Good content counts. Sales are great. Brand boosting copy sells. But what’s the missing link (that simply cannot be missing anymore)?
Data.
According to a column by Catherine Magoffin at ClickZ, “Now is the time to get our teams, organizations and partners primed to begin 2015 with stronger digital marketing plans that are optimized to deliver results.”
“What can we do now to boost our planning momentum as we head into 2015?” Magoffin asks.
The columnist provides some suggestions.
“Data drives a good customer experience,” she explains. “A good place to start is with some data exploration via a Data Opportunity Analysis & Activation Methodology in the focus areas below.”
The focus areas are (and we quote):
1. Active & Inactive Segments – Take a look at active and inactive segment sizes and response trends, and segment key mailings to better understand how inactive segments are impacting response and conversion. This will result in valuable data that can be used to influence strategies related to activation, deliverability and list hygiene.
2. Actionable Attributes – Do an audit of your existing subscriber data attributes and test opportunities to segment and deliver dynamic, personalized experiences based on actionable data points.
3. Data Gathering Opportunities – Every interaction with your subscriber base is an opportunity to exchange value for data. Use your email messages to gather inferred preferences via clicks to navigation bars and other content. Use explicit surveys to collect preference information and better understand consumer intent.
4. Benchmark Performance – Be sure to secure and review benchmark data and form hypotheses about how to improve performance, including new lifecycle touch points, new channel elements, and optimization of current program elements.
“Ready or not, it’s time to acknowledge that 2015 is quickly approaching. Data collection, analysis and activation are key to learning from your 2014 marketing activities and applying those optimization insights to quickly segue into a stronger 2015,” explains Magoffin.
