The saying, "it's the thought that counts," may hold water when it comes to gift-giving, but as far as marketing advice goes, it's full of holes.
How many times have you discredited an organization because the "personalized" direct mail piece you received was inaccurate or off base? How many times have you hung up from a telemarketing call disgusted because the caller making the upgraded, "personal" offer had no idea what your current service or account status was?
Personalized marketing should be a part of every organization's strategy, but the strategy could cost you more than an expense line if you fail to use good data.
What makes data good?
Currency and accuracy. Beatriz Santin, in her March 1, 2011, Direct Mail News article, "When You Ditch Bad Data, Costs Decline and ROI Soars," suggests using point-of-capture verification tools. Santin claims the tools, which prompt customers and prospects for missing information and correct contact details, are the only way to make sure your database contains accurate and complete information.
Cleanliness. How often do you check your list for duplicates and bad addresses? How often do you update it? Your house list is your most profitable, but if you don't maintain it, you risk wasting money and alienating your buyers, members, or donors. Lists should be NCOAed, reviewed, and updated monthly or, at the least, before big mailings.
Complexity. These days, knowing a customer's, donor's, or member's name and address aren't enough. To truly target marketing and maximize your return, you need to collect and analyze as much information about your audience members as you can: spending habits, spending history--with you and other organizations--website activity, response to previous campaigns, interests, behavior, etc. Where do you get this information? Generally, it comes from one of two places: it's provided by the customer, or it's observed through the customer's activity.
Establishing a system or process for collecting and maintaining data that provides a detailed picture of each individual may seem cumbersome, but taking the steps--even taking one step--toward better data not only allows your organization to accurately match an offer with an individual's needs or interests, but it also opens up opportunities to integrate other channels and technologies: direct mail, e-mail, and personalized URLS.
