In this 3-question interview, Aaron shares with us thoughts on what’s next for higher ed analytics in 2019, advice to get more strategic with measurement and tips to make analytics reports more efficient
1) What will make a big difference for higher ed analytics and measurement in 2019? Where do you plan to focus your analytics efforts?
Privacy law is going to be a bigger focus in 2019 for much of higher education, and I don’t mean just edits to your privacy policy. I think the challenge for higher ed analytics will be learning best practices to capture and analyze data while still respecting the privacy of users. It starts with an honest audit of your institution’s digital presence — especially the .edu website — identifying every cookie and tracking pixel, and then figuring out how to give users consent and control over what information we gather and store (and for how long).
2) What’s your advice to adopt a more strategic approach to analytics and performance measurement?
I think there is a communication gap between the leaders and the analysts in institutions of higher education. We need to find a way to bridge that gap so that more senior leaders are exposed to the power and possibility of making decisions with data—and so that those of us with access to the data know what drives our senior leaders. It’s a two-way street.
Should that conversation opportunity arrive and you’re face to face with a senior leader, be both gracious and brave as you explain what you do and the impact of your work. Start with a small example of how you used data to inform marketing decisions. Be sure to include the part where you saved money by selectively targeting your audience and tracked them from lead to conversion!
3) Analyzing the data and unearthing analytics insights is half the battle. What are your top tips to present/share analytics reports that drive action?
I work to provide self-service for people who wish to look up stats on their own as much as I can. For me it meant building my own data warehouse and dashboard, but it doesn’t have to be that complicated — even a single web page where you put links to reports will work. Keep in mind that having access to the data doesn’t always mean they’ll use it, so I send weekly reports via email with links back to the stats website as encouragement and reminders.
A conference focusing on higher ed analytics?
The 2019 Higher Ed Analytics Conference (#HEA19) is a must-attend event for higher ed marketing professionals and teams looking for inspiration, ideas and best practices to step up their analytics and measurement game in 2019..
Read below what your higher ed colleagues who attended the past editions of the Higher Ed Analytics Conference said about their experience.