Metric Silos - a desolate place to be

I have been reflecting on the Google Analytics Individual Qualification I did a few weeks ago. In particular, what benefit this might be to a PR person. 

We are surrounded by analytics tools and one of the many challenges is finding the right one for the job. 

If there is one thing I hate in PR it is silos. What I mean is separate media groups, separate networks and measurement tools and crucially, separate metrics. They require some comparative measure of return to justify overall resourcing. 

These silos run counter to the way the public sees the media; in the round - as one. At the same time these silos also run counter to the way business manage them. 

How do you decide how much time to ascribe to Facebook or LinkedIn or Twitter when there is little commonality behind the metrics? 

The way these networks have developed leaves me with little doubt that a common currency does not exist.  Sure there is page views, users, sessions (GA), tweet impressions and weekly reach (FB Insights).

The more I ponder this issue, the more limitations I find. I am so sure social media is supposed to make like easier; this does not seem to be happening.

In the next post I'll explore if there is any chance that Google Analytics can be gamed to produce some form of comparative data. 

Thank you for reading this and I'd love it if you could add a comment or share this.