In today’s technology driven world, marketing trends are changing quickly. One of the most popular forms of marketing at this time is database marketing. Regardless of how careful you have been or how painstakingly long you have worked on keeping your databases clean, it is likely that they are not. Most commonly there are duplicate names on the lists. However there are also issues with old addresses or undeliverable addresses.
So what can you do about this? You can hire someone to help you with data hygiene services. There are some major benefits to the cleanup of your database when you are thinking from a marketing perspective. From a legal standpoint, you really need to think best practices to avoid liability and try to find providers that others have said are best in the industry.
Understanding Data Hygiene
Data hygiene is basically the process of updating databases with current and up to date information. It is like cleaning out your database with regular maintenance. The idea is that you will be able to maintain accuracy with the computer data.
It might also be helpful to understand the process of data hygiene.
Problems Detected – The very first step of data hygiene is an audit. During this stage problems are detected and found.
What Needs Done? – This is when everything from the audit is put together to figure out the steps that need to be taken for things to get done. It is a plan of the different things that need to be taken care of on the database and changes that need to be made.
Getting it Done – This is when the work is done that needs to be done.
Follow Up – During this phase the database is monitored to make sure that there are none of the issues that we originally detected.
Benefits to Data Hygiene with Database Marketing
Lower Marketing Costs
The biggest benefit of using data hygiene services is that you are going to save money. You will be able to decrease your spending on a number of levels. Plus you will not be wasting your money by sending out information to the same person more than one time or to someone who is no longer interested. All in all it is a quick way to maximize the potential for the budget that you have to spend.
Seem More Valid
When you are sending the right mailings to the right people, you are going to seem more valid as a company. There are a number of data constraints that you might fall into that can be helped with data hygiene. Plus data hygiene can make your database look more professional and uniform.
Eliminate Duplicates
No one likes to feel like they are being bombarded with information from a company. In fact, some people actually throw out mailings and information if they receive more than one from a company. It is essential for your marketing plan that you make sure that there are no duplicates on your list.
Stop Wasting Postage
When you are sending out mailed promotional items to old addresses or undeliverable addresses, you are wasting your money. These pieces are generally not doing anything but getting thrown away so you are just throwing away your money when you send them out. Just removing these names and addresses from your databases can save your thousands of dollars over time. This article from Entrepreneur offers you some great tips for how to utilize postal services to get rid of these bad addresses.
So learning how to manage your data batter with data hygiene can be a huge benefit to your company. You will save money on your marketing and make your marketing more effective. You can also find additional list services that can help you with meeting your goals.