How to Connect BI Tools to Your Marketing Data

# How to Connect Business Intelligence Tools to Marketing Data

In the modern Australian business landscape, data is your most valuable asset. Connecting your marketing platforms (like Google Ads or Facebook) to a Business Intelligence (BI) tool allows you to see the big picture, identify which channels are actually driving revenue, and stop wasting budget on underperforming campaigns.

By centralising your data, you move away from messy spreadsheets and towards real-time dashboards that help you make smarter decisions for your Brisbane business.

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Prerequisites: What You’ll Need Before Starting

Before we dive into the technical setup, ensure you have the following ready:

• Admin Access: You need administrative or 'Owner' level access to your marketing accounts (Google Ads, Meta Business Suite, LinkedIn Campaign Manager, etc.).
• A BI Tool Account: We recommend starting with Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio) as it is free and integrates natively with Google products. Alternatively, you might use Microsoft Power BI or Tableau.
• A Data Connector: For non-Google platforms (like Facebook or Instagram), you may need a third-party connector like Supermetrics, Funnel.io, or Power My Analytics.
• Your ABN & Business Details: Some connectors require business verification during the setup process.

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Step 1: Define Your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Don’t connect data just for the sake of it. Decide what matters to your business first. Are you looking for Cost Per Lead (CPL), Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), or simple website traffic volume? Knowing your KPIs prevents "data overwhelm" once the connection is live.

Step 2: Choose Your Primary BI Tool

For most Australian small to medium businesses, Looker Studio is the logical choice because it’s free and lives within the Google ecosystem. If your business relies heavily on the Microsoft stack (Excel, Azure), Power BI might be a better fit, though it often requires a paid Pro licence for sharing reports.

Step 3: Sign In and Create a New Data Source

Log into your chosen BI tool.

• In Looker Studio: Click the '+' icon or 'Create' button in the top left corner and select 'Data Source'.
• Screenshot Description: You should see a grid of "Connectors" featuring icons for Google Analytics, Google Ads, and BigQuery.

Step 4: Authorise the Primary Native Connectors

Start with the easiest connections first. Select 'Google Ads' or 'Google Analytics 4'. You will be prompted to 'Authorise' the connection.

• Tip: Ensure you are logged into the same Google Workspace account that holds your marketing permissions. If you use a personal Gmail for some and a work email for others, this step will get messy.

Step 5: Connect Social Media Data (The Third-Party Step)

Google doesn't own Meta (Facebook/Instagram), so there is no "native" free connector. You have two choices:

• Manual Export: Export a CSV from Meta and upload it to a Google Sheet (time-consuming).
• Partner Connectors: Search for 'Supermetrics' or 'Power My Analytics' in the connector list. You will need to start a trial or subscription. Follow the prompts to log into your Meta Business Suite account and grant permission.

Step 6: Select Your Specific Accounts

Once authorised, the BI tool will show a list of accounts you have access to. If you are a franchise or have multiple locations across Queensland, ensure you select only the specific accounts relevant to the report you are building. Selecting 'All Accounts' often leads to duplicated data.

Step 7: Review the Schema (Field Mapping)

After selecting the account, you’ll see a long list of "Fields" (Dimensions and Metrics).

• Dimensions are green (e.g., Campaign Name, Date, City).
• Metrics are blue (e.g., Clicks, Conversions, Spend).

Check that 'Currency' fields are set to AUD - Australian Dollar. This is a common mistake that leads to incorrect reporting if the tool defaults to USD.

Step 8: Create the Report Canvas

Click 'Create Report' (usually in the top right). You will be presented with a blank white canvas. This is where your marketing data comes to life.

Step 9: Add Your First Data Visualisation

Click 'Add a chart' from the top toolbar. Start with a 'Scorecard' for your most important metric (e.g., Total Conversions).

• Screenshot Description: A small box appears on your canvas. On the right-hand sidebar, you will see a 'Data' tab where you can drag and drop your chosen metric into the 'Metric' slot.

Step 10: Blend Your Data (Advanced but Essential)

This is the "magic" of BI. If you want to see your total spend across both Google and Facebook in one chart, you need to 'Blend Data'.

• Select a chart.
• In the Data sidebar, click '+ Blend Data'.
• Join the two sources using a 'Join Key' (usually 'Date').
• Now you can create a custom formula: Google Ads Spend + Meta Spend.

Step 11: Set Up Automated Refreshes

Data is useless if it’s out of date. Ensure your data source is set to refresh daily. In Looker Studio, this is usually automatic, but for Power BI, you may need to schedule a refresh via the 'Gateway' settings.

Step 12: Filter for Australian Context

If your business only operates in Brisbane or the Gold Coast, add a 'Filter' to your report.

• How-to: Click 'Add a filter' in the chart properties. Set it to: Include > Region > Equal to > Queensland. This ensures your data isn't being skewed by accidental international traffic.

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Pro Tips for Success

• Use Naming Conventions: Ensure your campaigns in Google and Facebook have similar names (e.g., "[BOFU] - Search - Brisbane"). This makes filtering and blending data much easier.
• Mind the Time Zones: Always check that your marketing platforms and your BI tool are set to (GMT+10:00) Brisbane. If one is in US time, your daily reporting will be offset by 14-18 hours.
• Start Small: Don't try to track 50 metrics at once. Start with the 'Big Three': Spend, Conversions, and ROAS.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ignoring Data Privacy: Ensure your data collection complies with the Australian Privacy Act. Never pull PII (Personally Identifiable Information) like email addresses or phone numbers directly into a shared BI dashboard.
• Forgetting to Re-authorise: API tokens expire. If your dashboard suddenly breaks or shows 'No Data', the first thing to do is re-authorise your connection to the marketing platform.

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

• Fix: This usually means there is no data for that specific date range or filter. Check that your date range selector is set to a period where you were actually running ads.

• Fix: Check your attribution models. BI tools often pull 'Raw' data, while platforms might be using 'Data-Driven' attribution. Also, ensure you aren't counting 'All Conversions' when you only want 'Primary Conversions'.

• Fix: If you have years of data, the BI tool has to crunch thousands of rows every time you click. Use a 'Data Extract' connector to create a static snapshot of the data that refreshes once a day, rather than a 'Live' connection.

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Next Steps

Now that your data is connected, the next step is to design a dashboard that your team will actually use. Focus on clarity over complexity.

If you find the technical setup of data blending and API connectors a bit overwhelming, we can help. Our team at Local Marketing Group specialises in custom analytics setups for Australian businesses.