Pierre DeBois with Avinash Kaushik at Search Engine Strategies expo - SES New York 2012
Avinash Kaushik (@avinash), Google Analytics evangelist, kicked of Search Engine Strategies New York 2012 (#SESNY ), with the gusto and interest that would certainly rev any warm-blooded analyst. I had the opportunity to listen to him (see also a review of his book Web Analytics 2.0 on Small Business Trends)
Throughout his presentation, Avinash noted the irony in how online marketing is approached. “We try to acquire a ton of traffic, but you are only attracting people to show up for your digital existence. We measuring everything but instead we over optimize our measured sites – we don’t get to the big picture, the macro experience that should answer the “So what?” How does this affect our business."
To get to that so what Avinash advocated the group to embrace economic value in the campaign path – understanding that messages that encourage people to buy should identify the value of each avenue to purchase. “A group of people will see a search on Yahoo, look for a discount code, then commit to a purchase,” Avinash explained. “In life people can have multiple steps leading to an economic value – so how do you optimize your budget for that experience?”
To apply the value Avinash describes, marketers should look to an Optimal Attribution Model. These are steps meant to measure the value of what is discovered. The measure occurs from a number of variables, tested to optimization. The cycle is repeated, allowing marketers to do three important activities that will lead to meaningful answers for the business.
1. To understand what we did with the campaign
2. To refine through testing
3. Be less wrong
Avinash Kaushik speaks about atribution at SES New York 2012
Avinash goes on to explain that “We must move away from “data pukers” and put strategy before data. We must seek a Scientific Method and Design of Experiment for calculating value….If 10% of your budget is not used to fail faster, it is impossible to identify where to experiment.”
“Today we look at all this data, but we do so to shout loud at people instead of engage meaningfully. We are coming to social web revolution, with connect between people as much as marketing in the center.” Avinash showed a circle of people with connections along the circle and spokes to the center where marketing is - a representation that access is 360 degree.
Avinash ended his presentation by reminding the audience to note 3 incredible things about their campaigns
1. Ask So What? Focus on the value.
2 Do social because it delivers economic value – gain precision engagement
3. Why is the activity happening
Avinash gave an example from a big box store in which “$1 of each paid search lead to $15 offline sales, leading with 22% contribution margin.”
Those are numbers any retailer should pay attention to.
Avinash displayed an attribution circle model to show how marketing sources connects people to a digital existence - imagining the data associated is a great purpose for an digital analytics solution
