Analytics 4 to track your digital fundraising efforts yet, now is the time. The new Google Analytics has the ability to provide advanced insights across platforms, but only if you set it up properly. Keep reading for a step-by-step guide on how to implement GA4.
Garbage in, garbage out. Or, as I like to say, G.I.G.O.
I suspect many of you reading this are familiar with this concept.
The concept is that if you input flawed information into a system, your output is also going to be flawed. It’s really a pretty simple idea.
I’m also betting that if you are familiar with the concept, there’s a good chance it’s because you’ve encountered G.I.G.O. firsthand.
What does nonprofit budgeting and forecasting have to do with “The Wizard of Oz?”
Let’s think back to the beginning of the movie, when Dorothy stumbles upon Professor Marvel, who conjures an image of Auntie Em in his crystal ball. Does he have mystical powers? I think not. A carefully adapted apparatus that provides insight and directs the subsequent actions of wayward Dorothy? Absolutely! If she had met the future dream state Wizard earlier in the day, maybe she would have made it to the shelter in time. While we’re glad she didn’t — as that would have negated one of the greatest movies of all time — in the shelter is where you need to be in real life.
A recent KPMG study found that a whopping 86% of consumers have a growing concern about the privacy of the data collected by organizations. Four in 10 worry about it being used ethically. What does this tell us? As nonprofit professionals, we need to align with the current consumer data privacy concerns that are emerging.
Before my time in the nonprofit space, I worked with large commercial B2C brands facing the challenge of housing and leveraging valuable end-user data. To be the trusted advisor my clients needed, I would regularly attend conferences to understand the challenges that marketers and their partners faced. Dreamforce, SXSW, Digital Summit. When my career focus shifted to serving nonprofit organizations, I found that by continuing to observe and learn from consumer marketers, I was able to bring novel thinking and alternative perspectives to benefit my new client partnerships.
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We can’t help it. We love making dashboards to help data-driven nonprofit organizations with their marketing and fundraising goals. And nothing is going to stop us.
THD lens is a suite of interactive dashboards that combines a multitude of data sources to visualize your data quickly, cleanly, and in context in a way that would otherwise not be possible without significant effort.
Today, we are showcasing our new Digital Marketing Suite, a collection of eight brand new dashboard views, which we customized based on our clients’ wish lists. Highlighted below are a few of my favorite views to give you a sense of what is possible with this next-generation set of THD lens business intelligence dashboards:
There’s never a dull moment in the world of digital fundraising. Staying on top of the shifts that have implications for your bottom line is daunting, so our Digital Team has summarized three recent, major developments in digital fundraising that need to be on your radar.
Read on, and if you want to go deeper with us, we’re standing by to take your call.
| SUMMER 2021 UPDATE: Big news! In June, Google officially pushed out the date Chrome will end support for third-party cookies in its Chrome browser from early 2022 (as originally announced in January 2020) to the second half of 2023. For many, the delay is welcome news. After all, it gives nonprofit marketers more time to adapt and develop privacy-focused alternatives in key areas like ad measurement, delivering relevant ads and content, and fraud detection. However, while the timeline has shifted, make no mistake that the end of third-party cookies still represents the seismic shift to the mechanics of the digital marketing landscape that we’ve been expecting. Like before the delay was announced, digital marketers and fundraisers need to prepare their organizations for these shifts. |
What if I told you that you may be looking at your web analytics all wrong? What if what you see when you log in to Google Analytics was a big, fat data lie? What if Tom Brady had stayed with the Patriots? I can help you with exactly two of those questions. It all comes down to attribution and a dirty little habit called “last click.” Come closer and hear my (tongue-in-cheek) cautionary tale ...
First, let’s get some background. So, what is attribution and why do you need to understand it?
We’ve been busy in our home laboratories during these past few months. After lots of testing (and retesting), we now have a new way to spot your program and audience trends — and do it faster than ever.
