What is the state of your member data? According to Community Brands 2022 Association Trends Study, while data analytics is a higher priority for organizations, just one-third of association professionals report their data is excellent or very good.
What’s causing this disconnect? It could be as simple as an organization is yet to set any goals, visions, or KPIs for its data. Keep reading to learn more about this concerning disconnect and what your association can do to improve the state of your member data.
1. Reporting on the state of member data
If in the past your organization has struggled to manage your data, know you’re not alone. Other associations share the sentiment too. The Community Brands Association Trends Study reports that 55% of association pros say investing in business intelligence and analytics is a top priority. However, only 37% of association professionals trust their member data enough to use it routinely and tap it for crucial decisions.
Another noteworthy trend is only a quarter of professionals say they can easily join member data from various resources to create a unified member report. While this number is up from 18% in 2019, data silos remain a pain point for many associations when attempting to provide the best member experience.
Becoming informed about the overall state of how associations use their member data alerts you to whether your organization should also act.
2. How to get informed about the state of your member data
The next step is learning more about your member data. Gauge how your association measures up by surveying your staff to identify key trends in your organization. Get the conversation started by asking the following questions:
- Does your staff feel confident with the current state of your data?
- Are they currently experiencing any data silos across the organization?
- Does your staff require any additional training to better manage member analytics?
Take your information-gathering process a step further by surveying members or forming a focus group. Focus groups offer great value because they encourage in-depth conversation about your organization. With the assistance of a well-skilled mediator, you’ll receive vital feedback.
Once you receive any feedback from staff or members, be sure to host an organization-wide meeting to share your results. Thank your staff and members for their time and explain how you plan to address their thoughts by setting goals to improve your organizational data.
3. How to set goals to improve your member data
After learning where your association stands with its member data, you’ll be ready to set goals to better organize your practices. Setting a vision, obtainable goals, and KPIs for your data is a lengthy process. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t see progress overnight, or even in the next quarter. But do know that the payoff is worth the effort.
Setting data-driven goals is crucial for the success of your organization. If you don’t cast a vision, your association won’t know what metrics to include in reporting. Establishing goals is the necessary first step to building healthy data. Consider adopting data literacy and training goals to empower all staff to be responsible for analytics integrity.
Take the process a step further by adopting a data governance policy at your association. Data governance is a set of rules, metrics, or policies your organization establishes to ensure you have well-run analytics. When your association has solid policies, you’ll have a better foothold to establish data goals and leverage analytics to gain crucial member insights.
