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As a marketer, you already know that Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool for sorting, analyzing, and sharing data. Trouble is, some of the most beneficial formulas are really tough to figure out — even for us data-crunchers. 

For example, we’ve walked through the steps of how to create a pivot table before, but unfortunately pivot tables don’t compute median values, which can be highly useful information with which organizations can analyze their growth.

Luckily, there is a workaround in Excel called the array, where you can use formulas to calculate the median of a data set. We’ll walk you through how to do that in the example below, which features a list of customers along with their company size and sales cycle length. For context, the two tables (average vs. median) look at the typical sales cycle length for each company size.

Ready to see how it works? Download the file here to follow along with the instructions below.

The Excel Pivot Table Alternative for Calculating Median

The “Average of Sales Cycle (Days)” table was created with a pivot table. The “Median of Sales Cycle (Days)” table was created by doing the following:

1) Create a column with the six possible “employees” options: 1 to 5, 6 to 10, 11 to 15, etc.

2) In the cell to the right of the “1 to 5” value, type the following:  =MEDIAN(IF($A$2:$A$20=D2, $B$2:$B$20))

3) When you’ve closed the final parenthesis and while you’re still in the cell, type Control+Shift+Enter (on a PC) or Command+Shift+Enter (on a Mac) to populate the median. This is how you tell Excel that you want to create an array.

Note: Once you do this, you will see curly brackets { } appear around your formula. If you type in the curly brackets yourself or copy/paste the formula above into the cell, Excel won’t understand what they mean.

4) Copy the median amount in the first cell (G2 in the example) into the rest of the empty cells in the table (G3-G7 in the example).

Here is a breakdown of what these formula inputs mean: 

1. This is the column of values for “# of Employees” in Column A
2. This is the contents of cell D2: “1 to 5”
3. This is the column of values for “Sales Cycle (Days)” in Column B

Translation: First, the IF statement finds all rows where the # of Employees = “1 to 5”; it then stores all of the corresponding “sales cycle” values in an array. The MEDIAN function then pulls the median out of that array of sales cycles for the “1 to 5” customers.

When to Use Median to Analyze Data

Average (or mean) and median are common measures of data, but generally speaking average is more commonly used than median.

While average is a helpful way to determine what a typical member of a data set looks like, in some cases, median actually provides a fuller picture of a data set within its context.

In fact, average can actually be misleading if the data set is highly skewed and a large set of the population is similar with several far-away outliers. In such cases, the median is a better indicator of what a typical member of the data set looks like.

For example, in the United States, household income is commonly measured and referred to in terms of the median. This could be due to the fact that high-income inequality nationwide would make the average a poor representation of a typical American household’s income. 

Here’s another scenario: If a business were analyzing sales, it would be important for them to consider the types of data in the sets they were analyzing. For example, calculating the average amount of total monthly sales would be a good indicator of performance because each month has roughly the same number of days and opportunities to sell, so the average would show what a baseline expectation of productivity would be.

However, the average may not be the best measure to analyze each sale’s size that year. If the organization sold products varying in price from $10 to $25,000, then the average sale size might be skewed by the lowest and highest prices. Instead, the median would give the organization an idea of if sales were typically higher or lower in price. See the difference?

Ultimately, analyzing both the average and the median will provide the most full picture possible of your organization’s raw data, and pivot tables in Excel, such as the ones above, can help you analyze both data sets.

What formulas do you use most frequently in Excel to analyze your organization’s data? Share with us in the comments below. 

Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in May 2011 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

 

The air is beginning to cool. We’re decorating with pumpkins and gourds, spiders and witches. Fall is definitely in the air. And for organizations that rely on year-end fundraising to round out their budgets, it’s “go time.”

According to the 2014 Digital Giving Index, over 30% of giving occurs at the end of the year, meaning that it’s absolutely necessary for organizations of every shape, size, and mission to schedule fundraising campaigns to capture those dollars. One way to amplify your year-end fundraising efforts is to run a #GivingTuesday campaign.

Since #GivingTuesday started in 2012, nonprofits, charities, and even individuals have encouraged donors to spend a day giving back to the causes that mean the most to them. Because it’s planned smack-dab in the middle of our giving season, it’s not surprising that this “Global Day of Giving” has grown exponentially over the past 4 years. In fact, the Case Foundation reported that between 2014 and 2015, donations raised during this 24-hour period doubled to a whopping $116.7 million.

Are You Ready for #GivingTuesday?

There’s no doubt that #GivingTuesday is a beneficial fundraising vehicle for organizations of all sizes and focuses, ranging from healthcare to international relations. But before you dive into planning your #GivingTuesday campaign, here are 6 questions to ask.

