The Marketing Analytics Roadmap: Written for Data Analysts Transitioning into Marketing Analytics

If you're coming from a marketing background and want to become more analytics-driven, skip this guide—I’ve written a separate one for you.

But if you have a background in data—like a degree in economics, finance, statistics, or business, along with internships or work experience using data—this guide is for you. You’ve already mastered the hard part: you know Excel, navigate dashboards, and understand how to interpret metrics.

Marketing analytics is a more niche domain, but your skills carry over extremely well. You’re not starting from zero—you’re evolving. The shift is toward customer behavior, growth levers, and tying insights to revenue.

This guide shows you exactly how I would structure your learning so you can contribute fast and bring real value to employers. It’s a structured, job-oriented roadmap to help you go from general data analyst to high-impact marketing analyst. You’ll go beyond just reporting KPIs—you’ll learn how to influence strategy, design experiments, and communicate findings that drive decisions.

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STAGE 1: Translate Your Data Knowledge into Marketing Context (Weeks 1–3)

Goal: Reframe your analytics mindset through a marketing lens.

At this stage, you’ll shift from analyzing transactions, operations, or generic business metrics to understanding how marketers think. Why do they care about CAC? Why does retention make or break SaaS companies? What’s the difference between a top-of-funnel click and a bottom-of-funnel conversion?

We’re starting here because this context gives meaning to every dashboard you’ll build later. Without it, your SQL and visualizations won’t land with impact. My job here is to help you speak the language, understand what matters, and think like a marketer.

First: Learn to Speak Marketing

Key Metrics:

• CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost): Total cost to acquire one customer. E.g., if you spend $5,000 on paid ads and acquire 100 customers, CAC = $50.

• LTV (Lifetime Value): How much revenue a customer brings over their lifetime. Subscription products live or die by this.

• ROAS (Return on Ad Spend): Revenue / Ad Spend. If you spend $10,000 and earn $40,000, your ROAS is 4.

• CPL (Cost per Lead): How much it costs to generate a lead (form fills, demo requests).

• CTR (Click-Through Rate): Clicks / Impressions. Used in ads and emails to gauge interest.

• Conversion Rate: % of users completing a key action—sign up, purchase, etc.

• Retention Rate: % of users who stick around over time (vs. churn). High retention = sticky product.

Don’t just memorize these. Pick 2–3 products you use every week (Spotify, Duolingo, Uber) and ask yourself: How would they track these? Which metric would their marketing team obsess over?

Marketing Funnel (TOFU / MOFU / BOFU)

The marketing funnel is a classic framework used to understand how potential customers move from awareness to action. It helps marketers segment content, messaging, and goals based on where a user is in their decision-making journey.

TOFU (Top of Funnel): Awareness

Goal: Capture attention and generate interest.
Examples:

• Paid ads (Google Ads, Facebook/Instagram/TikTok Ads)

• Blog posts optimized for SEO

• Viral social videos or influencer mentions

• Educational YouTube content (e.g., "What is CRO?")

• Organic social media posts

Key Metrics:

• Impressions

• Reach

• Click-through rate (CTR)

• Cost-per-click (CPC)

• Social shares

Tools:

• Google Ads, Meta Ads Manager

• TikTok Creative Center

• Ahrefs or SEMrush (SEO keyword research)

• Google Search Console

• Buffer / Hootsuite (social scheduling)

Learning Resources:

• HubSpot Academy: Content Marketing Certification

• Google Ads Search Certification

• SEO for Beginners – Moz or Ahrefs YouTube Channel

• Marketing Examples by Harry Dry

• T-shaped Marketer Framework – Demand Curve

MOFU (Middle of Funnel): Consideration

Goal: Educate, differentiate, and nurture interest.
Examples:

• Product landing pages

• Feature comparison charts (e.g., Notion vs. Evernote)

• Case studies or success stories

• Webinars or product demos

• Email sequences explaining benefits

Key Metrics:

• Time on page

• Scroll depth

• Email open and click rates

• Bounce rate

• Lead-to-MQL conversion

Tools:

