More than numbers

By Coulter Macdonald

Data this, data that…these days it seems like data is the be-all end-all! Yes, having data is important to evaluate our communications—but it’s not the only evidence we need. There are 2 non-fact or figure-based pieces of evidence that are often overlooked: invisible value and social proof.

Invisible value is the work being completed behind the scenes. This work isn’t always directly reflected in your communications products and is mainly defined by its lack of visibility (needless to say). It encompasses a wide array of daily responsibilities, like anticipating, planning, organizing, collaborating, and managing, to name a few. Let’s say there was a delay in receiving an approval for your communications product. If you expedited the timeline for subsequent approvals to ensure the publishing date of your product remains unchanged, you would be providing invisible value.

Social proof is the idea that people rely on others’ actions and opinions to influence their own. This phenomenon occurs throughout our daily lives, whether we’re checking product ratings before making an online purchase or seeking recommendations from friends and family on which restaurant to try. In the context of our work, it could be present, for example, when you introduce a new project management tool for your communications at a meeting and your colleagues enthusiastically embrace it. Their adoption becomes a form of social proof, validating the value of your actions and opinions in an organic and impactful way.

Invisible value and social proof aren’t always relevant when evaluating your communications. Sometimes everything is delivered without a hitch or your innovative approach can’t be adopted for other communications efforts. When they are relevant, though, your story becomes so much more interesting. Think about it: would you rather only hear about data in a presentation, or anecdotes on persevering, collaborating, and inspiring others, with insights on data sprinkled in too? You probably want to hear about the latter. And if this is the case, you might be thinking back to all the times you’ve presented only about data, saw a few bored faces, and wished you would have added an element of interest, like evidence of social proof or invisible value. Well, we’ve all been there! But that doesn’t matter now because you’ve found that element to add for your next presentation.

There are many ways in which you can gather evidence of invisible value and social proof for your evaluation reports. Some ways include keeping track of significant developments in a spreadsheet and setting up meetings with your clients or colleagues to inquire about the usability of your approach in other projects.

Next time you evaluate, mention social proof and invisible value in your evaluation report’s summary or notes section. You can even include new sections for specific details, like one that has quotes from colleagues involved with your communications.