Google Sheets has several filters that allow you to select the data you want to see and hide what you don’t. That means the more data you have, the harder it becomes to find it - that’s when filtering comes in handy. Google Sheets is a powerful tool that can hold a ton of data. Choose to show an error warning to anyone who attempts to edit or customize editing permissions for certain people.Choose “Range” or “Sheet” (to protect an entire sheet).Navigate to “Data” > “Protected Sheets and Ranges”.Click "Advanced" and select any additional privacy conditions needed.Assign permission levels (such as "View only" or "Can edit").Enter the email address of who you’ll be sharing the spreadsheet with.Go to "File" > "Share" (or just click the blue Share button in the top right corner).You can also protect specific data within your sheet so that those who have access can only edit certain cells. You can select who you share your file with and whether they have edit, comment, or view permissions. Data is automatically saved, so you don’t need to worry about that part.
Once your Google Sheet is set up and populated, you’ll want to think about how to share and protect your data. Take a look at the screenshot below to identify some of the basic icons and their purposes within the toolbar.įrom there, your file will be uploaded and automatically converted into a Google Sheet. Doing so will help ensure you’re getting the most out of its abilities and that you’re saving time with shortcuts. One of the very first things to do is master the icons located in the Google Sheets toolbar. Now we’re ready to dive into the more advanced how-to’s and lessons on using Google Sheets.
And lastly, because Google Sheets has the ability to accommodate many different integrations, it’s often more flexible than a standalone software solution like Excel. In terms of collaboration, Excel requires you to save and send a new version when edits are made, while Google Sheets automatically updates a single shared file for all team members.
While Excel requires a software subscription (which costs about $130), Google Sheets is free for all Google account holders. You might be wondering: What’s the difference between Google Sheets and Excel? The short answer is: price, collaboration, and flexibility. We’ll get into the specifics of add-ons for Google Sheets a bit later, but the increased functionality and flexibility of these additional features makes this spreadsheet tool even more versatile and powerful. You can access and edit Google Sheet data from a wide variety of devices (like your smartphone, tablet, and computer). Modern marketers switch between devices throughout the day - and Google Sheets accommodates that behavior. No expensive software required - Google Sheets is always 100% free.
Plus: Google Sheets is also available offline. That means that you can access it online from anywhere, any time. Cloud-based spreadsheets are automatically saved, stored, and maintained via a remote server.
Let’s talk about the benefits of using Google Sheets for marketing purposes before we discuss more traditional options (like a standard Excel spreadsheet).
But when collaborative, cloud-based tool Google Sheets was introduced in 2012, many users made the switch over to this new (free!) resource. Originally introduced by Microsoft in 1987, Excel was the go-to tool for years for building spreadsheets. With a well-organized spreadsheet, marketers can quickly analyze robust data sets and make smarter, more informed decisions about their efforts. It can be tricky to keep all of those numbers straight, though. Between return on investment, cost per acquisition, and more, they’re always looking at different metrics and reporting on progress. Saying that marketers are data-centric people is an understatement. It’s part of the Google Workspace suite of products. Google Sheets is an online spreadsheet software that allows you to organize large amounts of data, create custom reports, automate calculations, and collaborate with others.