It is often said that “your data is only as good as its source” and whilst in part this is true, certainly there are measures that one must take to ensure that it performs to its finest potential.
First, it is sensible to understand your data composition by completing regular data audits. Looking at key attributes of your data, you will be able to track its performance and measure its success. In the case of Consumer B2C data for example, where or what does your data predominantly target? Males; females; the conservative spender; the elder or the youth? Basically, what audience variable is highly evident within your existing Donor or Customer Database?
As you begin to audit your data, undoubtedly, seeming patterns can emerge that help with future strategies and marketing campaigns. This is incredibly important and useful, as audience variable queries are built off these patterns. We, at Global Data, evaluate our client’s data in this way through our Quester analytical engine and build new queries off this apparent data behavior for many charities or NFP organisations and it has “enormous success.”
Next and significantly, you must cleanse, enhance and append new information where possible. There is nothing worse than using Consumer B2C data that is ‘broken or invalid’ in some way. It can cost companies hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars per year in things such as direct mail return to senders; employee resources wasted on disconnected or WPC telephone numbers and so on. What’s your data really costing you then? Much more than you initially paid!
Poorly formatted, incomplete and duplicated data is one of the most common problems we identify, when we are Datawashing or providing health and audit checks for our client’s current databases here at Global Data. Once identified, we immediately repair broken data records, remove duplicated or junk data and then append new, fresh contact variables to enable maximum RPC performance on those records. A great deal of the repairing and de-duplication work is done at no cost if we are appending new data anyway.
So, in essence, adopting a couple of new data procedures can save your organisation a ton of money over time, but more importantly, “hygienic data will mean better performing data.” You get to your audience and achieve marketing success.
If you need assistance with Australian Consumer B2C data cleansing, enhancing or appending, certainly contact us on 03 9948 4089 and trial our online Datawashing facility that appends over 50% new information, whilst repairing broken and invalid records.
