With any successful team, each member has their place, their functions and their strengths. As a technologist, it is part of my place, my functions and strengths to use the necessary tools to gather data, interpret them and convert them into insight.
With today’s marketing software and tools, it is easier than ever before to measure and collect almost any aspect of your inbound marketing efforts. The difficulty now comes from being able to correctly interpret, understand and explain your insights.
At Kuno, every monthly report we create moves through the company in this manner: Data > Technologist > Consultant > Client. Within this process, it is my job to report insights to the consultant so he or she can report findings to clients. But the challenge often exists with me, the technologist, making sure the consultant can appropriately relay my technical jargon in a way that makes sense to the client and also communicates the most important points.
Here, I take a look at three ways to properly explain your data’s insight.
First and foremost is the data; proper collection will keep your findings consistent and accurately predict upcoming trends. Utilizing your marketing tools to their fullest potential is key in correctly creating your reports. Make sure the data you are pulling is coming from the correct time frame and sources will save you time and headaches. Detail should always be at the forefront of your thoughts, keeping you sharp and assisting you while getting down to the nitty gritty. Each report will require a different structure, which will directly correlate how you are able to analyze the information. For example, is the data ranked, put into graphs or listed?
As the technologist, in terms of data analysis, I am the reporter. Any given report can hold a lot of data, so it is vital to understand the important metrics, pieces and portions of that report. Does it need to go past a certain number of ranks? And what do those ranks represent in the report? Even though a metric ranks low, it may be more important than one might think. Figuring out the correct questions to ask will lead you toward the correct answers.
You’ve collected the data, checked for consistency, pulled the correct time frame and sources while utilizing all your available tools. You then analyzed this data—combing through the numbers and assembling them like puzzle pieces fitting together. You even color coded important findings that revealed themselves.
What makes sense to you now needs to make sense to the next stop on the train. Insights pulled from marketing reports can be pages and binders long if needed, so it is important to understand who, what and why these reports are being made. Remember, consultants and clients most likely do not understand or have time to interpret data speak (and Excel sheets full of numbers will likely make their eyes glaze over), so data specialists like technologists need to learn how to transform their findings into useful formats for other team members.
The final step in this process is to groom the reports down to brass tacks, highlighting the key points that need to be shared. While each report is different, use the appropriate formats to convey your points to other team members, whether it is through graphic images, bulleted points, charts or any other means you seem fit. Make it easy for anyone to understand your findings. This will allow the reports to be consistently and accurately shared and referenced throughout your company's departments.
What are your top tips for interpreting and sharing inbound analytics? Let us know in the comment section below.
Photo Credit: The Dawson Academy
Zakir Ghazi is an Associate Technologist for Kuno Creative. He enjoys going to concerts and keeping up on all the latest social media and technology trends. Connect with Zakir on Twitter and Linkedin.
