• by Laurie Petersen , March 21, 2016

“Become More Confident with Data Analysis” read the headline in my email in-box .

Of course I could not resist, clicked and was invited to become my own analyst by taking a 10-week course in data analytics. Specifically, the email told me:

“Let's face it. The road to smart strategies isn't paved with gut instincts — it's built with rock-solid data ...

Over the course of 10 weeks, you’ll learn how to:

• Extract critical insights from data using SQL;
• Analyze large data sets using Excel;
• Visualize your data beautifully with dashboards;
• Present reliable, data-driven decisions to key stakeholders.”

I clicked to register for the free workshop explaining more about the class, which has a cost of $3,500. And I was again reminded that we are all the constant caretakers of our careers, learning what we need to so as not to be left behind.

What does this have to do with cross-channel marketing? Plenty.

About 20 years ago, I was the founding editor of a subscription newsletter about what was then known as database marketing. (The folks at Northwestern University liked to use the term “integrated marketing” because they were pioneering that approach inside their school of journalism and communication.)

Back then, all the control was in the hands of IT. Creating the bridge between marketing and technology by effectively communicating requirements in a language both could understand is what would make or break a program.

Things moved slowly. When they moved at all.

I’ve also toiled in the trenches as a digital operator, interpreting the nuances of Google Analytics, and trying to attribute efforts made via social and other digital means to actual lifts in sales or time spent on site.

I received a CRM certificate from a two-day training with one employer where I kept waiting for the “meat” to appear in the curriculum.

The difference today is that with organizations leaner and meaner, everyone needs to know how to do more than just a little bit of everything. You have to get your hands dirty.

For all the talk of “best practices,” and the magical link from action A to action B, reality continues to be that the best laid plans can be undone in moments because a Webmaster forgot to insert a tracking code, or made a typo when doing so.

We all know about e-commerce sites built on the platform of their legacy business where it’s a miracle the inventory can be kept current — never mind parsing the whys and wherefores of whether a video appearing on YouTube influenced more sales than a Facebook post.

There is an obvious need for more knowledge about just how to do this thing called cross-channel and how to connect the pieces so the right data is actually collected in a way that adds meaning.

I am now four weeks into writing this column and don’t want it to devolve into a platform for theory that has no relevance to real-world practice. I’m looking for those of you out there who are willing to go into the weeds with me to extract the lessons learned and the things you wish you’d known before you started, etc. etc. etc.

I want you, the readers, to let me know what it is you are most eager to learn. Don’t be shy. The reason I shared my “credentials” upfront is that we’re all still beginners at this. People who tell you otherwise are just blowing smoke.

Let’s talk in the comments. Do you want tools? Techniques? High-level case studies? Price comparisons? Advice for vetting new hires? Ways to vet vendors? Information about training opportunities? This is an equal-opportunity space.

If you’re still too uncomfortable to ask publicly, I understand. Just shoot an email to lpmediapost@gmail.com and I’ll do my best to get your issues covered!