“Big Data” has been a big deal for some time now. It’s a fact that many companies are looking for ways to own more data about their clients and target audience, and they are looking for ways that they can harness this “Big Data”. There are many issues with capturing data and only using this data to drive marketing initiatives. This is not new, and has always been this way especially when you are analyzing this data in a CRM system.
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Over the last couple of months, I have talked to many brands that are investing a lot of money and resources to gather valuable information about their existing clients and target audience. They are also defining new ways of collecting this information internally so that they can offer better services and products.
Focus on building relationships
As I get more and more on the topic of “Big Data”, I’m starting to realize that it’s important that the focus should always be on building valuable relationships with your customers and study how they are currently using your services and products (read more about “Validated Learning” in the book – The Lean Startup by Eric Ries). The easiest way to study them is by building relationships with your clients and make sure that they are connected with someone at your company that can gather this information.
Gathering this information is very important in understanding your clients. Especially if you are in a competitive niche. Ask your clients directly where did they hear about your brand or company. This is a simple question, but it can help you realize where you should focus your marketing and communication message. Another great way to get information is to send out surveys or have it on your website or blog to get a better understanding of how people are using your services, products, and if they are going to use your business again in the future.
Be in contact with your current clients
It’s also important to make sure you are in contact with your current clients in a regular basis and you are reviewing their accounts with your company. Find ways on how you can strengthen your relationships with them. You can also make a point of using available community sources to strengthen your relationships with them especially online. Social media and your blog can play a huge role in this.
Big Data is really great if you know how to use it and take advantage of it. Online it’s still a buzzword to many and quite overly hyped. Understand that building relationships is the key ingredient in making “Big Data” work and I’m sure you will get a positive return once you put your effort into this. The trick is to build a consistent process that is easy to service and manage.
Start building relationships
If you are interested in building relationships with your clients and target audience to take advantage of “Big Data”, start by collecting the following:
- Positive or negative feedback from your clients
- Information on how your clients found you
- If there are any complaints about your services and products
- Feedback on new products and services you are launching
- Last time they were contacted by someone in your company
Once you have a process in place to make use of Big Data, the information you gather should come back positively. How are you making use to gather data?
