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Understanding the Why, Marketing Efficiency & One Charity’s Unexpected Findings

The Ethics of A/B Testing

The ethics of A/B testing are up for contention! While it may seem harmless, many people don’t like the idea of being tested without their knowledge. I don’t blame them. So, what does this mean for nonprofits? For those wanting to err on the side of caution, it’s best to be transparent. Inform your audience and give them the chance to opt out.

Getting to the “Why”

Looking to improve your website? You need “why” data. I like this article because it breaks down the types of information you can collect about your site and what each provides. While Google Analytics can show you where users are running into trouble, it can’t explain why something is happening. Qualitative data, such as survey responses, help you understand why your users are behaving in a certain way and provide the insight needed to solve any issues they’re having on your website.

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Local SEO Tips, More Creepy Ads & Google’s New Analysis Product

What’s New This Week?

Google’s Big Announcement

Google’s launching a new product, but coverage has been a mess of marketing gobbledygook. Here’s my nonprofit-friendly translation. If you track what traffic sources (Facebook ads, Google searches etc.) are leading to donations and other actions on your website, you probably do so with “last click attribution.” That means, you attribute credit for the donation to the most recent way the user entered your site. Google Analytics currently has tools to address this, but they are confusing and not too useful. But more is coming! It’s called Google Attribution. (But for now, it really only works with Google AdWords and DoubleClick campaigns. So get ready to better understand your Google AdWords grant use.)

Creepy Advertising Story of the Week

I’m starting to think that this can be a weekly feature in Bee Update. We’ve covered the perils of overly-personal ads before, but I have to share any piece entitled “Hey Instagram, Don’t Tell Me When to Freeze My Eggs.” Go ahead and bemoan the state of targeted advertising with Wired.

Topping Your Local Search Results

Trying to improve your search ranking in your local area? Here’s a read for you. SEO experts weigh in on what’s most important. The top three factors are quality and quantity of inbound links, on-page content (got your keywords?) and the rate of click-throughs on your search listing. Read some more in Search Engine Land.

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Tips for Too Much Data, Facebook’s A/B Testing and Breitbart Ad Update

What’s New This Week?

My Ads are Appearing on Breitbart, the Sequel
A few weeks ago I covered advertisers’ frustration (anger? annoyance?) with Google after noticing that their ads ran on Breitbart. Fortunately, there’s a follow up. Google is giving advertisers more control over where their ads appear. Details here in TechCrunch.

Water, Water Everywhere… But Not if Data Can Help It
Apparently, the world loses 30-ish% of its water due to leaks and bursts. With water use rising, water providers are trying to find new ways to reduce waste. One solution is using data to predict leaks, but that goes against the interest of water authorities. They love to look like heroes by fixing bursts. Interesting conundrum! Here’s Harvard Business Review on it.

A/B Testing Facebook-style
Facebook Ads have a new feature. (Yeah, I know I say that every week.) This time it’s pretty cool. With the new feature called “Split Testing,” you can run controlled tests without audience overlap. It works when you run ads with a website conversion, lead generation or mobile app install objective. Learn more here.

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Facebook Forbids Snooping and Crafty (Pun Intended) Advertising

What’s New This Week?

Stop Spying Everyone, Says Facebook
Facebook is explicitly telling groups to stop using their data for surveillance, writes TechCrunch.  You can thank the ACLU for forcing the issue. Back in October, one group was caught compiling protesters’ posts from social sites and selling the data to law enforcement. Twitter also forbids this practice.

“Very, Very Fictitious” Data
Remember that time the Obama administration manipulated jobs data to make the unemployment rate look lower? Yup, it’s another story about “fake” data in the Trump Administration. Thanks FiveThirtyEight for breaking down why this claim is so absurd.

The State of the Social Media Union
I see so many one-off stories about social media trends (Twitter is over! Facebook use is down!), that it’s hard to keep track. I appreciate Forbes’ mile-high overview of what’s up with each main social platform.

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