It's Time. Send It.

Introduction

Last week we talked about predictive analytics. Predictive analytics allowed us to look at past data to predict future trends. This week, we will gather all the information we have talked about into a single topic: applying data. When you use data in your decision-making, you are using prescriptive analytics. We spoke on this back in our very first blog post talking about the different kinds of data analytics. Prescriptive analytics is applying what you know HAS happened and your guess of what WILL happen into a tangible action (1).

There is no magic formula for applying analytics, but there are four steps we recommend.

Step 1: Find the Goalpost

You will save yourself so much heartache and difficulty if you decide on your goal now rather than later. Find the reason for why you are looking over your old data. Let’s say, as a journalist you pour over your social media information and discover that you get double the amount of views and likes when you cover stories from Baltimore. A common instinct is to go ‘all in’ the moment you find a trend that works. However, take a second and consider what the overarching goal is for your social media account. 

Just because something works doesn’t mean it should be the goal. 

This doesn’t mean you should be too stubborn in your agenda, however. Many journalists and influencers in general enter a space with a particular agenda in mind which changes as they spend more time on the platform. That’s fine we encourage it! As long as you have an agenda, the idea of what your platform should be.

Adaptability is important, wandering is pointless.

Step 2: Connect the Decision with the Data

Many of us make data-driven decisions without realizing it. When we host house parties, we know how many of our friends enjoy pepperoni pizza rather than cheese, so we order more pepperoni. Data drives the majority of our decisions, and rarely do we connect back to the reasons for doing something (3). 

In social media posting, make sure to connect the post back to the data. Find out why you are making a post and what data trend are you following. Now, you CAN make a post without connecting it back to a trend, however, the best posts are those you can trace back to a previous data set. Ask yourself why you are posting this now and not later, and if the post falls under your greater goal as a social media platform.

Step 3: Beware the Boogeyman

As data analysts and journalists, we know one thing: there is always time for more data. There is a temptation to try and be the most informed person on the planet when it comes to data. We want to warn you of the data analysis boogeyman: analysis paralysis. It’s a common side effect of pouring over data, where there is always one more data set you have to look at then you’ll finish that post. 

Complicated decisions such as trying to follow social media trends successfully can lead to an information overload. Too much information does not cause procrastination, but total paralysis. Sometimes you have to accept that there is physically no possible way for you to stay up to date with ALL the data available to you (2). 

We aren’t psychologists, but here is our recommendation out of DodoData’s own experience: permit yourself to make mistakes. Think about it; if you make a post and it is a total success then congratulations you are a natural! If you make a post and it is a massive mistake, then you have more information for the next one. However, the majority of the time your posts won’t be a breakthrough or a breakdown but just another post (4). 

Don’t be too hard on yourself and just hit submit.

Step 4: Grab a Measuring Stick

In order to properly apply data, you need a consistent way to measure it. We do this by choosing particular data sets to follow so we can measure success. If this sounds familiar, it is because we are talking about Key Performance Indicators or KPIs. We talked about KPIs last week, and the concept applies here as well. Without a clear measurement to discover what is working and what is not, you will be blind to how your audience perceives your content. 

KPIs can be anything from likes, views, or re-shares, but you need something. 

Conclusion

You use prescriptive analytics every day and probably don’t notice. By self-examing the data that you follow, you can quickly create better content. As a journalist, you are probably already familiar with what data looks like and how to apply it. However, even the most veteran of us can get lost in the minute-to-minute decisions you have to make on social media. By following these four broader steps, you will start seeing the benefits of applied analytics. 

---

Sources

(1) - Harvard Business School, https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/prescriptive-analytics, accessed 4/16/2024. 

(2) - “Decision Paralysis: How To Stop Overthinking Your Choices,”  https://procrastination.com/blog/9/decision-paralysis-overthinking-choices, accessed 4/16/2024. 

(3) - Harvard Business School, https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/data-driven-decision-making, accessed 4/16/2024.

(4) - “Applications of Data Analytics,” https://www.simplilearn.com/tutorials/data-analytics-tutorial/applications-of-data-analytics, accessed 4/16/2024.