We offer a large range of integrations, KPIs, and templates to help your agency quickly adapt to Optix.

In this article, we’ll outline the recommended setup strategy for Agencies using Optix for their Client reporting. Each step is used to help you, your organization, and your customers understand your available toolset and to bring your reporting to the next level. The 3 main steps to follow are:

1. Align your Agency around the right metrics to track
2. Analyze your performance using Storyboards
3. Adjust your strategy based on current reported data

1.) Align your Agency around the right metrics to track

Invite Users to your Agency Account

Your Agency Account is a space for you and your team members to create a scalable reporting process for your Agency. Invite your team to this Account to give them the opportunity to connect Data Sources, specify which Metrics are significant for their role/ department, and (eventually) access Client Accounts. 

Connect Data sources in your Agency Account

In order to start identifying the Metrics that are significant for your Agency and your Clients to monitor and analyze, you will need to connect one of each Data Source you’ll be using in your reports in your Agency Account. 

It’s recommended that you connect your Agency’s Data Sources in your Agency Account if possible. However, if you don’t use all of the same platforms as your Clients, you can connect your Clients Data Source(s) in your Agency Account. Only one of each Data Source needs to be connected in your Agency Account. 

For example, if your Client’s use Facebook Ads but you do not have a Facebook Ads Account for your Agency, simply connect one of your Client’s Facebook Ads Accounts in your Agency Account. This will ensure you have the ability to select the appropriate Metrics and build valuable Databoard Templates for Clients with data from Facebook Ads.  

Add Metrics to the Metrics screen in your Agency Account

The Metrics screen allows everyone in your organization to create a personalized view of all the Metrics that matter to them, while also gaining visibility into Metrics that are significant to others in your organization. This makes it easy to collaborate and ensure you’re aligned around the right Metrics to monitor for your Agency and Clients.

Use Tags to Keep your Agency Metrics screen organized

First, you’ll need to create a Tag for each area you’re monitoring data for. We often see Tags used to differentiate between Client services, departments, initiatives, or focus areas. You can Tag Metrics on your Metrics screen to differentiate between the Metrics that are significant for each area. Tags are Account-wide so any Agency user will be able to access these Tags. You can Filter the Metrics screen based on Tags to create the optimal view for you. Tags can also help you efficiently organize your Metrics and build out your Storyboards directly when you’re ready.

Add Client Accounts under your Agency Account

Client Accounts help create a secure, scalable reporting process for your Agency, while still allowing for customization based on specific Client needs or preferences. Think of your Agency Account as the “parent,” and your Client Accounts as the “children” in a family tree. Each child (Client) is linked to the parent (Agency), but the children (Clients) are not connected to one another. 

Connect Client Data Sources in Client Accounts

Each Client Data Source is its own unique connection. You should connect your Client’s Data Sources in the respective Client Accounts to begin syncing data with Optix. View a full list of Data Sources that directly integrate with Optix here. 

Add Metrics to the Metrics Screen in your Client Accounts

In Client Accounts, the Metrics screen can be set up to give visibility into the top Metrics for each unique Client. This allows you to quickly identify the top Metrics and start monitoring them in Databox. 

2.) How to Analyze your performance using Storyboards

To further improve your reporting, the second step requires you take full advantage of Optix’s toolset. For a first-time user, we recommend you begin with one of the pre-configured templates made available in the template library. After choosing the template, a copy will be made available in your personal storyboard manager for your own custom use.

If a template does not have all of the key metrics you are looking to report on, we suggest to view our visual library as well. Here, there is an extensive library of pre-configured KPIs with a combinations of metrics and groupings.

**this is a recommendation for first time users. We highly recommend taking advantage of creating your very own configured KPIs as well.

Use a Public Template

Public Templates are prebuilt Storyboards that aim to satisfy some more common use cases. Templates give you the ability to have some of the setup work done for you. Once you pull a Template into your Account, it is yours to customize as you see fit. This makes it so the Templates that you choose can act as a starting point for the Master Templates that you plan to build.

