What do we mean when we say data? For me, it means any and all information we can gather to help us know our audience and the market. Too many times new clients come to me with a list of failed campaigns. They ask what went wrong? What will you do differently? My answer often lies in the data — in research.
Data helps define facets vital to precise marketing:
- We want to define your product. What problem does it solve?
- We want to define your audience. Who needs this solution?
- We want to define your market. How do we reach your audience?
While the Internet marched in a whole new (brave?) era of being able to track people and their habits, it wasn’t the first time we had research. And sometimes I think the ubiquity of online data can make people less effective because regardless of how much data we have, we still need to think critically. We need to analyze the data appropriately and most importantly, we need to adjust.