We are all aware that data is everywhere – especially throughout a marketing campaign. We have the opportunity to allow for data-driven marketing to influence every facet of our campaign from the goals, objectives and strategies to optimizations and reporting.
Because we are inundated with endless amounts of data, the process of utilizing it proactively can be challenging – and quite daunting if you ask me!
At the beginning of strategy and campaign development, it is important to audit the existing data. It is easy to take what is in front of you and allow that to be enough, but it’s 2017. We must approach our data with an inquisitive mindset and start with determining what data we actually need and then find it. Whether that is first-party data about a client’s customer base or second-party industry data, you would be surprised what is available.
As the campaign planning process continues, defining goals and key performance indicators (KPI) are crucial. All of the data in the world won’t be beneficial if we don’t know exactly what we are working toward.
These KPIs are important throughout the campaign, as they help to steer optimizations and keep the entire team working toward the same goal.
Once the KPIs have been determined, it is important to setup standardized methodologies on how those metrics will be measured. This involves developing a cohesive tracking plan, and naming conventions that make data aggregation lead to efficient data utilization.
Ultimately, all of these efficiencies will assist in the reporting process at the conclusion of a campaign.
Because we have collected and utilized our data efficiently throughout the campaign, reporting back to the client should be easy, right? Not so fast.
As diligent as we are about staying focused on the goals of the campaign, it is easy to get bogged down with all of the data available to analyze that we lose sight of being able to report back to the client effectively.
Clients don’t want us to just dump a bunch of numbers in their lap and move on; they want a performance story. In a world with so much data, reporting on metrics alone isn’t enough. Providing the most value means reporting holistically based on users at the top, middle and bottom of the funnel.
Allowing data to guide the entire marketing strategy process will lead to more proactive planning, better budget stewardship (which ultimately leads to more conversions) and better reporting.
(To learn more about VI's Marketing Strategy services, click here)