Bridging the Gap: Creating Clarity in Music Marketing Reporting
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Rose Cunliffe
Ad Operations at Wavo
Wavo Blog: This series shares information that’s most relevant to music marketers around the globe.
“Critical digital marketing metrics are frequently shared with individuals who may be less familiar with marketing specifics.”
Context
The language of digital marketing is technical and rife with jargon. Despite this, critical digital marketing metrics are frequently shared with individuals who may be less familiar with marketing specifics.
Failing to create systems that present music marketing metrics in clear and comprehensible formats can be costly for both music industry professionals and stakeholders in a variety of areas. Vague and jargon-heavy reporting styles can hinder the ability to fully convey the value driven by each campaign, leading to a lack of accountability and missed opportunities due to inadequate context for data-driven decisions.
This highlights the need for reporting methods that clearly define the value behind common metrics in simple, easy-to-understand language that avoids confusion and intimidation for individuals less familiar with the niche. This, in turn, raises the question of how to best translate music marketing campaign results to individuals who interact with those metrics on a less consistent basis, while also highlighting the value of these metrics and their role in achieving the campaign's overall objective.
At Wavo, we are committed to continuously refining this process by developing methods that effectively translate our knowledge to a variety of stakeholders.
“Tailoring your language can go a long way in making your reporting more accessible.”
Execution
Audience-focused: Keep in mind the audience you are writing for and tailor your language and explanations accordingly. Are you speaking to record label executives, independent musicians, or music fans? Each of these groups will have different levels of familiarity with marketing terminology and metrics, and tailoring your language to their needs can go a long way in making your reporting more accessible.
Keep it simple: Simplicity is key when it comes to effective reporting. Avoid using overly technical or complex terms unless they're necessary to convey a specific point. Instead, simplify complicated marketing terms down to their basic meaning, and incorporate them into clear and concise sentences that still fully represent the value of that metric. This approach helps to ensure that your audience can easily grasp the intended message, without getting bogged down in technical jargon.
For example: Thruplays → “15 Second Views” (Facebook/Instagram AKA Meta)
“Instagram Feed is driving a higher number of 15 Second Views in comparison with Facebook Feed...”
Define terms: If you must use industry-specific terms, make sure to fully explain their definition in colloquial language. By doing so, you can help your audience grasp the meaning behind the technical terms and understand how they relate to the campaign's objectives.
For example: Intent Rate → “The percentage of users served an ad who have liked, saved, and/or added [Artist] to their personal playlist.” (Spotify)
“The percentage of users served an ad who have liked, saved, and/or added [Artist] to their personal playlist is significantly higher on the 18-24 age demographic.”
Use examples: Giving concrete examples of the concepts you are discussing can also help to make your reporting more understandable. This not only helps to clarify the meaning of terms and concepts, but it also makes them more relatable and understandable.
For example: Reach → Provide an example of what this term might look like in real-world terms.
“[X Total Reach] have seen our ads on their social media platforms...”
Provide context: Another key is to provide context for the metrics you are presenting. For example, if you are reporting on the number of social media followers gained during a marketing campaign, you could also include information on how this compares to previous campaigns or industry benchmarks. This helps to provide a more complete picture of the success of the campaign and can also help to inform future strategies.
Avoid acronyms: While acronyms can be a convenient way to refer to complex or lengthy terms, they can also be a major barrier to understanding for those who aren't familiar with them. Unless your audience is already familiar with the acronym, it's best to avoid using them altogether by fully spelling out the acronym and/or explaining the main meaning of the acronym clearly and effectively.
For example: C.P.R. → “Cost per Result” or “Cost” (All Platforms)
“The [X] platform is seeing the highest overall cost in comparison with industry averages so far this quarter.”
“You can provide easily-digestible insights appropriately phrased for any audience - making the value of music marketing clear and accessible in your reporting.”
Key Takeaways
By honing in on a series of basic best practices for communicating music marketing metrics, you can provide easily-digestible insights appropriately phrased for any audience - making the value of music marketing clear and accessible in your reporting. By following these tips, you can ensure that the reporting on your music marketing efforts is clear and accessible to a wide range of readers.
Written by Rose Cunliffe, Ad Operations Specialist at Wavo
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