20 Ideas you can Steal from Data

Posted: March 2nd, 2013 | Author: Ryan | Filed under: Uncategorized | No Comments »

I love Data.

Numbers
Numbers
Numbers

Me and Data go way back to a fling we had in college that got pretty serious before I backed out and chose to spend several years cuddling up to “community” and helping people not numbers.

But that flame never really died, and you know how it is, when that certain song comes on the radio and immediately transports you back to that place and time. Â Then, without even trying, you right back in the mood to crunch some data and make some solid business decisions. Oh man, that’s crazy when that happens.

Below are just a few ways you can examine the data you may already have, and pivot it into appealing or intriguing content for your audience.

Segmentation by country
Segmentation by day/hour
Social Platform: Twitter vs FaceSpace vs Google+
OS: Mac vs PC
Mobile Device: iPhone vs Droid vs Blackberry*
Device Type: Desktop vs Mobile
Loyalty: Returning visitor vs New visitors
Successful Marketing: Organic and Paid vs Direct and Referral
Loyalty (Part 2): Branded traffic vs non-Branded traffic
Attention Span & Intent: Time on Site displayed by Day & Hour
Attention Span & Intent (The Sequel): Pages per Visit by Traffic Source
Appeal: Conversion Rate by Type/Content of Message

Right off the bat, I have to say that a number of these ideas were greatly informed by Lexi Mills presentation at SearchLove last fall; thanks Lexi.

The core of the thing is to take a unique look at how you can split the data you or your site is already gathering and use it to launch some interesting conversations about human behavior andÂ ultimatelyÂ lead to a favorable impression of whatever you’re trying to promote.

Oh, did you notice that the title says “20 Ideas you can Steal from Data” and the list above is only 12 items long? Â Did you also notice that the D in Data is capitalized? Â Can’t sneak anything past you!

Alright, here’s a quick homage to Brent Spiner‘s classicÂ portrayalÂ from the 24th century:

Apparently Androids can still have offspring, so don’t be afraid to throw convention on it’s ear from time to time.
Having a clone helps. Â Remember when Data died at the end of that movie, and then a few moments later his heroic death was instantly ruined by the presentation of an exact clone already pre-loaded with Data’s memories…
…actually, sometimes having a clone totally ruins your heroic sacrifice because all your friends will just accept the clone and give it credit for your heroism.
Hawking trumps Einstein & Newton, at poker at least.
Even robots can be unique. Just because something is automated doesn’t mean it can’t be interesting and revolutionary
Evil twins really just don’t stop
Androids like cats. Â Yet another reason to be a dog person.
Having your own action figure doesn’t have to go to your head. Â Although it could be used as good reason to have a robot dance-off!