7 ways marketers are underutilizing their marketing data

1. Leveraging data to improve messaging, as one-size-fits-all no longer is effective.
Mass email and mass direct mail is a thing of the past. Marketers can’t expect to get results from sending out one-size-fits-all, general direct mail or email. People are inundated with far too many messages to analyze communications in an effort to determine how something applies to them.

Tailoring content has always been a fundamental response marketing best practice. Customizing direct mail and email for groups should leverage a combination of analytics and insights. The most common approach is to first leverage analytics to determine segments and then conduct research to better understand the insights of the groups. One of the core advantages of direct mail and email is the ability to cost-effectively tailor and version communications. Ensure you aren’t falling into the one-size-fits-all pitfall.

2. Better utilization of data allows for targeting and minimizing waste of marketing dollars.
One of the most inherent advantages of direct mail and email is the ability to target and reach exactly who you want to reach. Yet many marketers still aren’t leveraging basic predictive modeling and other targeting techniques to ensure optimal spending of marketing dollars. Direct mail and email are directly impacted by reaching those who are most likely to respond. By leveraging predictive modeling techniques, marketers can increase efficiency and eliminate waste. If you are mailing deep or to your entire universe, your average direct mail response rate is likely to be diluted.

This is a fundamental direct marketing best practice and one of the simplest ways marketers can maximize the value of their marketing data.

3. Mining social data for trends, content and topics that matter to prospects and customers.
Many marketers have a plethora of data about which types of social media posts, content and topics are generating engagement. While engagement isn’t always an indicator of behavior, this marketing data tends to be rich and should be analyzed for trends.

Many marketers are leveraging social media for education and answering customers’ questions. This type of social data and information can be leveraged for ongoing content and social planning, but it can also be utilized to inform FAQs, sidebars and other messaging for direct mail and email. Consider how social can serve as a barometer of current mind-sets, barriers and questions that might prevent a prospect from getting to “yes.” Leveraging cross-channel marketing data ensures marketing channel effectiveness and ensures the advantages of direct mail and email are fully realized.

4. Analyzing search data for trigger words.
There is a reason Google is one of the most powerful data sources for trend information. Search behavior can provide significant insights and inform other channels within the marketing mix. Mine your search marketing data to better understand which keywords and key phrases are currently getting traction. Then consider how to utilize this information to inform messaging for other parts of the marketing mix.

For example, let’s say you analyze search engine marketing ads and find the language of one ad surfaces as the one driving most click behavior. Consider how this language can be translated to outbound channels such as direct mail and email headlines, subheads and messaging.

5. Leverage behavioral data to find optimal points of contact.
Rather than just sending out mass emails based on your general campaign time frames, consider the prospect and customer’s lifecycle and when it would make the most sense to interact with them. Key buying behavior trigger points include purchase history, abandonment of page or shopping cart, and defecting or lapsing. Consider what you know about the target, then how to enhance the communications based on individual buying behavior.

Direct mail and email personalization based on buying behavior is one of the strongest forms of customization and it almost always generates a positive lift in response. Over the course of 36 months, we’ve been able to generate an 18% increase in transactions through targeting emails at key behavioral trigger points in a customer lifecycle. To learn more about how to build a behaviorally driven email program, download our Triggered and Behavioral Email ebook.

6. Utilize personalization to make the decision simpler and easier.
Providing personalized information helps ensure a process can be completed simply and easily. For example, Jacobs & Clevenger manages a program for Nokia Location and Commerce, the world leader in navigation system map technology. The program targets vehicle owners for map updates. Users need their vehicle information, including make, model and either Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or navigation platform information. This presents a barrier for most vehicle owners to complete the process. Developing personalized communications is a core advantage of direct mail and email, and has consistently demonstrated a lift in response. This is the type of personalization that prospects and customers expect and appreciate.

7. Cross-pollinating trends from content marketing, search marketing and social media.
As I mentioned earlier in this article, I tend to believe search marketing data can provide a lot of indicators that can inform other parts of the marketing mix. One of the biggest advantages of content marketing is that there is a lot of measurability and insight you can glean from analyzing trends.

Consider how to apply information you gain from content marketing trends to serve as the foundation for lead nurturing. Once users engage, leverage behavior to develop targeted relevant communications. Applying behavioral marketing information to personalize outbound and follow-up communications takes the entire lead nurturing experience to the next level. This includes creating groups within the sales funnel and targeting those prospects based on what content they find engaging, and related information that can help deliver relevant messaging.