Data marketing goes way beyond data - 5 questions to consider

We are exhibiting at and attending the Data Marketing Show in London, 29-30 June (check out the show and register) and the primary focus of the event is data-driven marketing. In my experience, data-driven marketing goes way beyond data. The questions that come to mind, for example, are:

1. what do you know about your current marketing data that helps you better target your audience?
2. are there segments that your data naturally aligns with so you can create unique messages for each one?
3. how can you keep your data current so you are continually adding new contacts to the primary market segments for your business?
4. what do you do to keep those audience segments engaged with your brand or message?
5. how do you know which marketing channels are most effective in converting each audience segment into business for your company?

So, to me, data is just the beginning. It's also the foundation for analysis. And it is the conversion metric by which your success is measured.

If you'll be at the Data Marketing Show, stop by and have a chat with @mardevdm2 on Stand E124. Oh, and play our interactive marketing game while you're there for a chance to win a fun prize.

Not going to be at the show? Learn more about our data marketing services when you visit mardevdm2.com/DatabaseMktg.

ROI-based social media

I attended a webinar yesterday produced by Sherpa sponsored by Facebook. The topic was  Strategic Social Media Marketing - getting your business or agency started with an ROI-based approach.

The greatest thing I learned is that, while currently the majority of marketers are able to track only 10% of their marketing investment in social media directly to the bottom line, there is a tremendous adoption rate for social as a relevant channel - for B2B and B2C companies. The additional benefits, while many, specifically include the cost savings as compared to many other channels and the ability to easily integrate social with channels like email and your website. There was significant agreement about building a quality audience through "like" and "share" requests as compared to asking a large, broad audience to register for a competition or prize to build an audience who are only in it for the prize, not because they are likely to engage with your brand.

The bottom line? The same strategic approach is necessary to see ROI in social as it is in any other marketing channel: segment and target your audience, build a community with relevant content and messages, and maintain ongoing communications with them to establish relationships.

View the event recap on Twitter here: http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23sherpawebinar 

To register and receive the event recording, visit: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/339798849

Demand generation metrics

Our customers' demand generation programs are proving to provide some very valuable metrics, such as:

• Cost of leads by marketing channel
• ROI by channel and lead source
• Reduction in sales cycle  time

What metrics do you track in your demand generation campaigns? How effective are they in helping you plan future marketing budget and plans?