1) Do We Have An Established Donor Base To Tap For Support?

To promote your campaign, you need more than a social media account. Indeed, your greatest #GivingTuesday campaign asset is actually your current donor base.

Start communicating with donors about your #GivingTuesday campaign early. Remind your Facebook followers about the upcoming event with a series of posts, add a post-note at the end of the email newsletter, or start making phone calls.

Communicate the date of the event, your goal, how to donate, ways to share the campaign, etc. When people know about your fundraising plan and goals before #GivingTuesday begins, they’ll be more likely to take action when the time comes.

Also, remember that #GivingTuesday isn’t just about engaging your current supporters but bringing newcomers into the fold. Because of social media and online sharing, it’s now easier than ever before to get your cause (and campaign) shared by your donors to a larger audience. Plus, those connections will be more likely to give because when supporters “vouch” for you through social sharing, they naturally boost your credibility.By mobilizing your current donor base, you’re ensuring that both your donors and their networks know about your #GivingTuesday campaign.

Tip: Use the resources found on the #GivingTuesday website to perfect your appeals. For donor appeals, check out the Sample Outreach Email and the Social Media Toolkit.

2) Do We Run A Holiday or Year-End Campaign Already? If So, How Could #GivingTuesday Fit In?

Just because #GivingTuesday lasts one day doesn’t mean your campaign must follow suit. Even if you already have a year-end fundraising campaign planned, you can still capitalize on the energy surrounding #GivingTuesday by using this day as a campaign kick-off, of sorts.

By promoting #GivingTuesday as the first day or a main event of your year-end campaign, you’re bound to notice an initial donation “bump.” And as all fundraisers know, momentum at the beginning of a fundraising campaign is a great leveraging tool to secure those last donations and meet your goal.

For example, World Bicycle Relief’s 2015 Palabana fundraising campaign kicked off with an “epic” #GivingTuesday that boosted both awareness and support for the cause and helped drive the campaign the rest of the year. 

If you don’t already have a year-end campaign scheduled or you’re lacking the resources for a prolonged fundraiser, then promote #GivingTuesday as a one-day event to drive impact.

Tip: Research #GivingTuesday campaigns for organizations similar to yours to help guide your planning. There are a number of case studies available online.

3) Have We Set A Realistic Goal That Is Both Attainable And Impactful?

Whether you’re running a one-day #GivingTuesday campaign or are using this day to kick off a longer drive, you need a goal to match your needs and timeframe.

Your goal can be monetary (dollars raised), impact-driven (i.e. number of lives changed), or ideally a mix of both. The goal you set will depend on what your organization needs to change lives, as well as what you think will elicit a positive donor response.

Aside from meeting the needs of your organization, your goal must also be realistic.

When setting a #GivingTuesday goal, consider the following:

• Prior Performance: Analyze statistics from past fundraising efforts to figure out how many donors you can expect to participate and factor in the average gift.
• External Comparables: Look at the goals of similar organizations/causes
• Cost-Based: Factor your current resources into your goal. For example, if you only have one staff person available to work the campaign, then your goal may be smaller than if you had an entire team or department.

Tip: Create #GivingTuesday donation tiers to promote specific gift amounts that correlate with impact.

Donations tiers on Grey2K’s #GivingTuesday campaign

4) Do We Have An Incentive For People to Participate?

Donor incentives in fundraising aren’t always tangible. Instead, most donors are looking for confirmation of their gift or a way to show off their good deed to others.

To figure out what incentive your donors will appreciate, you must know your donor base. What’s the age, gender, socioeconomic status, and geographic location of your average donor? Gathering these facts and understanding your donor will make it easier to relate and reward them.

On special days like #GivingTuesday when many of your supporters are active online and in the giving community, a simple online badge or Twibbon may do the trick.

Also, never underestimate the power of a “thank you.” Make your “thank you” seem more like a bonus to your donors by tagging them in photos, or giving shout outs in real-time on social media. If you have the time and resources, personally call or email donors after they’ve given. Or, email your donors a video featuring staff and volunteers thanking them for their support.

Donor incentives don’t have to be big or expensive, but they should be meaningful.

Tip: Include a prompt to connect to your social media pages on the donation thank you page.

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Charity Science’s donation thank you page

5) Who Could We Partner With To Amplify #GivingTuesday Efforts?

#GivingTuesday isn’t just about what you do, but who you know. By connecting with businesses and other nonprofits in your community, you can further amplify your message and leverage the dollars you raise.