• Hotjar or FullStory (user behavior tracking)

• HubSpot or ActiveCampaign (email automation)

• Google Analytics

• Webinar platforms (Zoom, Demio)

Learning Resources:

• CXL – Product Marketing Minidegree

• Writing Landing Pages that Convert – Copyhackers

• Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely (Behavioral Consideration Triggers)

• Reforge’s Growth Loops & Retention Models

BOFU (Bottom of Funnel): Action

Goal: Drive purchase or sign-up decisions.
Examples:

• Pricing pages

• Free trial sign-up flows

• Checkout optimization (low friction, high trust)

• One-on-one sales calls

• Discount or urgency campaigns

Key Metrics:

• Conversion rate (CVR)

• Cart abandonment rate

• Trial-to-paid conversion

• Revenue per visitor

• CAC (Customer Acquisition Cost)

Tools:

• Optimizely / VWO (A/B testing)

• Stripe or Paddle (payment flows)

• Fathom or PostHog (privacy-friendly analytics)

• Heap or Mixpanel (funnel analysis)

Learning Resources:

• Baymard Institute – Checkout UX Research

• CXL – CRO Minidegree

• $100M Offers by Alex Hormozi (Pricing Psychology)

• ConversionXL Blog & Case Studies

Customer Journey Mapping

The funnel is a simplified model. Real customer behavior is messier, with loops, detours, and re-entries. Journey mapping bridges that gap.

Why It Matters:

While the funnel explains intent stages, journey mapping explains experience flow. It visualizes how users interact with your brand across time, platforms, and emotions.

Example Journey (Notion):

1. TOFU – Sees a TikTok about “How I organized my life in Notion”

2. MOFU – Googles “Notion vs Evernote,” reads a few blog comparisons

3. BOFU – Tries the free version

4. Retention – Invites a teammate, integrates with Slack

5. Expansion – Joins a paid team plan

6. Advocacy – Shares a Notion template on Reddit

Touchpoints to Map:

• Ad clicks

• Website visits

• Newsletter signups

• Product onboarding

• In-app engagement

• Support tickets

• Churn or upsell events

Metrics to Track per Stage:

• Time-to-first-action

• Drop-off points (where friction happens)

• Product usage frequency

• NPS / CSAT

• Activation rate

Tools for Mapping:

• Miro or Whimsical (visual maps)

• Mixpanel / Amplitude (event-based analytics)

• Segment (data routing)

• Userpilot or Appcues (in-app onboarding tracking)

Learning Resources:

• IDEO’s Human-Centered Design Toolkit

• Jobs to Be Done by Clayton Christensen

• CXL – Customer Research & User Onboarding Courses

• “Mapping Experiences” by Jim Kalbach (book)

• Grow & Convert Blog – Customer Journey Case Studies

Mini Project:

Pick a SaaS product you love. Estimate:

• Monthly active users

• Monthly churn (approx.)

• Monthly revenue per user

• Revenue lost to churn vs. retained

Use Excel or Sheets to model this out. The goal is to practice tying marketing metrics to real revenue outcomes.

Resources:

• Hubspot Academy’s “Marketing Analytics” course

• Google Analytics Academy

• Lean Analytics by Alistair Croll & Benjamin Yoskovitz

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🔍 STAGE 2: Get Hands-On with Marketing Tools & Data (Weeks 4–6)

Goal: Learn the tools marketers use to track and measure behavior.

You know SQL and dashboards. But tools like GA4, GTM, HubSpot, and Klaviyo are where the marketing data originates. This stage is about understanding the plumbing, not just the reporting.

Tool Glossary:

• UTM Parameters: Tags in URLs like ?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=launch. Each piece tells you where the traffic came from and why.

  • utm_source: platform (e.g., twitter)

  • utm_medium: channel (e.g., social)

  • utm_campaign: initiative (e.g., launch)

• Google Tag Manager (GTM): A tag system to track user actions (clicks, forms, video views). Adobe also has a similar tool. Understand the concept—not just the interface.

