Data sharing isn’t without challenges. It may expose weaknesses or problems you don’t want your customers to see. Some companies will be perfectly happy to keep their customers ignorant of how inefficiently they use or misuse their products or services. Too much data can also confuse customers. Companies will need to be selective about what data they share, how they share it, and how often they share it. Identifying key metrics, leveraging effective data visualizations, and choosing the right cadence will be critical to your data sharing success. Organizations will also need to determine which channels are best for sharing personalized data — text messages, mobile apps, emails, websites, in-product, etc.
Unlike fossil fuels that have a finite supply, data is an unlimited resource that will only expand with the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT). As data becomes more pervasive, a healthy data loop with brands will be expected and rewarded by increasingly data-savvy consumers. It’s no longer just about how your company can extract valuable insights from your customer data, but how the data can create value for your customers. It’s time to start planning how your firm can embrace the bi-directional sharing of information and master the emerging data loop.
Brent Dykes is the Evangelist for Customer Analytics at Adobe and is responsible for guiding and evangelizing the vision of Adobe’s analytics solutions. He has been focused on enterprise-level web analytics consulting for eight years, working with many industry leaders, including Microsoft, Sony, Dell, Comcast, and Nike. Dykes is also an author and recently published his first book, Web Analytics Action Hero, which outlines how to become a successful analyst who drives action from digital data.