Business intelligence practices and data warehousing certainly sound complex on the surface, yet there’s no reason to be intimidated. The strategic use of data warehousing and business intelligence tools will elevate your campaign to the next level.
Gathering consumer data can give you insight into how your campaign resonates with voters, and how people are interacting with your marketing strategies. However, it’s important to collect consumer data responsibly, and understand the best practices for data warehousing.
What Is Data Warehousing?
Data warehousing gathers and organizes information from a litany of sources. Storing data within a digital warehouse is analogous to storing information on the virtual cloud. Storing and categorizing data allows you to analyze it to obtain valuable insights into how to engage your voters.
Ideally, you will develop an integrated data strategy to make good use of the data. if you can bring your data warehousing together with business intelligence practices as detailed below, the synthesis will reveal insights into your target audience.
Business Intelligence Best Practices
Business intelligence (BI) refers to the technology and strategies used to organize, collect, integrate, and study information. In this context, you can use BI to collect information on demographics and voter interactions in order to assist your political campaign.
The overarching aim of using business intelligence practices is to make better business decisions guided by an overarching strategy. Business intelligence empowers you to make data-driven decisions when adopting a new strategy.
Here are some of the best practices for Business Intelligence.
1. Combine Data Warehousing With Business Intelligence
Data warehousing and business intelligence tools both center on the collection and storage of a significant amount of campaign data. The difference is business intelligence pertains to the analysis and methodology of that information, while data warehousing is centered on organizing and storing the data for the purposes of business intelligence.
Maintaining and using your data warehouse the right way is essential to the getting the most out of business intelligence. Business intelligence tools and data warehousing reinforce one another. There’s a reason why professionals who work in data-centric roles often group the two together as BIDW.
Data warehousing does more than simply store data to create the “back end” of BI. Though BI and data warehousing can be conceptualized as different entities, they are more effective when combined into a whole. BI software applications allow you to make use of reports, online analytical processing and visualizations to derive meaning and value from data which you’re aggregating in the DW part of the equation. Data warehousing combined with business intelligence sets the stage for campaign managers to make well-informed strategic decisions.
2. Develop a Business Intelligence Plan
Every campaign needs a BI blueprint. Developing a project strategy requires plucking data from websites, social media, online surveys, polls, and other information avenues prior to analysis. In order to make sense of all this data, you really need to takethe time to define clear objectives for how you’re going to use it all.
Outline the scope of the project. Develop an overarching strategy for what you want to achieve with this data. Then determine how you’re going to measure that success, with an eye towards being prepared as the amount of data scales up. Each objective you set should be clear and quantifiable. Now that you’ve developed a business intelligence plan, the stage is set for you to collect data, parse through it, and use the results to guide your strategic actions.
3. Performance Metrics
If you really want to get a good sense of how your campaign is performing, it’s a good idea to set some performance metrics. You can use the data you collect to determine how well you’re doing on meeting the goals you’ve set, and compare the effectiveness of different strategies, not just for the campaign overall, but within specific demographics and other information in your database.
Metrics are particularly helpful when analyzing feedback and interaction on social media sites. By using metrics you can easily evaluate how much interaction you’re getting on your website or on any posts you make about your political campaign.
4. Data Visualization
Data visualization involves organizing your data in a way that makes interpreting it easier. This can help you make better decision about where you need to alter your campaign, or know what methods are working the best. Data visualization takes the form of infographics, data stories, diagrams, charts, and other visuals. Your goal is to display data using a medium that effectively conveys the data.
Don’t assume you need to look at your data in a plain Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that no one on your team looks forward to analyzing. Embrace data visualization in a wide variety of mediums as a way to really show the full story your data is telling you.
5. Let the Data Tell a Story
Above all, the purpose of blending data warehousing with business intelligence practices is for you to fully understand the details hidden within your data. By providing context and telling a story, you’ll be able to use the data to shape your campaign’s strategy. You can make decisions, confident that you’ve given yourself the fullest, most accurate picture possible.. Understanding your data is the first step in making sound strategic decisions.
Aristotle is Here to Help Your Campaign
Are you running for political office or considering launching a campaign? Aristotle offers an award winning data-driven digital marketing campaign, as well as comprehensive consumer databases. Reach out today to learn how our campaign solutions can organize and track your data, making it easier for you to focus on your campaign.
