17 July 23 Who in your organisation will benefit from server-side analytics?

A server-side analytics configuration provides multiple benefits when compared with the main alternative: a client-side analytics configuration.

If you’ve never heard of the option before – or have come across it only in passing – you’re not alone. Client-side analytics is so well-established as the industry default that, for many marketing teams, the idea that there might be another way – a better way – hasn’t even registered on the strategic ‘radar’.

So, is server-side analytics for everyone? Well, not necessarily. But there are certainly many not-for-profits (not to mention commercial companies) who will gain multiple significant advantages from the setup.

In this short video, senior data analyst Mike McCusker talks about some of these organisations:

That’s the brief overview. As Mike says in the video, server-side analytics can be especially advantageous for those organisations with a focus on:

• Maximising control of collected data.
• Optimising return on investment for digital ad spend.
• Getting a clear, accurate picture of the extended audience journey.

But you might be wondering now, which areas and people within an organisation get the most benefit from such a setup?

Actually, multiple teams and team members can potentially benefit, but if we had to narrow it down to a top three, it would look like this:

Social media teams

This includes social media managers and campaign managers. In other words, the people “on the tools” – the social media practitioners. These are the members of your organisation who improve your campaigns.

The additional clarity and flexibility offered by a server-side analytics configuration helps them with this optimisation task, ultimately creating more effectiveness and efficiency.

Fundraising teams

This includes digital fundraising managers. They’re generally the budget holders, and for that reason, they’re really attentive to return on investment. They decide how the budget is split up and divided across channels and tactics – paid search or paid social, for example. And they base that split on whether or not a particular channel provides a measurable return.

A server-side analytics configuration helps them do that by giving them a clearer picture of attribution.

CIOs, CROs and directors

This is a broad category whose members are united by a shared interested in governance, data ownership, compliance, and security.

People at this level of seniority enable others within your organisation to solve systemic problems over the long-term. They’re the team members who set policies and practices around data management.

How does server-side help this contingent? Because a fractured, incomplete set of data is a problem for one of the most important elements of good governance: control. By offering a less distorted data picture, server-side analytics is a boon for board members and C-suite executives who want to mitigate risk by gaining certainty.

Want to know more about server-side analytics?

Animals Australia’s shift to a server-side analytics configuration serves as a great example of what can happen when a not-for-profit takes control of their data.

Although it may at first seem like a story about a change in technical approach, it’s really a story about reducing risk. Animals Australia did that by sharpening its data picture (and so becoming capable of better marketing decisions); in the process, it also became masters of its digital data domain.

If you’re interested in taking control of your data, get in touch. We’d love to chat.