There's absolutely no denying that marketers love data. Being able to see the direct results of your efforts and using that to hone the strategy, content, and development of a campaign is something we place great importance on. But effective data goes beyond identifying the most relevant and pertinent metrics to look at. Interpreting that data is the next, more difficult, step. 

Just like with everything, context always matters. It's important to view the data with a holistic mindset. 

In this case, "holistic" can mean a couple of different things and each is as important as the rest. First, think of what is going on within the company. Are they hiring? Going through a management change? Updating the branding? Adding a new service or product line? The list of things to consider is literally infinite. Knowing the goals behind the business is step one in determining relevant contextual factors. 

Secondly, consider the "real world" factor. Understanding what's going on locally, regionally, and globally is paramount to interpreting the data. Things like political shifts and legislation changes can have clear-cut effects on how ads and digital media are disseminated. Is there an event in town that may have an impact on the demand for whatever good or service you provide? Is there a hurricane making its way through your areas of operation? These kinds of outside factors are just as important to filter into your reporting metrics, even though they maybe weren't considered in your initial marketing strategy. 

The last area of context to understand is the digital space. As marketers, we have access to many different data-reporting platforms, and it's crucial to be familiar with them on a foundational level. Take the metric "clicks" for example. It's one of the most popular and important things to examine in any marketing campaign. But... what exactly is a click? Does that mean a link click, a click to expand an image, a click to view a profile page or a click on a phone number? Depending on what platform you're utilizing, it could mean any (or all!) of these. 

These are just a portion of the factors we consider at Addison Clark when it comes to the data. Giving our clients insight into what the numbers actually mean can be vital in making the right calls on optimizing a campaign. We pride ourselves on being results-oriented here at Addison Clark, but we believe that goes beyond just telling you the results and includes explaining why the results are what they are.