• GA4 (Google Analytics): Tracks events across websites/apps. Adobe Analytics is similar but configured differently. You won’t know the limits until you use them—read docs, test tracking, and troubleshoot.

• Marketing Automation: Tools like HubSpot, Braze, or Klaviyo send campaigns based on behavior (e.g., cart abandoners). They often have built-in analytics—use their guides to learn metrics.

• CRM (Customer Relationship Management): Stores user data. Salesforce, HubSpot, or Zoho. These connect user info across lifecycle stages and teams.

You won’t fully understand these tools until you break something. That’s the point. Errors teach nuance.

Actions:

• Build a Carrd or Squarespace site and add GTM tracking.

• Simulate user clicks and verify them in GA4.

• Inspect ad URLs from real campaigns and decode UTMs.

• Use mock data from Kaggle to build a funnel dashboard segmented by channel.

Resources:

• Google Skillshop: GA4 + GTM

• MeasureSchool on YouTube

• HubSpot Academy (CRM + automation)

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STAGE 3: Deepen Funnel Logic & Attribution (Weeks 7–10)

Goal: Understand what drives user action and how to attribute credit across marketing channels.

You’ve seen funnels and tracked user behavior. Now it’s time to diagnose where users drop off and which channels drive value. Attribution is how we answer, “Which channel gets the credit for conversion?”

Attribution Models

Attribution modeling assigns credit for conversions to different marketing touchpoints. These models influence how budgets are allocated, how performance is judged, and how strategies are shaped.

Common Attribution Models:

1. First-Touch
   100% credit goes to the first channel that introduced the user.
   Example: A user clicks a Google Ad, browses, and converts a week later via email. Google Ad gets all the credit.
   Strengths: Great for awareness campaigns.
   Limitations: Ignores nurturing and conversion-driving efforts.

2. Last-Touch
   100% credit goes to the last channel before conversion.
   Example: User discovers product through a blog post, sees a retargeting ad, and finally converts via an email CTA. Email gets full credit.
   Common default in most platforms.
   Strengths: Simple to implement.
   Limitations: Disregards early-stage influence.

3. Linear
   Equal credit across all touchpoints.
   Use case: Multi-step journeys where every touchpoint matters.
   Strengths: Fair and balanced.
   Limitations: Doesn’t weigh recency or impact of specific steps.

4. Time-Decay
   Touchpoints closer to conversion get more credit.
   Strengths: Good for sales cycles where recency is predictive of action.
   Limitations: Early influencers are undervalued.

5. Position-Based (U-Shaped)
   Typically 40% credit to first and last touchpoints, 20% split among the rest.
   Strengths: Balances discovery and decision-making stages.
   *Common compromise for multi-touch strategies.

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Key Metrics & Tools:

• Conversion paths: Google Analytics / Mixpanel

• Attribution comparisons: Google Analytics 4, HubSpot, Segment

• Custom modeling: Python + SQL or data modeling in dbt

• Visualization: Looker Studio, Power BI, Tableau

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Learning Resources:

• Google Analytics Attribution Models Documentation

• HubSpot: Attribution Reporting Guide

• MeasureSchool (YouTube)

• CXL – Attribution Modeling Course

• GrowthHackers Case Studies

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Funnel Drop-Off, Cohorts & Segmentation

These are foundational techniques for diagnosing and improving marketing performance over time.

Funnel Drop-Off Analysis

Goal: Identify where users abandon the path to conversion.
Example: From Ad Click → Landing Page → Sign-Up → Onboarding → Purchase, you see a 70% drop between onboarding and purchase.
Tools:

• Funnel reports in Mixpanel, Amplitude

• Custom event tracking with Segment

• Google Analytics (exploration funnels)

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Cohort Analysis

Goal: Compare behavior across groups defined by a shared starting point.
Example: January signups retain better than February. Why?
Types of cohorts:

• Time-based (week/month joined)

• Action-based (first product use, first email opened)

• Channel-based (signed up via ad vs. organic)

Tools:

