Data Analysis
Technology

Monday Buzz: Giving Data Back to Members

How open should organizations be with the data they collect? One expert makes the case for more liberal sharing. Plus: What's Reddit?

The phrase “big data” is thrown around with abandon these days. But what can organizations actually do with all the data they accumulate?

Brent Dykes, Adobe’s evangelist for customer analytics, recommends that companies open up more data to customers to improve their experience. Many of his insights could provide inspiration for associations looking to make the most of their data.

In a guest post on VentureBeat, Dykes labels many current data-sharing practices as inadequate given their potential.

“Traditionally, data sharing hasn’t been viewed as a way to strengthen customer relationships or generate a competitive advantage,” he writes. “Essentially, it’s a means for deflecting customers from using more expensive, labor-intensive channels (mail, call centers, in-store customer service, etc.) and nothing more.”

But as data-sharing advocates know, calls to release internal information to larger audiences are met with some critical concerns.

“Data sharing isn’t without challenges,” Dykes concedes. “It may expose weaknesses or problems you don’t want your customers to see. Some companies will be perfectly happy to keep their customers ignorant of how inefficiently they use or misuse their products or services.”

So when reflecting on your organization, consider what groups, from members to your board to the general public, could benefit from understanding more about the data you’ve collected about them.

Nontraditional Advice of the Day

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Ever think that dumpster diving could provide valuable insight for your association’s next event? Sustainability specialist Shawna McKinley shares an unexpected perspective on Event Manager Blog.

Other Good Reads

What’s Reddit all about? On the Content Marketing Institute blog, the editor of Chief Content Officer magazine, Clare McDermott, has an extensive breakdown of the simultaneously popular and mysterious social networking site.

BoardSource’s new report,Leading With Intent: A National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices,” is out, and Wild Apricot contributor Farhad Chikhliwala pulls out some key takeaways.

Breathe new life into your monthly giving program using five tips from Erica Waasdorp, president of A Direct Solution. She lays them out on Network for Good’s Nonprofit Marketing Blog.

(Creatas/ThinkStock)

Morgan Little

By Morgan Little

Morgan Little is a contributor to Associations Now. MORE

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