Data helped us reduce unnecessary actions: Niti from ExtraaEdge

In this article, let’s look at data in communications from the eyes of a Branding professional, Niti. She has a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. While working as a Psychologist in a startup, her interests changed and she entered the communications field

Here is her story:

Give us a little bit of the backstory about how you came to the field.

I actually got into this field purely through interest ;). I began my journey in the corporate world in a completely different field. I have a Master’s in Clinical Psychology and I was working as a Psychologist in the Learning and Development industry. The company being a startup, I could jump into other departments and that’s how I got interested in Marketing. Finally, after developing my skills and gaining experience, I now have full-fledged work in Branding at ExtraaEdge.

What was your first interaction/experience with data? What did it mean to you then?

The first-ever interaction with data was actually a lack of interaction with data. A lot of platforms have their own metrics and we used to only look at the basics. We were putting in a lot of effort in branding and running a lot of campaigns but we were not analyzing whether these actions are making an impact. We were focusing more on the activities rather than the outcome.

How did you start using data/metrics in delivering your campaigns? Can you share a few anecdotes?

Data has been very helpful in impact measurement. To run experiments. To understand what campaigns have worked for us and what we need to stop. To refine our marketing strategies.

From running effective email campaigns to posting brand content, data has been very useful for us to scale our initiatives with better results.

Initially, data analysis for us was not outcome based. But now with time, we have learned how to align the data with our business goals.

Did you come across any challenges in communications and did you feel data helped you in any way to solve the problem?

We were putting a lot of effort into a specific campaign that had been running for a long time. With data, we realized that the campaign itself was not driving any results and we were putting too much effort into it. Data helped us reduce unnecessary actions.

What is the most important metric/data point for you as a comms person?

Impact.

Engagement rates, email opens/clicks, etc are important numbers to track. But after a point, they are just vanity metrics.

What finally matters is the answer to these questions:

1. Are we making an impact in our industry?
2. Are we helping the TOFU?
3. How is it helping our hiring goals?
4. Are our customers getting engaged?

Additionally, information on time, format, and consistency, for any platform is important, quality of content trumps all. Data helps us refine this.

Of course, this works for our industry and business model. The metrics and data points vary from industry to industry.

What tools are your best / fav to help you with data insights?

“The basic metrics that different platforms provide are usually good enough. But my personal favorites are:

• The ExtraaEdge CRM 😉 for our bulk marketing campaigns
• Shieldapp for all LinkedIn metrics
• Creator studio for publishing, monitoring, and analyzing everything related to Facebook and Instagram”

In these challenging times (slowdown, COVID), what is the role of PR?

The kind of insights we gain will be a game changer for us in the coming days. Segment-wise targeting is going to scale. The focus will be more on quality and niche marketing.

Which is your favorite campaign that you were part of?

My personal favorite is the ‘culture campaign’ that we kick-started recently. At ExtraaEdge, our biggest trump card is our culture and we wanted to evangelize it at scale. We wanted our culture to be a value-add and a draw for our customers, prospects, and potential employees.

We talk about our values, our mission, and how culture is reflected in even the little things we do.

Two cents for the budding comms professionals?

My 2 cents: Time and patience are key in your efforts. Be open to experimentation. Don’t restrict yourself by only focusing on the industry you are in, your specific business model, and what the ‘industry’s best practices’ are.

What really helped us streamline our initiatives was having clear brand guidelines in place. I highly recommend investing in building your brand book. You will have a more strategic approach to your marketing.