Metrics for Success: How Elevated is Your Valley?

Last week, I wrote about how a successful web campaign doesn’t end at launch. A solid follow-through and long-term strategy will help build an engaged online audience.

But how do you measure success? After the initial spike in traffic, driven by high curiosity, how do you know you’ve reached your goal? If you’re following through, those spikes should stay high or, at least, not fall down so far.

I hate to keep picking on TGI Friday’s, but they are a most apt example. Take a look at their 5-year trend in Google Insights for Search. There has been a very slow growth over time, with a number of noticeable spikes that saw very little capitalization. You can tell because their relative search popularity this week is ten points greater than in 2004. That big spike in early 2009 corresponds to the distribution of a valuable buy-one-get-one-free coupon online.. The subsequent fall of those spikes indicate that TGI Friday’s isn’t offering any long-term value to the audience they draw during a campaign. This, in turn, means that they aren’t getting any value from this audience.

People want deals, so what?

It’s a valid argument. People follow brands on Twitter and become fans on Facebook to get coupons or exclusive deals. In fact, the recent Razorfish FEED study confirms it. The chart on the right shows that, at 44%, the primary reason for following a brand on Twitter is exclusive deals and offers. Their study also reported that 37% of respondents ‘friend’ brands on Facebook and MySpace for the same reason. The study also reports that of those respondents who have participated in a brand-sponsored contest or sweepstakes, 92% are more likely to recommend that brand to others. So does TGI Friday’s get it and we don’t?

Less can be more online

Compare TGI Friday’s to Chipotle. The build-your-own-burrito shop has built a much more robust volume of discussion over the same period of time with fewer online promotions. Instead, Chipotle actually talks to their communities, and they’re not afraid to get a little smart about. In response to a recent Facebook request that Chipotle stay open 24 hours, the brand responded:

We like to sleep too.

They’ve generated more online brand value without the hoopla of big-blast coupon distributions or TV spots sending people to their Facebook page.

Why this hurts TGI Friday’s

TGI Friday’s is building communities then ignoring them, apparently resting on volume alone as the metric for success. This yields jaded “fans” who are only interested in the next coupon. It’s not an indicator of any type of brand value, awareness, or perception. It doesn’t build an audience or generate long-term revenues.

In a way, it cheapens the brand because they encourage people to join a community then ignore it. The perception is that TGI Friday’s doesn’t care what you have to say, they just want you to buy some drinks with that free burger.

The spikes don’t prove that TGI Friday’s is popular, they prove that people really like free stuff. You didn’t need to set up a Facebook fan page or read a Razorfish study to learn that; I could have just told you.

Brand advocates deliver better brand experiences

Try this: measure success not by the crest of the spike but rather by the depth of the valley that follows. The audience looking for discounts isn’t going to wield much influence online. They’re not brand advocates, they’re in it for the deal.

If the spike is inevitable, real value is found in your ability to hold the audience after the initial novelty has worn off. That means engaging the people who can spread your word: the brand advocates.

Real ROI is generated in the valley

Look again at the Razorfish chart above. Brand advocates can be current customers (23.5%) and people looking for interesting or engaging content (22.7%) — those are the people looking for or having a meaningful brand experience, and they’re engaged enough to seek more. That’s 46.2% of the respondents, more than the audience just looking for a deal.

Certainly, that coupon-based spike will show a similar spike in revenues. However, it undervalues the ROI because it lacks the long-term engagement that can provide greater value in terms of cost reduction from free market research with participating customers and in terms of, potentially, a better product.

Brand advocacy builds real interest and doesn’t just capture curiosity via the oldest trick in the book (a discount).

Takeaway

If you’re launching a campaign online or jumping into the social media morass, don’t measure success by your peaks. Measure your valleys. The more you elevate your valleys, the more success you’ve achieved.

The audience growth that you can hold on to after initial curiosity wears off is a much better indicator of success and long-term value.

About the author

Brad Schwarzenbach -

As an analyst on the Tippingpoint Strategy team, Brad explores new opportunities for clients to build relationships with their customers. He’s always testing new social media channels, poring over analytic data, and identifying emerging trends. He also speaks at conferences & events about uncovering powerful messages hidden within brands' unique values.

Brad’s research has contributed to the development of content & contributor strategies for such clients as Breville, Rodale, Long’s Jewelers, and Fusionapps, as well as being a frequent contributor to the Tippingpoint blog. He’s been “listening” to the way we communicate online since the old AOL People Connection days and watched the way that digital communication has evolved.

An English and Creative Writing major at the University of Connecticut, Brad’s spent most of his career creating web content and becoming intimately familiar with web theory for Bayard, Inc. and TomTom Inc., giving Brad keen ears and eyes to what, exactly, makes web content valuable.

Outside the office, Brad feels most at home with his beautiful wife-to-be Kristina, or on the golf course. “There’s a distinct pace and rhythm to the way people communicate online.  Understanding and taking part in them yields amazing opportunities for my clients to not only grow but to improve their business. I’m constantly looking for those opportunities.”