Hi friends ππ»
It seems like everyone struggles with Google Analytics. Because it's a free Google product and versions of it have been around for over two decades (!) it's still the default way to collect data about who's visiting your website.
But for your typical busy, overstretched communications manager, the Google Analytics dashboard is not an intuitive place to learn what's happening on your website.
The interface is dense. The datapoints you're looking for are buried three levels deep in a menu. Applying a filter to a report is not for the faint of heart.
If you can identify with this ππ»this week's suggestion is for you!
It will help you level up your Google Analytics skills, and is a smart way to spend down any remaining professional development budget you have left before the end of the year.
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My go-to for Google Analytics training
I get a lot of requests for Google Analytics audits and analytics training. More than I have capacity to fulfill.
When the person asking really needs a consultant, I do my best to refer them to someone who can help.
But often, the real need is just accessible training.
So many nonprofit communications team members rely on Google Analytics to prepare reports and develop marketing strategy, but struggle to find the data they need (and feel confident that the data is correct ... right?)
My go-to recommendation: the Practical GA4 Course from Dana DiTomaso at Kickpoint Playbook!
Google Analytics 4 is a powerful tool, but using it requires specific skills and knowledge. While there are a ton of free resources available online, it's exhausting trying to sort through the fluff to find resources that are actually informative.
The course covers a lot of ground, and all in a super accessible, friendly format. Honestly, Dana is a great teacher, and a highly respected educator on analytics globally, so you're learning from the best!
You'll cover:
- Analytics property setup
- Identifying an issues with an existing analytics property
- How to track visitor acquisition channels
- How to measure engagement
- How to generate reports
- Troubleshooting errors
And on top of all the lessons, you also get access to a host of resources and templates.
If you want to test the water, you can use this link to get access to four free lessons.
And one last tip: if this is appealing, but you need to convince your team lead to approve the expense, there's a handy email template on the landing page that you can copy, adjust, and send to your boss to make the case for investing in GA training. I've highlighted that link in the screenshot below.
If you've been struggling with Google Analytics and are ready to boost your confidence, this is for you! Go take a look and see what you think. And perhaps it will help you avoid a pricy consulting engagement!
Until next time β¨
β Ed Harris (your digital strategy guide)
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