Consider these potential partnerships for your #GivingTuesday campaign:

• Business Sponsorships: As fundraisers, we’re often so wrapped up in getting individual donations that we overlook one of our biggest income sources—businesses. And they want to get involved with #GivingTuesday as much as people do!

Start looking for #GivingTuesday partners now by discussing the prospect of a sponsorship or gift match with local business owners and major donors. If you don’t know where to start looking, check out your Chamber of Commerce’s business directory or Double the Donation for a list of companies that already match employee donations.

• Similar Nonprofits/Causes: Partnering with nonprofits in your community with similar goals can also help to amplify your #GivingTuesday campaign. Is there a nonprofit or charity that your clients also go to for support? Do organizations in your town fall under an umbrella association?

Work with nonprofit leaders to create a common goal or to link your campaigns together on social media and through traditional media outlets. Whether it’s based on marketing or increasing similar resources, a partnership can strengthen your reach and amplify your voice.

Tip: If you do secure a gift match, clearly communicate about it as one of the ways you incentivize donors.

6) Do We Have Margins? What Is The Opportunity Cost?

As with all fundraising campaigns, it’s important to be realistic. If you’ve just finished a large campaign in the fall or just don’t have the time or even the funds to run a #GivingTuesday event, then it’s okay to pass this year.

On the other hand, #GivingTuesday is also a great time to try something new. For example, if you haven’t run a one-day fundraiser before or haven’t utilized social media to fundraise, then this could be the right time to try it out on your audience.

Also, keep in mind that 97% of first-time participants said they plan to fundraise again during a future #GivingTuesday event, meaning that many organizations see value and potential in this day.

Weigh the pros and cons carefully to determine if running a #GivingTuesday campaign is right for you.

Tip: Complete a simple cost-benefit analysis before diving in on your #GivingTuesday campaign planning.

Set Yourself Up For Success On #GivingTuesday

Giving Tuesday campaign planning doesn’t have to be hard. Start by determining your needs, then mobilize your audience, set a realistic goal, and find the right incentive for your donor base.

After all’s said and done, you’ll have shared your campaign (and cause) with a broader audience and hopefully gained some new supporters in the process.  

How many different productivity tools do you use?

And how many hours have you spent searching for an email, assignment card, or document, simply because you have so many tools and systems? Maybe that’s why there are project managers — the person dedicated to managing these tasks. But guess what? With the right approach, you might not actually need one.

Optimal productivity really boils down to efficient team collaboration, especially for SMBs. So what does that look like?

Well, it requires a strong communication plan across all parties working on the project, as well as the tools — in moderation — that help you do that. Check out the tips below on how to collaborate better, and more productively.

The Productive Marketer’s Guide to Better Team Collaboration 

1) Avoid designating a project manager.

As we just suggested, it seems counter-intuitive to avoid hiring a single point person to oversee a project, right? But for SMBs in particular, says Marcus Andrews, HubSpot’s senior product marketing manager, using productivity tools — instead of a project manager — can actually help teams be more productive.

In these environments, “project management should be a shared responsibility,” he says. “It doesn’t make sense for SMBs to buy clunky project management software and to hire a person dedicated to managing their work. It’s overkill, and will slow them down and cost them money.”

Andrews suggests using a cohesive, automated productivity application — one that eliminates the duplicate efforts and distraction of multiple tools. That’s what 51% of people expect such apps to be able to do.

Here at HubSpot, we have a built-in app that does those things called Projects. Each team member is able to own his or her responsibilities, but monitor the different project pieces at the same time. That’s part of the reason, Andrews says, apps like these are so good at boosting team communication.

And hold that thought about automation — we’ll touch more on that in a bit.

2) Define a clear purpose and motivation.

Be honest. Have you ever been mid-task when you asked yourself, “Why am I doing this?”

That question should be answered from the very beginning of the project. What is its purpose? Why is it important to us and the client? And what excites us about it?

Outlining a project’s purpose and motivation can help your team stay engaged throughout the process. Disengaged workers have a drop in productivity — that’s why it’s important to not only define a clear purpose of the project up front, but also, to maintain an awareness of that purpose throughout its stages.

Have project team member identify a genuine reason why the project matters to them, and record it somewhere conspicuous. That way, if they feel overwhelmed or disengaged, they can go back and remind themselves of the work’s purpose.

3) …but, assign specific roles.

While eliminating a project manager can aid your team’s productivity, it’s still crucial to make sure everyone understands the role they’ll play.

When that isn’t clearly defined, it’s a huge blow to productivity. According to Gallup, only half of employees actually understand what’s expected of them at work — and out of that half, only 4% feel engaged at work.

