Did you notice how personal our world has become? It is no longer limited to your friends and family to know you well. It now includes your book store, grocery store, online stores (looking at you Amazon), and even the corner coffee shop. It is time we consider what this means for your organization as well. To think about what it means to be data driven.
Skeptical? Think back to any coupons you got for a free coffee or noodle bowl on your birthday. It was my birthday recently and I promise you that I hit up many of my birthday deals (free coffee!!). They did this beacuse they used their data well.
This new expectation to be known by your community has ramped up in the last couple decades, and accelerated online. Besides those in close relationship to us, we expect the companies we frequent to know us as well. This knowing is different – as we don’t expected to be greeted by name walking into Target – but we do expect them to personalize some of our interactions. That requires them to be data driven organizations.
Your organization is different than Target or Amazon.
You’re not looking to make a transaction – you’re looking to encourage transformation. Your community exists for a transformative purpose that you’re actively engaged in, and recruit for. Your mission creates and directs the passion of your community. Since you’re not transactional, there is less pressure to understand those in your community the same way a coffee shop would understand their customers.
The opportunity is there to draw them in deeper – and it’s easier then you think. You’re so close to easily identifying people getting more involved.
Just decide to be a data driven leader, and we’ll help you understand what that means. The next post will describe 4 simple steps to becoming data driven. You only need basic data about how people engage with your community, and you’re ready to start the transformation.
Photo Credit: woodleywonderworks, Global X, University of Exeter
