Bee Measure

Get Direction From Your Data

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Facebook’s Decline, Republican’s Demo Woes and Data Scientists for Nonprofits

What’s new this week? 
One Third Fewer Cat Pics
The average Facebook user posted a third less original content in 2016 than in 2015, reports Forbes (covering social media firm Mavrck’s new study). What’s behind the drop? Users aren’t leaving the platform, but they are using it “in different ways.” (Like arguing about politics with their relatives?)
What’s a Data Scientist, Anyway?
Fast Company named “data scientist” the #2 top job for non-profits in 2017. I think hiring a true “data scientist” (the kind that creates algorithms to, say, power Netflix’s recommendation engine) is out of reach for most non-profits. But knowing how to use data is a hot skill for any industry. <hint, hint>
Worst Week in Social Ads: Twitter or Facebook?
Not a good week for the social giants. So much for Twitter’s “Trump Bump.” This platform saw the first decline in ad revenue since the company went public in 2013, reports Fortune. And Facebook is facing an audit of its ad data after coming under fire in 2016 for misreporting metrics. Here’s the inside scoop on that mess. Oh, and Facebook announced that videos will play with the sound on. People aren’t happy.

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Bee Update: Gen X Hearts Social, Can’t Delete Data and Google’s Newly Free Tool

This week, I’m taking a break from Trump news. But I do want to share this Vice story (I highlighted a shorter New York Times piece a few weeks ago), and this rebuttal explaining why it’s not a big deal. But that’s all. Click at your own risk.

Will I Graduate? Let’s Look at the Data

In researching this newsletter, I find a lot of case studies.  Most explain how a company used data insights to increase sales. But This New York Times article is awesome because it looks at how universities use big data to predict graduation rates (and help students succeed).

“There is No Delete in the World of Data” 
Advocates are worried about data from NYC’s identification card program (mostly for the city’s immigrant population) being put to nefarious uses in the current political climate. FiveThirtyEight looks into what it takes to delete data. The above quote explains what they find.

Tweet That, Reality Bites 
Thanks, New York Times. This week we learned that millennials aren’t as bad as we all thought. It’s actually Gen Xers who spend the most time on social media. Ha!

Industry Updates
Ten Years of SEO in Five Minutes 
If you are looking for a quick understanding of SEO trends and the field’s major changes, this Forbes article provides a clear, concise recap.

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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…]