In this evolving-digital era, using analytics to drive your communications strategy should be at the core of every brand. Here we discuss a blog found on PR News, about the importance of using data and analytics to read and understand your business story.
By grabbing data by the horns, you can use it to move up in the digital realm. Data further validates the importance of earned media and reaffirming your position by adding value.
Data challenges
Staying ahead of the digital curve is hard work. Needless to say, when considering data, you are up against a number of challenges, namely: fake news, content overload, a decline in the public’s trust in brands, content pollution and threatening crises. Most people are often distracted when consuming information and communicate in a fast paced manner.
We’re constantly wrestling with trendy new communications apps, the blurred lines between communication and marketing, and paid vs. earned media. Knowing this, it’s no surprise that the traditional media approach is slowly moving out of the spotlight.
We now have the opportunity to move from counting clips to analysing measurable data and extracting insights that drive communications strategies. This is thanks to the ever-changing digitisation of the industry,
With metrics so easily accessible, we can now identify (more accurately) how brands are viewed in the market. We can now track how messages are received and often even detect a threatening crisis.
Don’t get overwhelmed
If you are new to data – don’t fear it. All it does is tell a story. The idea of analysing data may be a bit scary and overwhelming at first, especially if numbers aren’t your forte, but baby steps will get you there.
Organisations tend to invest in the best tools to ensure success. As you become more comfortable using data to drive insights, and expand your skills, you’ll become more confident in your ability to transform numbers into a strong brand story.
No more guessing
Another helpful function of data is that it helps communicators bring informed discussions to brand leaders.
Data provides valuable insight and answers to many questions. For example:
- Why are certain brands are spiking in the news?
- Why are others brands are gaining traction at various times of the year?
- What’s their brand’s place in the discussion?
- Where is the brand’s voice showing up—or not—and how is it being heard?
- Where can the brand be stronger, and where is it impeded?
Armed with facts that allow for more strategic recommendations on PR strategies, you can assess and reassess strategies based on this information. Because of this, you can be an even better brand counsellor for your business.
Data allows us to track patterns, identify where a brand is showing up compared to competitors, and understand how these messages are landing.
We can also identify highs and lows in data. This is ideal when determining the root cause of these drastic inclines:
- Did the company announce significant news?
- Host a major event?
- Issue a press release?
- Launch a product?
The answer to these questions will also play a large role in the outcome of the data reading. This gives you a great sense of whether the timing of a news launch is applicable to what you see. If not, you can make recommendations for a more impactful splash in the market. This will strengthen your ability as a brand counsellor.
Data: the beginning of a conversation
Data, however, isn’t the be-all, end-all. In fact, data is the opposite. It’s only the start of a conversation. It can help determine why a brand succeeded in one quarter, but perhaps not the next.
Data can help spot unexpected trends. Knowledge can then be brought to strategic discussions and be used to recommend new approaches and ensure a brand’s voice is heard louder, stronger and with more impact.
Data is a tool you can use, to learn and improve over time. This tool is ideal for educating yourself on strategies and how to best approach markets to deliver messages.
In conclusion, as this digital revolution continues to unfold, more trends will emerge. New technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), chatbots and data-mining robots will become part of the discussion. This will continue to provide you with opportunities to develop your insight and skills. The tools will be better, your insights will be stronger and, ultimately, your understanding will increase.