Google Sheets helps analyze data. This tool is used by specialists from different fields, including marketers . We publish a guide to working with Google Sheets.
Getting Started with Google Sheets
Benefits of Google Sheets for Marketers
Working with data in Google Sheets
Integration with other Google tools
Hotkeys in Google Sheets
Google Sheets Limitations
Examples of using Google Sheets in marketing
Expert advice
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Getting Started with Google Sheets
Table of Contents
Google Sheets lets you create projects online. Unlike Excel , a file can be edited, commented on, and viewed by multiple people at once. Let’s figure out how to get started with Google Sheets.
1. Creating a file
You can create a new work file in Google Sheets via the service’s main page . On the left side of the screen, there is a button called “Blank table” – this will open a file with a blank workspace that you can fill in as you wish. There are also ready-made templates on the Google Sheets main page. Among them, for example, “Project plan by quarter”, “Expense report” and “Monthly budget”.
2. Studying the interface
Before you start working with Google Sheets, it’s worth understanding its tools and capabilities. For professionals who have worked with Excel, it’s easier to switch to Google Sheets: the two services are very similar in appearance. The Sheets interface consists of several basic elements:
● Menu
In the upper left part of the window there is a title bar, which displays the name of the current table and buttons for accessing various functions: for example, buttons for creating a new table and filters, copying, setting formats, adding new elements.
In the upper right part there is a button with access settings. You can limit it, provide it to specific people or to everyone who has a link, with the assignment of roles – “reader”, “commentator” or “editor”.
Two more buttons in the upper right part allow you to view the latest changes to the document and comments left by users.
● Toolbar
Below the menu bar is a toolbar with buttons for performing various tasks, such as formatting text and changing and customizing cell contents.
● Formula bar
Below the toolbar is a bar where you can enter and edit formulas. They are used to automatically calculate values, create dependencies between cells, filter data, create graphs and charts. Formulas in Google Sheets begin with the “=” symbol and can contain various operators , functions, and cell references.
● Work area
The main part of the window is the work area, where the table data is displayed. Here you can enter, edit, and format information.
● Status bar: At the bottom of the window is the status bar, which displays information about the current state of the table (such as the number of sheets, rows, and columns), as well as information about the selected cells, if they contain data.
3. Creating a table
You can create a table in Google Sheets yourself from scratch or from a ready-made template. Data is entered into cells that are grouped into columns and rows. They can be deleted, moved, added, pinned, copied, cut, hidden.
You can also import an existing file, such as from Excel, into Google Sheets by clicking the “Create” button and then “Upload files.”
4. Collaboration
In Google Sheets, a maximum of 100 people can view, edit, and comment on a file at the same time. If there are more than 100 users, only the file owner and users with personal permission can edit.
People working with the table can leave comments on cells or chat with each other – the chat button is located in the upper right corner.
Google Sheets help systematize information and establish collaboration between departments. For an internet marketer, the ability to work in Sheets is a competitive advantage. In the Practicum course, immersion in this tool begins with the first sprint.
Benefits of Google Sheets for Marketers
Google Sheets is a tool that marketers can’t do without. It has several advantages:
● Sharing
Multiple users can view, edit, and comment on a Google Sheets file at the same time. This is especially useful for teams that work remotely or in different offices.
● Automation
Google Sheets has tools for automating processes, such as formulas, functions, and macros. This reduces the time spent on routine tasks. For example, you don’t need to manually calculate metrics ; you just need to load data into the metric columns and add a formula to the result column.
● Analytics tools
Google Sheets helps you find patterns in your data, and marketers use pivot tables , calculation functions, and charts to do this .
● Integration with other services
Google Sheets integrates with other Google services, such as Google Analytics and Google Ads. This allows marketers to collect data from various sources in one place, which the service will process in real time.
● Accessibility
Google Sheets opens on any device with Internet access. For example, you can work from your phone on the way to work.
Working with data in Google Sheets
Google Sheets has several data formats that you can enter into cells:
● Text – such as names, addresses, comments.
