Tracking Metrics

Entry Details

More meticulously tracking several metrics on a monthly basis has allowed The Golden State Chapter to keep front and center its current member count and the number and percentage of members who are involved in each of its events and who are opening each of its major communications. This has had the effect that the chapter now has an easily accessible, concrete baseline for understanding chapter performance over the course of the current year and in comparison to the previous year (in some cases we have the baselines for 2019, and in other cases, 2020 is just now establishing the baseline for 2021). Having the numbers so visible gives ready indication of when we need to increase marketing efforts or call upon the engagement committee. Or, it also tells us when a course correction on communication is needed (e.g., if open rates trend low for a communication, we can check if there may have been a technical issue or if the content is off target and needs modification in future iterations).

Implementation

In 2019, The Golden State Chapter decided that beginning in 2020 it needed to have a more concrete baseline for measuring the engagement levels of members year-over-year. Since January, The Golden State Chapter has generated monthly reports providing: 1) details on in-person and virtual webinar attendance in comparison to previous similar events (a key is included for in-person events to give specific detail), 2) current membership numbers, and 3) current engagement numbers with a month-by-month history and a breakdown of engagement by our ten Local Area Networks, seven Education Areas, and four Regions (our three geographic divisions that we use for programming events and facilitating local meetings) and Member Type. The details and graph of the overall engagement over the course of 2020 will provide a baseline for comparison for 2021. A member is counted as engaged for the current calendar year if they have participated in an in-person or virtual event and/or are involved in the mentorship program. Tracking for all of this is maintained in our membership database system. Finally, reporting of communication opens (and click-throughs for the newsletter) are measured through Klaviyo, our email platform.

All said, Board members have thoroughly appreciated the clear and concrete way that numbers are now being tracked. The reports are not shared with the membership at large, but it has guided the Board and chapter office in making decisions that impact all members. For instance, in trying to continually improve upon its webinar attendance, the chapter discovered a best practice for increasing involvement in webinars. Sending an email reminder immediately prior to webinars has resulted in 10-40% upticks in registrations. Likewise, a severe dip for one The Bear Facts helped the chapter discover and monitor a technical error by the email platform used by the chapter.