I’m one of the 12 presenters of the 2019 Higher Ed Analytics Conference.
In this 3-question “auto-interview” (following in the foot steps of my fellow HEA19 presenters), I share 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?
Most higher ed digital marketers and communicators have always had complex relationships with analytics and measurement. However, with the increasing pressure to show impact and help sustain the mission of higher education institutions, it’s time for them to get more strategic with measurement processes.
In 2019, I think — and hope — that more digital marketing and communications leaders will embrace measurement not as a necessary evil you do at the end to please the bean counters, but as the strategic tool it is to inform decisions and focus efforts on what makes a difference.
Over the past 2 years, we have witnessed at Higher Ed Experts this growing thirst for measurement strategy in higher ed. This is why our Analytics Faculty team and I have worked very hard in 2018 to redesign our entire Higher Ed Analytics curriculum.
Four of the five new courses we’re launching in 2019 have been designed from the ground up to support web, content, marketing or social media professionals in the development of successful measurement processes aligned with the constraints of their work.
Our 5th new course will help cross-functional teams define a sound higher ed measurement strategy including goals and plans in 4 weeks. After guiding more than 1,000 higher ed marketers and communicators to acquire critical digital skills, we are finally going to tackle the biggest roadblock on the higher ed digital marketing analytics road according to our HEDMAR research: strategy and process. So, 2019 will definitely be the year of analytics strategy at Higher Ed Experts.
2) What’s your advice to adopt a more strategic approach to analytics and performance measurement?
“The lack of time” is the most common explanation (excuse?) for the absence of a strategic foundation I’ve heard in my classroom, on social media or in conversations at conferences.
Time is indeed a rare and precious commodity for higher ed digital professionals as so many responsibilities and other duties as assigned have been added to their plate. But, if you don’t take the time to consider and implement strategic measurement, one of the best time management tool you can use, you will never get out of this infernal “cycle of more.”
For this reason, we have redesigned all our 4-week professional certificate online courses on Analytics at Higher Ed Experts to help digital professionals make time for strategy at the beginning of their learning journey. In the first week of all our measurement courses, enrolled students have no choice but to focus on the strategic foundation. A week doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s a start — and the most important part is to start with something.
Your strategic foundation doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s OK – and normal – to iterate through it. The beauty of digital is that it can be adapted very easily. So does digital measurement 🙂
So, whether or not you need to be guided through the different steps of a sound measurement process with the help of our courses (the next session starts soon if you do 😉), always make sure to take the time to save time by defining where you want to go and how you’ll know you got there!
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?
Stop looking at reporting as something that is disjointed from the strategic part – and only done to prove you measured something (anything?). Start to think about how you will share data, insights and recommendations as soon as you identify your digital objectives and KPIs.
If you can’t communicate your findings to help decision-makers do their job, what’s the point in doing all this analytics work?
In our new 4-week online courses on higher ed analytics, we even avoid using the word “report” altogether (replacing it with “share” whenever possible), because this key stage of the measurement process comes with a lot of baggage, the expectation that it’s only meant to spew out data in long tables of infinite scrolling and colorful charts. On the contrary, this last step in the iterative measurement cycle should be seen as a launch ramp for decisions and actions. If it sounds like more work, it doesn’t have to be. We’re talking about a cycle, so you can iterate your way to better and better analytics reports.
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.
Tags: HEA19, Higher Ed Marketing, Higher Ed News, Karine Joly