• SQL / Excel / Sheets

• Mixpanel Cohort Builder

• Tableau / Power BI

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Behavioral Segmentation

Goal: Group users based on in-app or on-site behavior.
Examples:

• Power users vs. casual browsers

• Users who abandon carts vs. complete purchases

• Trial users who invite teammates vs. those who don’t

Techniques:

• RFM (Recency, Frequency, Monetary) analysis

• k-means clustering (for advanced analysis)

• Product analytics tools (Heap, Mixpanel)

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Learning Resources:

• Mixpanel Documentation & Tutorials

• Amplitude Academy: Funnel and Retention Analysis

• CXL – Data Analysis & Behavioral Segmentation

• Reforge – Retention & Engagement Series

• Lean Analytics (book)

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Marketing Channels (and Their Data)

Understanding channel-specific data helps you optimize spend, target the right audiences, and diagnose attribution conflicts.

Channel Overviews:

• Paid: Google Ads, Meta, LinkedIn

  • Tracked via: UTM parameters, conversion pixels

  • Data: CPC, CTR, ROAS, quality score

  • Challenge: High CAC if not optimized

• Organic: SEO, blog content, social media

  • Tracked via: Search Console, GA4, Ahrefs

  • Data: Organic traffic, bounce rate, page rankings

  • Challenge: Attribution often gets lost in “Direct” or “Organic”

• Email: Campaigns, lifecycle drips, transactional

  • Tracked via: ESP analytics (open rate, CTR), UTM tagging

  • Data: Engagement rate, click-to-open, unsubscribes

  • Challenge: Apple Mail Privacy Protection distorts open rate accuracy

• Referral: Partners, affiliates, backlink traffic

  • Tracked via: Referral URLs, partner tracking links

  • Data: Referral traffic, assisted conversions

  • Challenge: Discrepancies across platforms

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Tools for Cross-Channel Analysis:

• Looker Studio dashboards

• GA4 attribution explorer

• Segment or RudderStack for unified customer data

• Supermetrics (data pipeline for marketing tools)

Learning Resources:

• Google Skillshop – GA4 & Ads Courses

• HubSpot Inbound Marketing Certification

• Ahrefs Blog – Organic Traffic & SEO Strategies

• Supermetrics Academy – Cross-channel reporting

• Reforge – Channel Strategy & Growth Loops

Actions to Build Real Skills

1. Create a funnel dashboard in Looker Studio or Power BI using mock or real data. Include drop-offs, conversion rates, and attribution paths.

2. Run a SQL cohort analysis comparing user retention by signup month. Use Excel if you're not in a data warehouse.

3. Simulate attribution models on the same user journey and write a 3-slide deck recommending which model to use and why.

4. Segment your email list by behavior (opens, clicks, purchases) and create tailored campaigns for each group.

BONUS: Stage 4 — Experimentation & Growth Testing (Weeks 11–14)

Goal: Move beyond descriptive analytics. Start thinking causally—what caused a metric to move, not just what changed. This is how top companies grow with confidence.

You’re not training to be a statistician. You’re learning how to run and interpret experiments that drive real business decisions.

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Key Concepts

• A/B Testing: Split users into control and variant groups. Change one variable (e.g., button text) and measure outcomes.

  • Example: Test whether “Start Free Trial” performs better than “Get Started.”

• Statistical Significance: Are the results strong enough to rule out chance? Typically, p < 0.05 is used—but context matters more than thresholds.

• Sample Ratio Mismatch (SRM): When your control and test groups aren’t split evenly, it can signal bugs in tracking or implementation.

• Peeking: Looking at results mid-test increases false positives. Avoid ending tests early unless using proper sequential testing methods.

• Minimum Detectable Effect (MDE): The smallest difference you want to confidently detect. Drives how big your sample size needs to be.

Tools & Simulations

• Optimizely, Statsig, VWO, – Common in industry

• Excel/Google Sheets – Simulate tests using T-tests or conversion difference calculators

• R/Python – Use libraries like scipy.stats, pandas, or statsmodels to build tests

Actions

1. Design a test: Run an email subject line A/B test or CTA button variation. Pick a clear metric (e.g., click-through rate).

