Something big brands do very well that small ones don’t do as well, is knowing their numbers and being able to affect them accordingly.

Big businesses know what they should care about when it comes to data and how they can test out to measure and monitor the ones that matter to them and their audience/clients/customers/consumers — whatever they call them.

Small businesses, especially creative small businesses, don’t always know where to begin with that concept and therefore don’t take advantage of the benefits of knowing our numbers.

That is why I want to focus on metrics this month. Instead of March Madness we’re going for March Metrics.

Not all metrics are number-based of course (everybody relax, we’re still creatives after all haha) but they are all key information that reveal what’s going on with your brand.

What metrics should you actually care about as a brand wanting to perform better?

How do you prioritize what to focus on with your marketing plan?

How do you test out the health of your brand based on those metrics?

Which ones of those would your target audience care about knowing to purchase from you?

These are some of the questions for which I want you to gain clarity by the end of March.

I want you to become aware of which metrics actually matter for your brand and its health. I want you to be able to make a marketing plan and be tactical about it. I want you to have the tools to know how to measure those important-to-you metrics at any point and know how to affect them.

The big picture question we can use as a starting point today is: “Is your brand alive?”

For something to be alive you need a pulse. To have a pulse you need a beating heart. In the case of a brand you actually need two beating hearts — yours as the business and them as the target audience.

For a brand to be considered alive, there needs to be an active-connection-to-collaboration link between you and them.

Whether it is an emotional connection, an intellectual connection, a value-based connection, or all the above, it should clearly lead to them choosing to bring you into their story and to collaborate or partner with you within the field of your expertise.

Any metrics which gives you insights on this live-wire connection to collaboration is worth prioritizing, measuring, and monitoring. It lets you know where precious brand life is lacking or leaking, or where it is strong and fruitful.