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How do you track your marketing campaigns?

by SGTech
20 replies
I would like pick your brains about how you all track your marketing campaigns? Do you use a software package such as Act! or Goldmine or other CRM package? How about an Excel spreadsheet? Maybe a simple, old fashioned notebook? Interested in hearing your methods.

Scott
#campaigns #marketing #track
  • Profile picture of the author mathew786
    If you talk about Email Marketing Campaigns then I suggest you to use G-Lock. G-Lock EasyMail is fully compatible with our email tracking service G-Lock Analytics. G-Lock Analytics is a cost-effective web service to track email campaigns in real time. You can easily track your email campaigns all over the world and clearly understand who from your customers are most interested in your emails, or what part of them they like more.
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  • Profile picture of the author Quentin
    I use Google analytics and goals to track most of my advertising campaigns.

    Quentin
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    • Profile picture of the author pmbrent
      Originally Posted by Quentin View Post

      I use Google analytics and goals to track most of my advertising campaigns.

      Quentin
      I use them too
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  • Profile picture of the author royaltyw
    Employing the different avenues has definitely been I approach. Excel Spreadsheet has been a must for me. Google Analytics for traffic and demography tracking, but everything ends up on a spreadsheet for me.
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  • Profile picture of the author Your Brand Ebooks
    Try the free Pretty Links plugin for WordPress.

    The plugin auto-installs in under a minute.
    Setting up a tracking link takes under a minute.
    Includes simple stats + detailed stats + graphs.
    Signature
    ONCE UPON A TIME there was a Warrior named Bob. He was sad. And frustrated. You see, Warrior Bob spent every last nickel on Internet Marketing e-books. But nothing panned out. No traffic. No sales. He was one sad Bob. Then one day Bob found a bottle. He rubbed it and out came a Genie who granted him 3 wishes. For Wish #1 Bob asked for a pet Dragon. Wish Granted. For Wish #2, Bob wanted Warriors' websites seen by 53 million TV viewers, for under $5 per broadcast. The Genie said... (click here)
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  • Profile picture of the author FreeBird85
    I created my own campaign tracker for my sms marketing campaigns.
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  • Profile picture of the author scarab
    @ freebird and Quentin, could either of you elaborate a little bit?
    Thanks
    Signature

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    • Profile picture of the author FreeBird85
      Originally Posted by scarab View Post

      @ freebird and Quentin, could either of you elaborate a little bit?
      Thanks
      I know most people like to use software that's already out there, however I tend to like to create my own. I'm picky, I want to know exactly what the software I'm using is doing, how it's doing it, and when it's doing it. So I programmed a campaign tracker that tracks all the relevant aspects of a campaign on a month to month basis. I can then print out monthly reports whenever I want. Is this what you were wondering?
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      • Profile picture of the author Chasedmarketing
        Google analytics is ok for tracking email and video campaigns.

        I use youtube to track videos and see where the views came from.
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      • Profile picture of the author Your Brand Ebooks
        Originally Posted by FreeBird85 View Post

        I know most people like to use software that's already out there, however I tend to like to create my own.
        The PrettyLinks plugin for WordPerfect (mentioned above) is free, as are many php tracking scripts. Plus there are many ultra low cost scripts.

        .. > I tend to like to create my own.

        If you desire to be successful as an Internet Marketer, then you must drop that mode of thinking, quickly. Seriously. If you've spent even 1 day programing a tracking script, or even a half day, ...no wait, even 1 hour, then you've already wasted your valuable time. By doing that (instead of just using an existing free or low cost script) you just kept yourself from doing probably 3 marketing related tasks.

        Any entrepreneur, even one just starting out, needs to put a value on their time.Typically that would be $200 an hour. (however noobs often incorrectly tend to think of their entrepreneur time as being worth $100/hr or $75/hr) Anything that you can get someone else to do, within your $200/hr range, should be delegated.

        Say for example you buy some Ikea office furniture. And you spend 2-3 hours of your afternoon building it. (not unusual) That's $600 of your time, wasted. Instead, you could have jumped on to crags list, and hired an handyman to put together the office furniture for $10/hr. In the end you would have paid the handyman $20-$30 bucks, instead of wasting $600 of your own valuable entrepreneur time.

