- Contest Factory
- August 11, 2021
For business leaders and strategists, the power of data can’t be overstated. Ultimately, data means knowledge, which translates into power, especially when it results in savvy business strategies, partnerships, and investments.
Even still, brands often let their data pile up, simply because compiling it into comprehensive reports that are easy to digest becomes all-consuming…until now.
Google has once again revolutionized the way we acquire and share information with its latest reporting tool, Google Data Studio. Now, creating professional, easy-to-understand reports is as effortless as it is enjoyable.
Here’s what you need to know to turn your valuable data into visual treasures…
What is Google Data Studio?
Google Data Studio is a reporting solution that syncs all of your data- both from Google platforms and external sources- into customized reports and dashboards that are as easy to create as they are to interpret.
Without the need for complicated code, Data Studio will clean, authenticate, and combine all your raw data, transforming it into customized, easily digestible metrics, charts, and graphs in just a few clicks.
Benefits of Google Data Studio
Here is a taste of the major benefits you will experience with the Google Data Studio platform:
Customization
The first benefit that elevates Google Data Studio is the level and ease of customization available to users. There is an expansive number of features and configuration options to create custom reports using the metrics that make the most sense for you or your client. Add shapes, images, and text to your reports and dashboards to make them easier to read and highlight important aspects of the data.
Data Studio allows you to customize every aspect of your reports and dashboards. Add logos and icons; change the background, fill, line, and text colors; and choose from an array of fonts, line styles, and object properties to make your data come to life. And once you have a style that works, it’s easy to make it a reusable, sharable template.
Collect Data from Multiple Sources
Google Data Studio allows you to collect and sync data from over 500 datasets within Google’s ecosystem, plus 227 partner connectors and counting. This feature allows you to analyze and merge data from multiple sources, including YouTube Analytics, Adobe, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, etc. and present them all in one easily digestible visual report.
User-friendly
Another major advantage is how easy the tool is to use, understand, and teach. In contrast to Google Analytics, with its proprietary vocabulary and metrics, this user interface is intuitive, allowing users to pull data from various sources and simply drag and drop to create easily interpreted reports in minutes.
Real-time data integration
Another fantastic benefit is the live integration feature. Anytime a user accesses a report or dashboard, the data will update with the latest information, eliminating the need to continuously revise your metrics. You can also develop and edit dashboards and reports in collaboration with your team, with changes updated and saved in real-time.
Data & Dynamic Control
Dynamic controls allow viewers to change the data presented according to date ranges and several other filter preferences. Viewers can also easily hone in on the specific data they want to see across multiple report sources, eliminating the need to create various separate reports.
Free
All if all this wasn’t enough to win you over, you get to reap all these benefits and more for free. Even better, the platform comes bundled with Google cloud services and doesn’t require a specific infrastructure or installation.
Getting Started with Google Data Studio
But before we unleash the power of Data Studio, we must first (and always) decide where we want to go.
Define your end-goal
In order to optimize Data Studio Tour, you first need to know what you want your data to demonstrate. This might seem obvious, but if you aren’t clear on what it is you are trying to communicate, you can easily get lost as you start to play with all the features and options at your disposal.
Choose your template & metrics
Now the fun begins! All you need to get started is a Google account. Once you enter the platform, you can choose your favorite template and start to bring your data to life with every visual representation imaginable- from pie charts, bar graphs, and pivot tables to scorecards and geo maps, all with built-in comparison functions to easily display data changes over time.
Add your data to the mix
Adding your data is a snap. Each data source has a built-in connector configured to make your data quick and easy to retrieve. It’s really that simple!
Advanced formulas
Don’t feel like conforming? With the advanced formulas at your fingertips, you don’t have to! You can create metrics and dimensions based on custom formulas using arithmetic, logical, comparison, and other sophisticated functions as to transform your data into whatever language works best for you and your audience.
Share the love…
When you’re ready, go to settings and select how you would like to share your reports. Using the same interface as Google Drive, you get to decide who can view, edit, and share your reports. You can also invite people to edit and contribute in real-time, with all revisions saved automatically.
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Now you have the knowledge you need, it’s time to unleash the power of your data. Dive into Data Studio to take your reporting to the next level, and you too will be transforming facts and figures into visual works of art!
