CMO’s Perspective – Dashboard Affairs: Looker Studio vs. Power BI | Part 1

Confessions from a marketer casually dating two dashboards — with equal parts curiosity and caffeine...

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Dear Diary,

Today I tried to convince myself that impressions and clicks are not a personality test. But honestly — they kind of are. Who doesn’t secretly measure their self-worth by engagement rate? 🙄

Anyway, I was deep in Hootsuite dashboards again, trying to see if there’s a way to forecast how much engagement Y we need to lift conversions by 5%.

So, I ran a mini duel: Looker Studio vs Power BI.

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Note to Self 1: Looker Studio Pros & Cons

✅ Easy setup — even I could connect Hootsuite data through Make.com or Supermetrics without calling IT.
✅ Real-time dashboards that merge nicely with GA4 and Google Ads.

⚠️ But… it’s a bit clingy. Totally dependent on 3rd-party connectors (which means extra cost and, let’s face it, a mild case of vendor lock-in).
⚠️ And with heavy data volumes, it occasionally lags. No native AI analysis — just vibes and charts.

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Note to Self 2: Power BI Pros & Cons

✅ The grown-up in the room. It blends social data with CRM and finance — suddenly you’re not just reporting engagement; you’re calculating ROI.
✅ The AI features are fancy — Copilot, anomaly detection, the works.

⚠️ Downside? No direct Hootsuite connector. You’ll need middleware or a custom setup.
⚠️ And while it can refresh near real time, it usually prefers its morning coffee first.

Wizard, tell me honestly — if Looker Studio is the quick fling that gives me a fast view into campaign performance, and Power BI is the long-term partner who insists on data modeling and governance, can I really balance both? Or am I just inviting double the connectors, double the costs, and twice the dashboard drama? 😅

Oh sure, Wizard. Easy for you to say — you have DAX in your DNA. Meanwhile, I’m still trying to remember if my GA4 property has all the conversions tagged right. 😅

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Note to self: My Takeaway

Maybe the trick isn’t choosing one dashboard soulmate but knowing which one to call for which occasion.

When I need instant clarity before the next leadership meeting — it’s Looker. When the CFO starts asking “but what’s the ROI?” — I dial up Power BI. Balance, caffeine, and connector hygiene: that’s the real secret to a stable dashboard relationship. ☕📊

(Dashboard images: Microsoft Power BI, Google Looker Studio)