So you have a dashboard….now what?
You’ve done all the things; you put together the data, you wrote the story, you have a final product—it’s beautiful and compelling and fulfills your dreams. Let's make sure you don't just plug it in as a link on your website where it will do nothing but collect digital dust.
One of the most important parts of dashboard development is getting the dashboard message out to the right people. You came here for a dashboard so you could share it with your people. Let's do just that.
Taking a multifaceted approach to your dashboard will help ensure it gets the reach it deserves. The more you talk about the dashboard, and the more content you create, the more potential the dashboard has to be seen. Here's how you can get started:
Don't make them hunt. Start by making the dashboard easy to find from your home website. Make sure it stands out, or at least comes up easily with relevant searches through your site.
Hit send. An email campaign sent to employees, residents, newsletter subscribers, and key stakeholders can help get the word out about your dashboard. Sending the dashboard out immediately will create a sense of excitement. If you can coordinate several drops at a time you will have the opportunity to create some buzz around the new dashboard.
Get social. Presenting the content on social media can include a compelling tweet, instagram post, or facebook status. This could be all you need to gain momentum with your dashboard and reach key groups. Post it on less obvious sites like Reddit, Tumblr, Youtube or even LinkedIn if your community has a page.
Lights, camera, action. Engaging with local TV stations, newspaper, radio, bloggers, trade magazines, and local interest publications can also help get the word out. If you’re looking for more niche dashboard viewers, reach out to relevant podcasts and blogs and encourage them to feature your new content. Create a press release or announcement to jump start local news coverage.
Nice to meet you. Pairing your dashboard launch with an in person community event provides a situation where people who are likely a target audience get a glimpse and see the excitement around your creation. If something community oriented isn’t feasible, do something with your staff or city council to celebrate the new dashboard.
Sharing and celebrating with partner organizations can increase the use of your dashboard. You've worked hard to build a thing of beauty, and now - the more you work with partners, the more potential your dashboard has to be utilized.
Pro tip: If you have additional admins or stakeholders that will be in the position to share the dashboard and promote it's value, make sure they know how you use it and understand the functionality. Let us know if you ever need additional training!