Key techniques used in insights driven research
Insights-driven research equips associations with a range of techniques to capture and analyse valuable data, leading to a more comprehensive understanding of member needs and trends in their field. Let’s take a look at a few of the key methodologies used in this regard.
Surveys and polls
Surveys and polls represent essential tools for gathering structured feedback from members, customers and key external partners, such as sponsors and collaborators. By posing searching questions to these varied audiences, associations can glean a broad range of perceptions, expectations, and priorities.
This approach helps identify any gaps between the needs of their community and current offerings, guiding the development of more focused, relevant initiatives that support and engage all stakeholders and supporters effectively.
AI & data analytics
The use of data analytics and AI by associations in uncovering insights is increasing due to their ability to analyse large datasets. Thanks to the power of machine learning and big data analytics, it’s possible to uncover hidden patterns in almost every area of an organisation’s operations. In the past, the sheer volume of data involved meant that manual analysis was prohibitively laborious.
Member behaviour, emerging needs, revenue opportunities and overall sentiment are just a few of the metrics that can be highlighted to create relevant, impactful content that hits the mark.
Social listening
By monitoring the most relevant social media channels and other online platforms, it’s possible to capture real-time feedback through the conversations people are having about topics in your association’s field. This insight can be priceless in understanding a range of important factors like hot industry topics and pain points.
Social listening seeks to actively eavesdrop on these conversations to gain insights into not just positive perceptions, but also potential areas of concern, allowing for timely responses and effective reputation management.
A/B testing
A/B testing is another key technique that evaluates the efficacy of the marketing strategies your organisation is currently running. As the name suggests, it involves running 2 or more strategies side by side to see which one offers the best results.
You might be trying to identify the best communication strategy variations, event formats, or member services so that you can gauge which approach resonates most with the target audience. It’s an iterative approach that can be honed over time based on real-world feedback.
The future of insights driven marketing strategies
With data analytics and AI technologies evolving fast, the use of insights driven research is only going to become more widespread. Going forward, these tools are set to evolve to allow associations to rapidly respond to changes amongst its members and the industry in which they operate. As such, their adoption will increasingly become a necessity.
Predictive analytics, in particular, will become essential, as associations attempt to anticipate future member needs and proactively tailor programming and services.
Meeting growing expectations
Something else that will undoubtedly evolve in the coming years is member expectations. Consequently, personalisation will play an increasingly central role in helping organisations to meet these expectations and deliver tailored experiences at scale.
In short, associations must continuously review their research methods in order to remain relevant, better connect with their audiences and retain their position. Therefore, the adoption of an approach that uses insights driven research is imperative.
Need help implementing insights driven marketing strategies?
Embracing insights-driven research allows associations to remain agile while also keeping them deeply attuned to the needs of their members and partners. This approach goes well beyond standard data collection and it equips organisations with the ability to anticipate trends, personalise member experiences, and make strategic decisions based on a nuanced understanding of their community.
As expectations grow and technology advances, insights-driven strategies are likely to become even more widespread, reinforcing insights-driven approaches as a standard practice. The truth is that implementing these strategies can take a significant amount of time and resources, which can be challenging for busy association leaders with limited available bandwidth.
So, if you require expertise in data and insight-driven practices, the MCI team has considerable expertise and a consistent performance record for our clients. To learn more about our many past projects, take a look around our website where you’ll also find details of our full range of engagement services.
Alternatively, if you’d prefer to talk with our team directly about how we can leverage our know-how to help you create winning strategies, fill out our contact form, and we’ll respond without delay.
MCI Content Team
