Managing a project involves using specific skills, knowledge, and expertise to deliver something of value to users of the project. When taken from a traditional aspect, project management involves using known scope, knowledge, and technology to achieve a result. Meanwhile, project management today serves individual projects such as website development or mobile application build. For this reason, modern project managers utilize automated tools to help organize and execute their work. However, to effectively manage a project today, the importance of implementing project management software and data analysis tools cannot be overemphasized. 

Just a few years after the emergence of the internet, the first analytics solutions appeared.  Since then, the data analytics industry has rapidly evolved.  By 2028, the data analytics market’s expected worth is an estimated $550 billion.  Web Analytics are essential; they are used to understand customer behavior and optimize web experiences.  Metrics for user behavior are used to optimize conversion rates and improve both page performance and user experience.  Marketers also use data analytics to create targeted advertising. 

You keep hearing that it’s vital to learn how to use data and analytics, but the very thought gives you a headache. You’re a PR person, not a data scientist. (And that’s probably the last thing you’d ever want to be.)You love your job and you thrive on creating content and messaging that builds awareness, authority, and affinity for your brand.

Digital technology is constantly evolving and changing and as it does, it affects how we craft our business communications.  Keep your eye on these five content trends that affect your PR and marketing strategy:

Brands and organizations are naturally interested in the journey of their customers, supporters or members.  Where did they find out about us, what fires up their interest, what moved them to become a customer or client or patient, and what prompts them to act as an advocate?

The TEKsystems report on the Top Digital Skills CMOs are looking for in 2018  has analytics top of the list.While measurement has long been a vital part of marketing, it hasn't always been part of the required PR resume. That's changing. In a recent post PR News stated:

"Data analytics and insights will be more valuable on your resume than "people skills" or great writing."

PR Measurement is fast becoming a hot topic of conversation among PR practitioners.

“Measurement has to be a focus for PR.  In the digital world everyone has to start to look at the metrics to help them drive strategy.”

Eileen Sheil, Executive Director of Communications at the Cleveland Clinic.

This is an interview with Eileen Sheil about the changes in the practice of PR and the need for measuring the value of our work.

It's that time of year when predictions and suggestions are made for the new year.  Forbes made a list of the digital skills they see as the most important and TEKsystems polled 250 CMOs to find out what skills they're looking for in 2018. Distilling all this data down into one list, here are my picks: