Tracking digital data can be challenging and sometimes even requires a wake-up call. What I mean by that is there are so many things you can track digitally that it can be overwhelming. People online act differently than in the room, too.

Tracking Digital Can Be Hard

I suggest tracking high and low numbers and watching the trend over time. For example, you might track how many signed up for an event (high number) and how many attended the event (low number). Another example is how many are on your email list (high number) and how many opened your email (low number). Linking a high number and a low number shows movement. Last example, how many viewed your worship service (high number) and how many watched 15 minutes (low number). This is a simple idea of how you can track digital engagement at your church or ministry.

The Wake-Up Call Of Digital

The wake-up call is how honest people are online. For example, if I attend an event in person, I most likely will stay till the end of the event. Maybe it's social pressure, or the room is just that much better, but you rarely see people stand up and leave an event when it's in person. However, online, for example, when watching something on YouTube or even at a Zoom event, people may just stop watching or leave the meeting. This happens less often on Zoom, but it still happens. The pressure to stay may be that much less online. I say that not to discourage you from doing things online but just to understand the reality once you see your numbers of deep engagement (high to low numbers) from online events.

Nielsen's Rating System Including Real Data With Amazon Partnership (Thursday Night Football)

I just saw this story from Nielsen working with Amazon to integrate better data into their reporting. Nielsen's rating system has always been interesting. For example, when they say so many millions watch football, it does not mean they actually track millions of people. They track a certain number of homes, and those homes represent a segment of people. They extrapolate from those sample sizes. Sometimes, a sample size can be only forty thousand homes and report millions watched. Sound a little fishy? Honestly, they had to figure out how to report numbers, and this method was the best option. Digital has introduced the possibility of actually tracking real engagement and not just an estimation. Moving to digital tracking could be a wake-up call for TV ratings. Amazon is working on providing better data to Nielsen, and some are pushing back. I imagine they are pushing back because their numbers will be smaller, equating to smaller advertising dollars. Everyone is struggling with what and how to track things digitally and what it means moving forward.

Action Steps For Your Church Or Ministry

My encouragement is that measuring digital data is hard but work towards identifying high and low numbers in key areas of your ministry. Track the same thing over a period of time to monitor the trend. Don't shy away from a lack of deep engagement (high to low number movement). Be honest about what is and isn't working, and talk as a team about what to do to fix the engagement issues. You can't move forward without knowing where you are at right now. I also unpack this idea in detail in my book. I sell discount deals so that you can walk through this idea with your volunteer teams. Lean into what you are tracking and be okay with the messiness. If Nielsen can do it, then you can too!