2. Build a test scorecard:

   • Hypothesis

   • Primary Metric

   • MDE (Minimum Detectable Effect)

   • Duration

   • Launch Date & Results

3. Study teardown examples:

   • Booking.com: Iterative testing culture

   • Netflix: UI/UX experiment frameworks

   • Duolingo: Growth-focused testing

Learning Resources

• Trustworthy Online Controlled Experiments by Ron Kohavi (ex-Microsoft, Amazon, Airbnb)

• Statsig Case Studies (Growth-focused A/B testing)

• Analytics Engineering YouTube – A/B Test Analysis & Design

• Evan Miller’s A/B Testing Tools (online calculators, SRM tests)

• Experimentation Works by Stefan Thomke (Harvard Business School)

Stage 5 — Storytelling, Strategic Thinking & Career Move (Weeks 15+)

Goal: Turn your technical work into business insight. Data is only as valuable as the decision it influences. This stage makes you more than an analyst—it positions you as a strategic operator.

Think of this as your conversion stage. You’re marketing yourself.

Key Concepts

• Storytelling with Data: Translate dashboards into decisions. Your job isn’t just to show what happened—but what it means and what to do about it.

  • Use annotation, color, and context to guide interpretation.

  • Don't overwhelm with metrics—prioritize narrative clarity.

• Decision Frameworks:

  • ICE (Impact, Confidence, Ease)

  • PIE (Potential, Importance, Ease)

  • RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort)

  • OMTM (One Metric That Matters)

  • North Star Metric: The single metric most predictive of long-term success (e.g., Weekly Active Users, Paid Conversions)

• Case Studies & Portfolios: Show your thinking and impact like a product designer.

  • Context: What problem were you solving?

  • Methods: What tools, data, or tests did you use?

  • Results: What changed, and how do you know?

  • Takeaways: What would you do differently?

Actions

1. Turn one of your prior projects (e.g., funnel or attribution analysis) into a Loom case study.

   • Narrate what you did, why it mattered, and what the outcome was.

2. Build a Notion or website portfolio with 2–3 walkthroughs. Focus on showing thought process and clarity over fancy visuals.

3. Apply to real analytics roles (even if you’re not “ready”) to test your positioning. Use the feedback to refine your resume, case studies, and storytelling.

Learning Resources

• Storytelling with Data by Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic

• Good Charts by Scott Berinato (data visualization for business)

• Product Marketing Alliance Job Board (for data-savvy marketing roles)

• Women in Analytics, MarketingOps, DataTalk (communities for practice and networking)

• Reforge’s Strategic Thinking for Product & Growth Leaders

The Path at a Glance

Weeks 1–3: Learn the language of marketing—CAC, LTV, funnel logic, and customer journeys. Practice translating metrics into business outcomes.

Weeks 4–6: Dive into marketing tools—GTM, GA4, UTMs, CRMs, automation. Build small tracking setups and dashboards.

Weeks 7–10: Deepen your analysis—attribution models, retention cohorts, segmentation, and ROI across channels.

Weeks 11–14 (Bonus): Explore experimentation. Learn how to design simple A/B tests, analyze outcomes, and avoid false positives.

Weeks 15+: Focus on storytelling and positioning. Package your work, speak to business impact, and break into your next role.

How to Use This Roadmap

• Treat each stage like a sprint. Build something. Reflect on it.

• Weekly prompt: “If I had to explain this to a CMO, how would I frame it?”

• Don’t aim for perfection—aim for practice. Build a portfolio that shows progress.

• When in doubt, share your learnings in public. It speeds up feedback and builds credibility.

What’s Next on This Substack

Each stage will be broken down into tactical, hands-on content—mini projects, templates, breakdowns, and examples.

Upcoming:

• “Funnel Logic for Analysts: How to Reverse-Engineer User Behavior”

• “Attribution Isn’t Truth—It’s Strategy”

• “Designing Your First A/B Test Without a CRO Team”