How to find the human element in data? Bridging the Gap between Numbers and Narrative

Research is heavily dependent on data and stats. Marketers spend several hours uncovering emerging trends and patterns, without leveraging the true human element that encourages a customer to buy.?

This leaves the research incomplete and the results may become utterly disappointing over time. For that reason, today we will talk about the practises and terms associated with acquiring the human element in data. Let’s get started:?

What is the human element in data?

Think of the human element in data like this: when we're dealing with information, it's not just about numbers and facts. People are the ones who decide what information to collect, understand what it means, and use it to make decisions. Understanding this helps us make better decisions and use data more effectively.

How to research the human element?

To improve your products, we also need to create a structure for gathering such information. Here’s a comprehensive guide to researching the human element:?

Contextualize the Data: Look beyond the numbers and understand the context in which the data was collected. Consider the circumstances, events, and people involved.

Use Qualitative Data: Supplement quantitative data with qualitative insights such as interviews, surveys, and observations. Qualitative data provides depth and helps uncover the human side of the story.

Create Personas: Develop personas based on your data to represent different segments of your audience or stakeholders. Personas humanize the data by giving it a face and personality.

Tell Stories: Transform data into narratives that resonate with your audience. Use storytelling techniques to convey the human experiences and emotions hidden within the data.

Empathy and Perspective-Taking: Put yourself in the shoes of the people represented in the data. Try to understand their perspectives, motivations, and challenges.

Visualize Data Effectively: Use visualizations such as charts, graphs, and infographics to present data in a way that is easy to understand and emotionally engaging.

Engage Stakeholders: Involve stakeholders in the data analysis process. Encourage discussions and feedback to ensure that the human element is not overlooked.

Ethical Considerations: Remember to handle data responsibly and ethically, respecting the privacy and dignity of the individuals involved.

By incorporating these approaches, you can uncover the human stories within your data and gain deeper insights into the people behind the numbers. Let’s understand it with an example:?

Example of the human element in research

Let's consider a small brand that sells handmade jewellery online. Here are some examples of how they might research the human element in data:

1. Customer Surveys and Feedback Forms: The brand can create surveys or feedback forms to gather insights from customers about their preferences, purchasing motivations, and experiences with the jewellery. By analyzing the responses, they can identify common themes, emotional triggers, and areas for improvement.

2. Social Media Listening: The brand can monitor social media platforms to listen to conversations about their products. By paying attention to comments, reviews, and mentions, they can understand how customers feel about their jewellery, what they like or dislike, and what stories they share about wearing the pieces.

3. Personalized Communication: Through email marketing or direct messaging on social media, the brand can engage with customers on a more personal level. By asking open-ended questions or sharing stories about the inspiration behind their designs, they can encourage customers to share their own experiences and preferences.

4. Customer Interviews: Conducting one-on-one interviews with select customers can provide deeper insights into their lifestyles, fashion choices, and emotional connections to the brand. These interviews can uncover unique stories and perspectives that quantitative data alone might miss.

5. User-Generated Content (UGC): Encouraging customers to share photos of themselves wearing the jewellery and tagging the brand can provide valuable visual and anecdotal evidence of the human element in action. The brand can repost this UGC on their social media channels, accompanied by captions that highlight the personal stories behind the photos.

6. Collaborations and Partnerships: Collaborating with influencers, local artisans, or community organizations can provide opportunities to connect with customers on a more human level. For example, hosting events or workshops where customers can meet the designers and learn about the craftsmanship behind the jewellery can deepen their emotional connection to the brand.

By employing these research methods, small jewellery brands can gain a better understanding of the human element in their data and use those insights to improve their products.?

Final Word

Every marketer must realize that consumers shift to a particular service due to several reasons. Mostly these reasons are backed by their psychology and emotional connection with an ad or product.?

These reasons suffice the importance of researching the human element and incorporating it into the marketing plan. If you liked this blog, you can stay connected with us on LinkedIn, to educate yourself and bust some myths around market insights!