We already know that disengaged teams are less productive. So to avoid it, leave no room for confusion before your team begins a project. It might be helpful to go over roles as a group before the work begins, to make sure there’s no unnecessary overlap or duplicate efforts. That’s also part of the point of removing the superfluous, multiple project management tools that we discussed earlier — we want to remove any unnecessary functions that hinder the team’s focus.

That goes for your team and your technology. Like having one automated app that keeps a project’s moving parts organized, clearly defining roles keeps your team running like a well-oiled machine.

4) Understand how work will move from role to role.

Not only is it imperative to clearly define roles, but it’s equally important to understand the next steps after each task is completed.

To me, project workflows are like baseball batting rotations — the order in which players are supposed to bat against the opposing team. Now, imagine if there was no such list, and a game stopped in the middle of an inning because no one knew who was supposed to hit next. A number of things could happen. The team could stand around waiting for someone to volunteer to step up to bat, or wait for someone in charge to make that decision. Or, it could be complete mayhem, with everyone on the team clamoring to take over. In any case, the game — like your project — would experience a delay, and nothing productive would get done.

For that reason, it’s important to have a workflow and sequence of steps in place. Sometimes, that can be tedious, which is why automation is so helpful in productivity. In fact, 55% of employees feel positive about the prospect of automation replacing tedious workflow tasks. Instead of taking the time to hand off a task and explain its next steps, or move it from app to app, a productivity tool that works within your existing workflow program can help seamlessly execute a sequence of tasks.

It also helps to get things done on time, by assigning deadlines to deliverables that are all organized in the same place. And that can be good for morale — 37% of employees equate meeting deadlines with productivity.

5) Avoid having to teach the same thing repeatedly.

By now, you get it — multiple project management apps = duplicate efforts = unproductive.

But another thing about managing projects with multiple tools? They require your team to learn multiple pieces of technology, many of which are actually built to accomplish the same thing. And learning, as well as remembering all of those different pieces takes time away from — you guessed it — getting your work done.

That repetition can be avoided by using a tool that already exists within your current CMS, CRM, or workflow platform. HubSpot Projects, for example, is already part of the HubSpot Marketing Platform, so it’s connected to our existing productivity apps, like Calendar.

Plus, it’s worth noting that Projects was developed in tandem with HubSpot Academy, says Eric Peters, senior growth marketing manager, which gives it a central repository of marketing resources and knowledge. That’s “part of being more productive,” he says, by “not needing to teach people things over and over.”

And while it’s good to make sure your team knows they can ask questions — 75% of people feel less stressed when they can get the help and support they need — it’s also nice to have these built-in resources for them. That reduces the time they might have otherwise spent searching for information, making them more productive in turn.

6) Hold “help wanted” meetings.

Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in our tasks that we forget to check in and ask each other the questions that help get things done.

That’s what Beth Bridges, a Marketing Manager for J – I.T. Outsource told Wrike. “I ask: What do you need to move forward on this project? Where is it stuck? What can we do to get to ‘done’?”

Plus, when teams receive consistent, voluntary help from their leaders, they’re more likely to help others in turn. But when it comes to these help wanted meetings, we suggest asking attendees to leave their devices behind — 75% of employees say that their smartphones get in the way of productivity.

7) Gather consistent feedback.

We know that your team needs to be able to ask for help and have resources at hand. But other than that — how’s everybody doing?

Earlier, we mentioned that there are times when projects might not go according to schedule. We suspect that has something to do with a lack of two-way feedback. During these help-wanted meetings, or even one-on-one meetings between teammates, use that time to welcome feedback on how the project is generally going.

Are the tools working? Are you better suited for a different phase of the project? Does someone have a new idea?

Having a dedicated time to exchange this feedback avoids spontaneous traffic jams and conflicts that can hold up progress and productivity. And, according to research done in Germany, teams that received the most constructive feedback were three times more engaged in their work.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

It might seem like we’re asking you to do a lot at once. But really, these are all items that you can plan for before your work on a project even gets started.

To break it down:

• Avoid the using multiple project management tools that duplicate efforts. Instead, look for a single productivity app that can integrate with your current workflow, resource database, and CMS/CRM.
• The same goes for designating a project manager. An app like the one described above eliminates that person’s work, conserving time and other resources.
• Clearly outline the purpose, motivation, roles, and steps/schedule of a project.
• Create opportunities for your team to ask questions and exchange feedback.

And to learn more about how a productivity app can help you, check out HubSpot Projects.

What helps your team work more productively? Let us know in the comments.

