Sample measurement models for nonprofit news sites, e-mail newsletters and events. Handout at the Community Journalism Executive Training workshop in October 2012

1. A measurement model specifies how you define success – and failure
1.
1 What is your organizational goal? What do you do that no one else does?
o o gani ational o
2. What do you need to do to achieve the organizational goal?
3.
3 What channels are essential to do what you need to do?
4. Channel goals: What do you expect each channel to do?
5.
5 Key Performance Indicators: Metrics that tell you when to:
• Celebrate, and expand
• Try harder, or try something else
• Stop doing something that’s not working
6. KPI targets: The numbers to shoot for
7. KPI owner: The decision-maker; the person who takes action depending on
whether the target was met
8. Segments: Slices of the metric that help you understand what’s making the
number go up or down – and take action
9. KPI data sources: Where you get the data

2. Measurement model - SITE
Organizational goal
Inform/serve people who [What are the characteristics of your target audiences?]
so that they [What do you want people to do or change?]
What do you Create awareness. Provide unique information and services that engage Build and maintain a Collect donations.
need to do to stakeholders. database of
achieve the stakeholders.
organizational
goal?
Site goals The destination for calls to action from online Provide _____________________ about _____________ and lets Sign up stakeholders Collect donations from
and offline marketing campaigns. stakeholders do _____________________. for _______; collect individuals.
preferences.
Key Branded traffic Awareness ratings Local visitor [top Visits/unique page Task completion No. of stakeholders No. of stakeholders
Performance (direct, search) from quarterly offline landing page] views/searches/ rate by type by type who donate
Indicators surveys bounce rate downloads to
__________
KPI targets x,xxx type A, xxx x,xxx type A, xxx
x% x% "very aware" x% x,xxx x%
type B type B
KPI owner Marketing director Marketing director Editor Editor Editor Development Development
director director
Segments: Went to more than 2 Are in the Came from a mobile Enter the site from Have come to the site Sign up after receiving Came to the site
Visitors who… pages _________stakeholder device search with keywords more than x times in an email campaign through a campaign.
group about _____ the last _________
Used branded Are aware but don't Came on a weekend Who use internal site Saw at least one page Visited content about
keywords about like ______________ vs. a weekday search with keywords of content about Have come to the site __________
_________ about ______ ____________ more than x times in
the last __________
KPI data source Google Analytics Offline survey tool Google Analytics Google Analytics Online survey tool Contact/donation Contact/donation
(may need database; Google database; Google
customization) Analytics Analytics

3. Measurement model - Weekly e-mail newsletters
Organizational goal
Inform/serve people who [What are the characteristics of your target audiences?]
so that they [What do you want people to do or change?]
What do you Create awareness. Provide unique information Build and maintain a database of Collect donations.
need to do to and services that engage stakeholders.
achieve the stakeholders.
organizational
goal?
Weekly e-mail Inform subscribers about Provide subscribers with time- Give subscribers info on how to change info Direct subscribers to the
newsletter information and services on the sensitive info that's relevant to or unsubscribe. donation page.
goals site that they want and/or need. them.
Key Click to delivery rate (no. of E-mail bounce rate (no. of e- Subscriber retention Completion rate (no. E-mail newsletter donation
Performance clicks / no. of e-mails delivered) mail newsletter visits with a rate (no. of of visits that completion rate (no. of visits
Indicators single page view / no. of e-mail subscribers - bounce completed task / no. from e-mail newsletter donation
newsletter visits) backs - unsubscribes / of visits that started) calls-to-action that completed
no. of subscribers) process / no. of visits that
started)
KPI targets
x% x% x% 100% x%
KPI owner Editor Editor Development Development Development director
director director
Segments: Came from a mobile device Are in the _______ stakeholder Are in the ________ Came through an ad Came to the site through a
Subscribers group stakeholder group in the newsletter vs. campaign.
who… links at the bottom
Came on a weekend vs. a Went to ___________ landing Visited content about
weekday page __________
KPI data E-mail newsletter service, Google Analytics E-mail newsletter Google Analytics Contact/donation database;
source (may Google Analytics service, Google Analytics
need contact/donation
customization) database

4. Measurement Model - Event
Organizational goal
Inform/serve people who [What are the characteristics of your target audiences?]
so that they [What do you want people to do or change?]
What do you Create awareness. Provide unique information Build and maintain a Collect donations.
need to do to and services that engage database of
achieve the stakeholders. stakeholders.
organizational
goal?
Event goals Inform attendees about Provide attendees with the Register new Collect donations and provide
information and services that information, experience and/or stakeholders and info about donating online.
they want and/or need. services that they expected. collect new and/or
updated info from
current stakeholders.
Key Task completion rate (offline Satisfaction ratings from No. of new No. of donors at the event, no.
Performance and/or online) onsite or post-event surveys stakeholders who cited the event on the
Indicators online donation form
KPI targets x,xxx type A, xxx
x% x% "very satisfied" x,xxx type A, xxx type B
type B
KPI owner Event director or editor Event director Development Development director
director
Segments: Are in the ______ stakeholder Are in the _______ stakeholder Are in the ________ Were previous donors
Attendees group group stakeholder group
who…
Knew about the Went to ___________ content Signed up for e-mail Came to the site through a
organization/level of after completing survey online newsletters for more special event URL/offer
engagement prior to the event info about ________
KPI data Onsite and online survey tools, Onsite and online survey tools, Onsite registration Contact/donation database;
source (may Google Analytics Google Analytics process/system, Google Analytics
need contact/donation
customization) database