● Numbers – anything that can be used in calculations.
● Date and time – you can enter just the date, just the time, or both in a single cell. You can also select a specific day from the calendar.
● Boolean – this data type is used to enter logical values such as true or false – these are used in formulas to test conditions.
● Links – such as to other documents or pages.
● Formulas and functions – for example, SUM(value1, value2) finds the sum of a series of numbers or the contents of a series of cells, while ROUND(value, precision) rounds a number to the nearest whole multiple.
● Array – this is a collection of data that can be processed as a single unit. For example, you could create an array of sales data for different regions and use formulas to calculate the company’s total profit.
To start working with data in Google Sheets, you need to enter it into a cell. The service automatically determines the formats “text”, “number”, “date and time”. Others will have to be selected in the menu in the “Format” tab.
You can edit data using tools. For example, format numbers as a currency amount or percentage, change the number of decimal places, change text alignment, merge cells.
Here are the operations that can be performed with the data:
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● Create pivot tables
Marketers can use pivot tables to group and analyze data by different parameters, such as products, regions, or sales channels.
● Visualize
Charts and graphs can be created to visualize trends and patterns in the data.
● Calculate
Functions and formulas help the marketer automatically calculate various metrics, such as average order value, conversion rate, or ROI (return on investment).
● Filter and sort
Marketers can use filtering and sorting to highlight specific groups of data, such as the most profitable products or customers with the greatest potential.
● Export
Data can be exported from Google Sheets to other programs for deeper analysis or visualization.
Integration with other Google tools
Google Sheets can be integrated with other Google tools that are useful for marketers. These include:
● Google Analytics
Google Analytics stores data about traffic, conversions, and user behavior on your site. All of this can be imported into Google Sheets and then analyzed along with other business metrics, such as sales or revenue.
● Google Ads
You can import data about your advertising campaigns from Google Ads, such as costs, clicks, and conversions. Helps you analyze your advertising performance and optimize your budget.
● Google Forms
This is a service where you can create forms and surveys with different types of questions. Useful when you need to, for example, collect customer feedback. The results can be imported into Google Sheets.
● Google Data Studio
This is a data visualization service. You can use it to create interactive reports and dashboards based on information from Google Sheets.
Hotkeys in Google Sheets
Hotkeys are combinations of keys on the keyboard that perform certain commands in a program without having to search for the necessary items in a menu or on a toolbar. They help speed up work. Here are some examples:
● The service does not work well with large amounts of data. Google Sheets can freeze, so it is better to use Excel or full-fledged SQL.
● If the Internet is not working, you will not be able to update information in Google Sheets.
● Information may end up in the hands of competitors if the owner, for example, forgot to restrict access to the link.
● Often, Google accounts for working in Sheets are created by employees themselves, so it is difficult to control them. If, for example, the account owner quits, he can delete data or restrict access to the spreadsheet.
Examples of using Google Sheets in marketing
Google Sheets can be used in marketing for various purposes: for data analysis, reporting, project management. Let’s look at some examples in more detail.
● Semantic core
In contextual advertising or SEO optimization, Google Sheets are the main tool in the work. You can prepare the material with the team and coordinate it with the end customer.
● Project budgeting
Convenient format for reflecting all expense items and budget planning.
● Data analysis
You can create a table to analyze site visit statistics, sales data. Formulas and functions are suitable for data processing, plotting graphs and charts.
● Collecting lead forms
These are forms that a user fills out when they click on a button in an ad. You can create a questionnaire on Google Forms and collect all the data from there into a Table.
● Working with artificial intelligence
You can connect to Google Sheets a transcript from a call center with registration of all incoming target calls. Then set the neural network the task of analyzing key customer questions and the efficiency of operators.
● Project Management
Google Sheets can be used to manage projects, track tasks and deadlines. You can create to-do lists, add comments.
● Creating a calendar or plan
In Google Sheets, you can develop a content plan for a marketing campaign or build a convenient Gantt chart – this is a schedule of work on a project, which is created in the form of a table indicating the stages and those responsible for their implementation.
