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Archives for January 2017

January 20, 2017 By Emily Patterson

Bee Update: Inauguration Ads, Trump’s Data Firm and Saying ‘No’ to Giant Spreadsheets

If you are trying to escape Inauguration Day and political news, this is not the Bee Update for you. This edition is flush with political stories and Trump craziness. Read on!

Trump’s Terrible Facebook Targeting: A Case Study
I always recommend Facebook advertising because of the amazing ability to target niche audiences. But this week, Facebook users got a lesson in how not to run their ad campaigns. The media mocked Trump for paying to promote his own inauguration, but I laughed at his terrible ad targeting skills.  According to The Verge, one version targeted everyone in New York City age 27 and up.

Behind Every Successful Man… is a Successful Data Firm
On the flip side of the Facebook ad debacle is news about Cambridge Analytica. This data firm’s sophisticated use of targeted messages and social data helped propel both Trump and Brexit to victory. The firm is expanding big time and has recently hired Republican National Committee’s chief technology officer, reports Wired. The New York Times article on Cambridge Analytica’s technique is fascinating and (if you take a lot of Facebook quizzes) disturbing.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: newsletter Tagged With: analytics spam, data, data visualization, Facebook ads, politics

January 18, 2017 By Emily Patterson

The Trouble with Too Much Data

Many non-profits have a giant spreadsheet. Every time staff send an email, post to social media or write a blog post, they record the key metrics in their enormous Excel spreadsheet or Google Sheet.

This sounds like a good idea, right? This way, your organization has all the data staff need to gain vital insights into your communications work. Staff can look at the metrics and know exactly what content, messages and channels are most effective. They have all the data they need to make decisions.

Except it never works that way! Maybe, you make a few charts from the data for your annual report (Facebook likes are up this year!). But you never use it to make actual day-to-day choices about your website design, social media content or marketing strategy.

The top reasons to get rid of your giant spreadsheet:

  • It’s tedious: So many of us (especially in creative professions like communications) HATED math class. Don’t make yourself or your staff relive it with number-related busy work. Recording numbers in a spreadsheet that you never use makes data seem pointless and frustrating. This attitude will make it much harder to get everyone to embrace data-driven decision making later on. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Measurement, Social Media Tagged With: data, KPIs, measurement, metrics, strategy, tracking

January 16, 2017 By Emily Patterson

Weekly Update: Fighting Fake News and a Big Week for Facebook Ads

This post is from Bee Measure’s weekly newsletter.  Subscribe today and get the latest data news for non-profit communicators delivered directly to your inbox.

Fighting the Business of Fake News
Here’s some activism that doesn’t involve leaving your chair. The New York Times covers how to combat fake news using the power of screen shots. Many companies purchase digital advertising through ad display networks that span hundreds of websites. Most don’t even know where their brand ends up. But if it’s on a fake news site, we should probably tell them.

Reaching the 1 Billion Mark
Does it seem like EVERYONE you know is on Facebook? That’s because they are. Facebook announced this week that their ads now reach more than 1 billion people worldwide.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: newsletter Tagged With: data visualization, Facebook, newsletter

January 6, 2017 By Emily Patterson

Weekly Update: Trump’s Plans for Gov Stats, New Years Data Detox and Charts as Art

This post is from Bee Measure’s weekly newsletter.  Subscribe today and get the latest data news for non-profit communicators delivered directly to your inbox.

Last Year… in Charts
I love charts. And I love “year in review” style articles. This article is both. The New York Times does a great job of putting 2016’s top news stories (cough, Trump, cough) in visual context.

Speaking of Trump…
As anyone who’s ever made a mess of an Excel spreadsheet knows, there’s A LOT you can do to screw up data. In this piece, Five Thirty Eight looks at the ways Trump could impact the collection and dissemination of government statistics.  Summary: Don’t expect outright tampering. Look for budget cuts “particularly within the government’s statistical agencies” and “willful miscommunication.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: newsletter Tagged With: data, data visualization, politics

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