Webtrends Analytics measures Facebook activities

Webtrends has announced Facebook measurement capabilities within Webtrends Analytics, which provides comprehensive tracking and measurement for the activities that happen inside Facebook.

Nick Sharp, vice-president and general manager at Webtrends EMEA and Australasia, said: 'Many businesses have launched Facebook campaigns, without necessarily having the ability to measure their investments.

'Now marketers have the opportunity to take a more comprehensive approach to measuring Facebook, beyond just applications, and can understand the broader picture of how their Facebook investment is performing,' he added.

Webtrends can now show users how their tabs, apps, and share features are working.

Examples include: Twitter activity driving to Facebook fan pages; Facebook fan-page activity overlaid with corporate blog spots; conversion performance if they happen in Facebook; and custom applications, Facebook page tabs, and Facebook ad click performance.

Webtrends' Facebook measurement capabilities utilise Webtrends Analytics 9, which combines a real-time analytics engine with its user interface.

Marketers can view their Facebook measurement alongside other digital marketing investments, such as websites, microsites, blogs, mobile apps, and more.

Additionally, using Analytics 9's RSS overlay capabilities, marketers can easily see the impact of promotional efforts.

Tracking custom tabs, applications and sharing provides complete measurement of Facebook activity.

Custom tabs and applications have critical differences for data collection, due to Facebook's terms of service and commitment to user privacy.

Brands cannot use traditional analytics methods for tracking custom tabs because Facebook does not allow Javascript and aggressively caches images.

To overcome these limitations, Webtrends developed a method that uses its data collection API to bring Facebook data into Webtrends Analytics.

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 the 'share' button and its options.

Applications allow more tracking options both because they allow Javascript and because Facebook's terms of service allow for collection of user-level data.

Webtrends has utilised its data collection API to bring Facebook data into Webtrends Analytics, and it can measure any type of application built on the Facebook platform.

The company is to host a webinar in April, discussing how companies can take advantage of Facebook measurement in Webtrends Analytics 9.

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