Add a Visual from the Visual Library

The visual Library consists of over 3,000 pre-built visuals, which are combinations of Metrics and Visualizations Types based on the most popular use cases. 

Visuals are similar to Templates, but on a smaller scale. Once you add a visual from the visual Library to your visual, it will automatically populate with data from your selected Data Source. 

As with Templates, you can further customize visuals as you see fit using the visual Editor on the righthand side of the Designer.

Add a Visual from Visual Types List

If you want to start with a blank visual, you can drag and drop a blank visualization from the Visualization Types list onto your Storyboard. You can then use the visual Editor on the righthand side of the Designer to map this visual to a specific Data Source and Metric, select the Primary Date Ranges, change the comparison period, and more. 

The visual Editor differs depending on the visualization selected, so it’s worthwhile to test out the functionality of different visualizations before building your Storyboards. 

Build Storyboards to use as Account Templates

Building your Account Templates takes time and effort, but it’s a critical part of the process. These Account Templates can be used in Client Accounts moving forward, so don’t rush through this step. Your Metrics screen should already provide an outline of the Metrics you want to include in your Storyboard. Once your Storyboards are built, you can save them as Account Templates. The main purpose of Account Templates is to make it easier for Agency Partners to automate Client reporting. 

Create Templates to prove the value of your services on your Client’s business. Be sure to create dashboards that answer key questions, such as what are you delivering to your client? What is the result of those deliverables on your Client’s business? 

There are other considerations to keep in mind as you build your Master Templates. Using the appropriate visualization for each visual allows you to convey your intended message or highlight key pieces of information. Setting Goals and displaying Comparison Periods adds context and makes your dashboard easier to analyze. 

Use tags to keep Storyboards organized in your Agency Account

You can Tag Storyboard to differentiate between the dashboards that are significant for each focus area or Client group. Tags are Account-wide so any Agency user will be able to access these Tags. You can Filter the Storyboard page based on Tags to create the optimal view for you. 

Send Storyboards to Client Accounts

It’s time to start rolling these Storyboards out to your Client Accounts. After a Storyboard is copied to a Client Account, you’ll need to navigate to the Client Account to accept the Storyboard. Once the Storyboard is accepted in the Client Account, it will repopulate with this Client’s unique data. At this point, the Storyboard is completely disassociated from the Master Template in the Agency Account, so you can further customize the Storyboard to meet the needs of individual Clients. 

After the Storyboard is accepted, no changes made to the Client Storyboard will affect the Master Template, and no changes made to the Master Template will be reflected on the Client Storyboard.

Customize Storyboards with logos, colors, etc. in your client accounts

Customization options are available from within the Designer. Customizing Storyboards for each Client is quick and easy, but it can make a big difference when introducing this new reporting style to Clients. 

3.) How to adjust your strategy based on the state of your data

At this point, you should have at least one story board populated with data to report – great! Now that there is data to report on, you want to decide on how often you should be reporting.

Schedule Snapshots of Storyboards

Scheduled Snapshots allow you to export Storyboards PDFs. This allows you to archive your Storyboards as often as you see fit. Scheduled Snapshots can also help make your Storyboards a regular part of your routine by automatically exporting your reports and delivering them via email at a specified date and time. Rather than waiting for time to seek out your data, you can make your data work for you. 

Add Client Alerts in Client Accounts

Alerts enlist the Optix system to automatically and proactively monitor your top Metrics and notify you of emerging trends. Alerts can be sent out via email, push notification, or Slack. By default, these Alerts will go to the user configuring them, but you have the ability to select additional recipients as well. Some Agencies set up Alerts to go directly to Clients, while others only go to Agency users.

Add Annotations

Scheduled Snapshots and Alerts can both be triggers for you to add Annotations to your Databoards. Annotations are short text notices that can be added to Charts in order to better interpret KPIs and inform end users when something noticeable has impacted the data. By adding Annotations to a Chart, you’re drawing a direct correlation between the work you’re doing and the results you’re seeing in the data. 

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