A Week of Implementations: Braze, Tag Manager, Blue Core, and Acuity Scheduling Form Tracking
The role of a Google Analytics consultant is never static. It’s a fascinating mix of various tasks, technologies, and challenges. This week was particularly interesting as it involved three diverse implementations: Braze with Google Tag Manager, a tagging setup with Bluecore, and form tracking on Acuity Scheduling. Here’s how I tackled each of these challenges and what I learned along the way.
Implementing Braze with Google Tag Manager
The Challenge
The objective was straightforward: Integrate Braze—a customer engagement platform—using Google Tag Manager (GTM) for a more streamlined tagging process and easier management. While Braze provides a plethora of options for customer tracking and engagement, integrating it into GTM requires a methodical approach.
The Solution
Setting up Variables: After installing the GTM container on the website, the first step was to set up custom variables within GTM to capture the relevant Braze data.
Creating Triggers: Triggers were set for specific user actions like page views, clicks, or form submissions. These triggers helped in firing Braze tags at the right moment.
Tag Configuration: Use the Braze SDK to send events in. With the purchase event, make sure the data layer is in the correct format and it will automatically send.
Testing: Rigorous QA testing ensured that the tags fired as expected and the data was correctly sent to Braze.
Key Takeaways
- Use the GTM debug mode to validate your setup. Initialise the SDK before sending anything.
- Make sure to consult the Braze API documentation for proper tag set up and support are very helpful.
Tagging Setup with Bluecore
The Challenge
Bluecore is another powerful platform specializing in personalized marketing. The aim was to set up an efficient tagging strategy to capture user data for more customized marketing campaigns.
The Solution
Planning: Sketched out the user interactions that are most valuable for tracking.
Tag Placement: Used Bluecore’s specific tags for various events like ‘Product View’, ‘Add to Cart’, and ‘Purchase’.
Validation: Used Bluecore’s real-time analytics feature to validate data tracking.
Key Takeaways
- Bluecore has a straightforward tagging system, but the real skill lies in identifying which events to track for optimum marketing performance.
- Always keep an eye on the data flowing into Bluecore to ensure you are capturing the data you need.
Acuity Scheduling Form Tracking
The Challenge
Acuity Scheduling is an online appointment scheduling software. This was built into a Squarespace site. Tracking the form was needed to track conversions.
The Solution
Identifying Key Events: Making sure you capture the conversion event rather than clicks to the sign up page.
Event Tracking: You need 2 GTM containers to implement it the way I did. The tricky part was there was an iframe in an iframe which was tracking.
Setting up Goals: Once the event is passed to the top frame, you can just create the event as normal.
Key Takeaways
- Iframes within iframes are tricky to track.
Final Thoughts
Being a Google Analytics consultant requires juggling various platforms and technologies. This week was a testament to that versatility. Each project provided unique challenges but also the opportunity to learn and grow. From implementing Braze with GTM, to mastering Bluecore tagging, and tracking Acuity Scheduling forms—this week was a whirlwind, but also immensely rewarding.
I hope this post has been insightful, and if you have any questions about these implementations, feel free to ask!
Happy Analysing!
Ben has a BEng (Hons) in Computer Science and 20 years of experience in online marketing, specialising in SEO, lead generation and affiliate marketing. After spending over a decade as an igaming affiliate, he has decided to concentrate on GA4 training and SEO Audits.