        .. > I tend to like to create my own.

        I can't help but to mention that I knew a guy who went bankrupt, I'd say literally for the reason that he tried to program everything. Everything. For example, instead of springing for a $30 control panel software for his server, he spent months writing his own custom software. @FreeBird85 I urge you to not go down that route! : - )
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        ONCE UPON A TIME there was a Warrior named Bob. He was sad. And frustrated. You see, Warrior Bob spent every last nickel on Internet Marketing e-books. But nothing panned out. No traffic. No sales. He was one sad Bob. Then one day Bob found a bottle. He rubbed it and out came a Genie who granted him 3 wishes. For Wish #1 Bob asked for a pet Dragon. Wish Granted. For Wish #2, Bob wanted Warriors' websites seen by 53 million TV viewers, for under $5 per broadcast. The Genie said... (click here)
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        • Profile picture of the author StudioArtha
          SGTech,

          I know exactly what you mean! I am a database programmer from many years back. So when I got into this biz, it looked like a data management problem to me. And I have come up with a very cool solution!

          If you can give me a week, I will share my solution with you. Just need to tie up some loose end.

          Thanks!
          Alan
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          • Profile picture of the author ezbiz
            There's all kinds of free tracking tools available. It really depends on what type of campaign you're running. There's PHP scripts that you can use, works kinda the same way when you cloak your php redirect, except you're redirecting through the script. If you're not familiar with scripts then you can use a URL shortener service. Most of them will track your clicks if you register. (still free!) Some have tracking analyst, but shortener services are not recommended if you're bulk mailing due to there TOS, it takes just 1 complaint and they cut you off. If mailing, you're email platform should already have this capability.
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  • Profile picture of the author jsherloc
    Call Tracking, E-mail tracking, and sometimes special "web only" deals to help gauge walk-in traffic.

    You track those things and you're pretty much set. Tons of options out there for phone and contact form tracking too. Just depends on your individual needs and custom requirements basically.

    - Jim
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  • Profile picture of the author carldac
    When you say track your campaigns do you refer to tracking the activity or the results of the activity? I'm intrigued by this post as I'm looking for a simple solution to plan my marketing activities.

    As a marketing manager who has blogs to write, tweets to tweet, adverts to place, email newsletters to send out etc etc I find that there are very few (basic) solutions or apps that will do this. I currently use excel sheets but would love to hear if anyone knows of something a bit better?


    Originally Posted by SGTech View Post

    I would like pick your brains about how you all track your marketing campaigns? Do you use a software package such as Act! or Goldmine or other CRM package? How about an Excel spreadsheet? Maybe a simple, old fashioned notebook? Interested in hearing your methods.

    Scott
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  • Profile picture of the author pmbrent
    If you are doing alot of email marketing Aweber is a good tool to use and not that expensive.
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  • Profile picture of the author MakeSmiles
    Being that the OP posted this in the offline marketing section, I'm assuming his tracking questions are offline related. Being a php programmer, I can tell you custom software is great, BUT it takes time and constant revisions to get it tweaked just the way you want it. I would suggest if you're on a budget, that you look into open-source software. There are many fine open-source projects out there for just about any task you desire, it just depends on what you are looking to do or track. Google "Open Source CRM" if that's what your insterested in finding...
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    • Profile picture of the author asmithseo
      studioartha

      I'm an online marketer and have run into the situation where I need to track campaign to a more granular level. In one stop I'd like to keep up with my advertising networks, campaigns, campaign management, cost data etc. It seems there's nothing out there that brings everything together correctly.

      Would like to hear your solution! PM me please
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  • Profile picture of the author RKCastillo
    To tract our marketing campaigns, we usually focus on using a tracking phone numbers. We are driving traffic through website that has to call the action which usually a coupon of some sources called the tracking phone number to get your free or whatever.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mediahawk
      You can integrate Google Analytics with call tracking for a complete picture of the responses to your on and offline marketing campaigns. Look at it all through GA and you can keep track of when, where and how your propects made contact.
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