The hardest question doesn’t have anything to do with data at all.
When it comes to the task of measuring our efforts, we often get overwhelmed figuring out where to gather data from, what KPIs should be and how to set up a dashboard that will resonate with executives
But Nicole Moreo, head of customer insights for LinkedIn, says the hardest part of measurement is the one that seems the simplest: figuring out your business goal.
Most of the time people use a vision or a mission statement, Moreo says. “It is not measurable, it is not actionable, and I guarantee you, if they probably spoke to their CEO, it is not what the CEO would say the business goal is.”
Here are the six questions that Moreo asks about measurement — and you should too.
- What is the business goal?
Yes, the first one is the hardest. If you’re worried a goal isn’t actionable or practical, ask your CEO or other top leadership what they consider the business goal to be.
- What are the communications objectives?
Even if the business goal doesn’t seem immediately applicable to communications this is the time to find the ladder back. How does your work move the needle?
- Who are the target audiences?
Moreo wants to make it clear that you can’t just say “millennials” here. Millennials are a huge, diverse group — about 72 million people — so you need to get more specific about who you’re trying to reach.
- What behaviors are we hoping to change? What actions are we hoping the audiences will take? What perceptions are we hoping to shift?
All right, this one’s technically three questions, but roll with it. These questions can all be summed up with one more: What do you hope your target audience will do? Defining a share of voice isn’t enough. You need people to take action or change a currently held belief, not merely become aware of you. It all ties back to creating actionable goals.
- What information do we need to create a strategy?
Step five is the first time we’re talking about the things most people would consider measurement: the data stuff. Only once you’ve defined everything else about what you’re trying to achieve can you dive in and figure out what data you need to make this happen. This is where you might consider whether you need to deploy a survey, use social media monitoring software or dig into SEO tools.
- Have I thought about ALL the touchpoints my audience can/will interact with?
By the time a customer comes looking for you, odds are they’re already far along their journey towards deciding to buy. The question is, how can you get in front of them earlier? This happens organically when you spend time really thinking about that target audience. What podcasts are they listening to? What social media accounts do they follow, what websites do they read, what TV shows do they watch? Map out the entire content diet of your target audience and get in there with your PR skills to meet them sooner where they are.
These questions may seem deceptively simple, but they all require deep thinking, brainstorming and lots of going back to the drawing board. Once you can answer them, it’s a matter of layering data on top to create a measurement strategy that really gets results.
And isn’t that what we all want?
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