What’s the best way to position your agency for growth? Selling the services your clients really want to purchase.

Right now, clients are preparing their 2017 marketing budgets and making strategic decisions for next year. The way companies search for marketing services has shifted over the last three years, and your agency might need to reposition itself to meet emerging new demands. 

Agency Spotter — a free online service that makes it easy for agencies and brands to find one another and work smarter together — recently compiled a report that looks across the top 25 marketing services from 2014, 2015, and the first half of 2016.

The Agency Search Trends Report offers revealing insights on the evolving world of agency search, selection and engagement. In this article, we’ll cover how these agency search trends could impact your business and — possibly — your career in the industry. You can also download the full Agency Search Trends Report here. 

Staying On Top: Advertising, Digital Strategy, Web, Social Media, Marketing Strategy

Some marketing services seem to always be on top. Advertising has remained the number one most popular service to search on Agency Spotter from 2014 through the first half of 2016. It is also the most crowded service in terms of the number of agencies identifying as advertising agencies.

Digital Strategy, Web, Social Media, Marketing Strategy, Mobile all remained near the top across the same duration.

Dropping Down: Branding, Design Strategy, User Experience, and more

Branding, Design Strategy, User Experience Design, E-Commerce, Gaming, and Graphic Communication Design were all down by the first half of 2016 versus where they had been in 2014, indicating a steady decline in client interest.

Some, like E-Commerce, Design Strategy and User Experience, actually generated more searches between 2014 and 2015, only to show a significant decline for the first half of this year.

Others, like User Experience (UX) and Gaming, dropped off Agency Spotter’s top 25 services list altogether. As someone who has practiced user experience design in one form or another for 20 years, the decline in searches for UX had me scratching my head for a minute.

I don’t think the importance of UX has diminished. I suspect that searches for UX have gone down because it has become a given and a requirement for any digital agency or design firm.

Perhaps the way people search for UX design has changed. Digital marketers are likely searching instead for Digital Strategy, Web, and Mobile first, and evaluating how much focus these digital agencies have on User Experience Design.

Perhaps the same is true for gaming. Has gaming become just one component in consideration as marketers look for a digital agency partners who can drive more results across multiple areas? Or, have marketers become more savvy in their digital strategy, no longer just searching for a trend but only looking for a gaming specialist agency when their strategy calls for it to reach their desired goals?

Bouncing Back: Public Relations, Events, and Innovation

Maybe it’s no surprise that searches for Content Marketing Agencies have been skyrocketing up. But did you know that searches for Innovation Agencies were down last year and seem to have more than rebounded in 2016? Public Relations and Events Marketing also bounced down in 2015 and seem to have recovered for the year.

Many Jumped Up: Content Marketing, Data Analytics, Direct Marketing, and Experiential Marketing

As some services decline, others seem to be searched more and more since 2014. With all the talk of big data, the Data Analytics service shows sustained growth in number of searches across all three data points.

Content Marketing continued to see growth so far this year, though it was near parity between 2014 and 2015. However, in 2015, we introduced Inbound Marketing and suspect that may have competed with Content Marketing. Interestingly, Inbound Marketing has shown strong growth since it was added in 2015 and this year.

Another addition that has taken off since its introduction in 2015 is Experiential Marketing. We have especially seen this category to be popular for marketers in the food and beverage industry and the CPG industry.

Last, but not least, we were shocked to see Direct Marketing move from number 12 up to number three with consistent growth in number of searches throughout the research period. Of course, direct marketing today is a very sophisticated business, and means much more than just mailers for many brands from across industries like automotive, financial services, e-commerce, retail, and banking.

Agencies Need to Adapt to Changing Client Needs

The world of marketing services is not getting any simpler for your clients or you. In the US alone, there are 60,000 to 100,000 agencies, depending on how you define “agency”. That number is also growing year over year despite acquisitions and other exits.

The key takeaway? Agencies need to be tuned to what clients are searching for. The marketing services landscape is intimidatingly complex, and agencies can make themselves more accessible for clients by shifting to suit their current needs.

Marketing decision makers are searching for more agencies, more frequently. The number of people searching Agency Spotter for marketing agencies continues to increase and grew more than 45% when comparing the first half of 2014 to 2016.

Marketers are also managing more relationships with more agencies than ever before. Beyond that, the Marketing Technology (MarTech) landscape is also getting exponentially more complex and crowded each year.

The ability to navigate this complexity in a meaningful way has become critical. As your clients become more savvy and aware of the complexity they are faced with, we expect to see even more of them using search services like Agency Spotter. You can access the full Agency Search Trends Report here for even more insight on client search trends.