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I was talking with Gini Dietrich about our forthcoming book Marketing in the Round, and which topics people would find interesting. We discussed measurement, and both of us noted that whenever we get into the nitty gritty of ROI and outcomes blog traffic drops precipitously.
Generally, marketers and communicators avoid measurement.
Of course, this is not a universal fact. Many pros attend to their measurement and monitoring programs diligently. Just two weeks ago, I delivered a measurement workshop to 80 people at MarketingProfs’ SocialTech Summit. Companies like Dell use it to pivot their businesses forward.
Still the numbers don’t lie. Most of us avoid measurement conversations like a plague. It’s that bad chore in your home that you let fester, piling up dust or remaining in a state of disrepair.
There are a variety of reasons for avoiding outcomes. Many people in marketing and communications jobs lack professional training. Others are still grappling with interactive media in general, much less how it can be used to offer precision metrics. Still others just simply don’t want to measure. It’s just not enjoyable for them professionally (I can identify, creating is much more fun). Some even decry measurement as meaningless.
It’s too bad because one of the key topics in the book was not only measuring outcomes, but using measurement and monitoring data to drive further performance. Monitoring and measurement can reveal strengths that were previously considered intangibles, and demonstrate need, which can be met with new products and services. In the short term, measurement done right proves marketing activities are worthwhile, and can justify further expenditures.
Why do you think so many pros avoid measurement?