Get the Most out of Free Analytics: How Much Does a YouTube Video Comment Weigh?

• Apr 9th, 2009
• Posted by Ron
• Posted in Facebook, Social Media, Spring Creek Group, YouTube

There are many questions in the world of social media: how much should we be doing? How do we track what we’re doing? Are we doing it right? For each question there are numerous answers; enough, thoroughly, and yes, but you can do better.

In the world of search, Google and Microsoft battle for supremacy, their algorithms locked in a digital battle for search superiority.  In the world of social media, though, searches pop up every day that often look, act, and sometimes even are exactly the same.

It seems anyone with access to the Twitter API and a code monkey is coming out with some sort of Twitter-related application these days. Even perennial old-school PR house Waggener Edstrom recently got in the game. Hopefully, the name is a Beta.

You can scrape the important data rather reliably, but that, like knowing, is only half the battle. Here are five ways you can strengthen your approach to free analytics:

1)      Know your metrics for success – if you’re gathering data just to gather data with no benchmarks for success, you’re not working efficiently. Check around. See what the competition is up to and how they’re claiming their “success.” If you’re not using their measuring tape, you better be prepared to tell the world why.

2)      Hit for the cycle – every day there are countless new apps to track basically anything on the Web, but if you’re constantly changing your method of data analysis, you’re not creating continuity in your reporting.  Decide on a plan and execute a full cycle of reporting that offers enough data to spot and analyze trends.  Don’t just abandon the work you’ve already put in for the shiny, new tool.

3)      Know when to fold ‘em – you’re smart. You can spot the point of diminishing return when you see one.  Know when to change your approach and how that change will relate to the feedback and analysis you’ve already done.

4)      Submit to the gods of the interwebs – there’s one problem with using online-based interfaces for valuable analytics: the Internet fails, a lot.  Knowing this truth that even the mightiest of systems has downtime from time to time, set yourself up for success by having multiple accounts tracking the same data.  Chances are these accounts will be on different nodes and chances are a complete failure won’t happen, while individual technical difficulties will – constant Failien, anybody?

5)      Partner up – every good cop has a good partner, right?   Well, every savvy marketer should have partners as well.  It’s one thing to use a technology, but becoming a partner to the team behind the tool can bring nothing but good karma to both sides. Open lines of communication and you’ll see nothing but good.