I’m thinking about going into the life-preserver business because every day I become more aware of how many people are drowning. Then again, I might already be in that business since part of what I do as a consultant (or am I a lifeguard?) is to help my clients break free of the ocean of data that surrounds them.
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Maybe you or someone you know is caught up in the same rip-tide – the one where you know more and more each day about your customers, your business, and how they interact and yet you struggle to use that information to advance your goals. The good news is you’re not alone. The bad news is you’re not alone.
There have been a number of studies that talk about the gap between how companies are measuring consumer behavior and marketing results and what they’re actually doing about what they measure. On the digital side, you might see your web and mobile analytics each day. Those might point you to your search engine marketing reports and email dashboard. You might have a system for marketing attribution in place. Then there are the typical media metrics of TV and radio ratings.
It’s a lot of information and it’s mostly useless unless you’ve set up a way to ask actionable business questions. Most of the analytical tools are way too difficult to use off the shelf and not geared to any one user. You need to take the time to think about the business questions you’re trying to answer and then create dashboards and other reports that are specific to your concerns. It ought to be a collaborative process, with every stakeholder asking those foundational questions and examining the relevant data that will drive action.
If the number one issue in many of the aforementioned studies is “turning data into action,” the number one question is “what are you going to do about that?” My role as a “lifeguard” is to help make things simple and relevant. Your role is not to drown quietly in the data.
Consult Keith 