Revolutionary New Facebook Tab Measurement from Webtrends

This morning we announced a totally revolutionary Facebook tool that uses Analytics 9 to peer inside Facebook to make comprehensive measurement of social media marketing efforts on the world’s most visited Internet site!

With Webtrends’ Facebook Analytics tracking, marketers can now view detailed Facebook engagement data alongside the other digital marketing investments that can be tracked in Analytics 9. Combined with built-in RSS overlay capabilities, the impact of promotional efforts in every channel is easily discoverable. This makes Analytics 9 the most complete measurement of Facebook available.

Why Facebook?
With 400 million users spending an average of almost an hour per day on the site, marketers are clamoring to invest in advertisements, Facebook pages, custom applications, contests and more. According to Compete.com, this month Facebook overtook Google as the most visited site on the Internet.

“The ability to have concrete measurement on investments within Facebook and compare them apples to apples with other digital channels is critical to marketers,” said Jascha Kaykas-Wolff, vice president of marketing, Webtrends. “Our comprehensive approach to measuring Facebook, beyond just applications, allows marketers to understand the broader picture of how their Facebook investment is performing. We believe Facebook is one of the key social channels for Brands to invest in and these capabilities will help them validate those investments,” Kaykas-Wolff said.

Currently, most marketers on Facebook rely on canned and inflexible analytics provided by Facebook called Insights. For companies investing millions in Facebook, this is completely insufficient:

• Data is often three (or more) days old
• It does not measure custom apps or page tabs, or differentiate between fan visits and non-fan visits
• Data is not verified by a third-party
• Data can’t be automatically exported for use in dashboards
• It doesn’t track conversions that happen in custom apps or tabs

How Facebook Analytics Collects Data on Custom Tabs
Custom tabs and applications have critical differences for data collection, due to Facebook’s Terms of Service and its commitment to user privacy:

• Brands can’t use traditional analytics methods for tracking custom tabs because Facebook does not allow Javascript, and they aggressively cache images. This means using image redirects or spacer GIF tricks to track tab views returns inaccurate data.
• To overcome these limitations, Webtrends developed a new proprietary method that uses Facebook’s data collection API to bring data into Webtrends Analytics 9.

How Facebook Analytics Collects Data on Facebook Applications
Webtrends can measure any type of application built on the Facebook platform:

• Applications allow more tracking options because they allow Javascript, and because the Facebook TOS allows for collection of user-level data.
• Webtrends developed a new proprietary method that uses Facebook’s data collection API to bring data into Webtrends Analytics 9.

In addition to tracking tab views, Webtrends can also measure tab views segmented by fans and non-fans and clicks on buttons and links (such as a custom Share button). No other analytics company can provide this detailed level of Facebook data. And we can prove it works.

The Great Data Giveaway – A Demonstration of Webtrends’ Facebook Analytics Capabilities
To demonstrate our revolutionary new Facebook tracking capabilities, Webtrends created a prototype Facebook campaign called The Great Data Giveaway, a contest for prizes that appeal to Webtrends’ target market.

1. We created an application and placed it on a custom tab on the Webtrends fan page to explain the contest’s details. KPIs: views segmented by fans and non-fans
2. The installation of the app is in compliance with Facebook’s TOS when someone becomes a fan before entering the contest (known as a “fan-gate”). KPIs: Rate of fan interest, number of installs
3. Once the app is installed, the Webtrends fan can enter the contest via a form driven by our Eloqua marketing automation system. KPIs: Entries, follow-up emails, follow-up email conversions
4. The app then allows the fan to post the contest info to their wall. KPIs: Number of shares
5. Along with mentions about the contest on Facebook, we’ve been mentioning it on Twitter and in blogs. KPIs: RSS overlay of promotion efforts on views (tab) and visits (application)

Learn more about how Facebook Analytics works on our solutions page.