Getting Started

Two words of advice about getting started in marketing metrics: start small!

Select one advertising tactic or one PR tactic to measure, apply the metric, and see how well it works for you. Then refine the metric based on what you learn. Meanwhile, select an additional tactic to measure. And so on.

In this way, you can keep building your measurement program until you are productively measuring every tactic that's measurable and worth measuring. And along the way, you will have avoided the risk of changing too many things at once.

If you are not sure which tactic to select as your first, apply either of these two criteria:

1. It looks like an easy tactic to measure. Some tactics are easy to measure, some are impossible or nearly impossible, and most are somewhere in between. You can gain experience and confidence more quickly if you start with an easier challenge.

2. It's an important tactic to measure. You may have one tactic that's so important that you need to tackle it first. For example, it may be the most expensive tactic in your advertising or PR program.

As you think about the expansion of your measurement program, be reasonable. Don't expect to be able to measure everything. Remember, some things can't be measured at a reasonable cost, and some are too small or short-lived to bother with.

See this example.

If you're running a department in a medium or large company, be sure that these decisions are consistent with your company's established business plan. Or, if you're running your own small business, be sure that these decisions are consistent with your small business plan.

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