Marketing Pilgrim

A little over a month ago, Facebook revealed a planned conversion tracker tool to help marketers track the value of Facebook Pages and fans. Today, analytics firm Omniture announces “A new solution . . . to buy media on Facebook and measure its influence across digital marketing channels.” Any relation?

Facebook isn’t the only thing Omniture’s newest efforts will be tracking. They’re also adding:

• Display ad targeting, using Omniture customer segment data and testing through partnerships with ad networks
• New mobile analytics, including app measurement for the iPad
• Regular analytics improvements, using Experian (HitWise) demographic data
• A new “Idea Exchange” (forum?) for users to communicate directly with engineers and product managers on new feature ideas

However, the Facebook deal may be most key. MediaPost reports the plans to expand the agreement:

Initially, the two companies will focus on the ability to automate Facebook media buying and access analytics that measure customer engagement. The partnership builds on Facebook analytic features the companies announced last year to help marketers join the conversation, rather than interrupt the experience.

This alliance is intended to help companies integrate Facebook as a marketing channel ["complete with technology tools, audience segments and best practices," MediaPost says earlier], connecting to relevant conversations with the site’s more than 400 million active users.

Omniture is clearly trying to keep up with Internet marketing, especially social and mobile web, with it ongoing improvements over the last year:

• Dashboard integration with Twitter
• App measurement for Facebook, Blackberry, Symbian and Palm
• Viral video measurement
• comScore data integration

What do you think? What would you most want to see from Facebook marketing analytics?