We update our blog with regular posts to keep you up to speed on the world of B2B data.
Posted on 01/09/2017 at 09:00By Corpdata
GDPR is only nine months away. So, to make sure your future direct marketing will still deliver you new business you really do need to think about how to source your safe to use business list.
'Careful enough', meaning what? The new legislation expects us all to be able prove our innocence, so 'are you being duly diligent?
You need proof, to show you've taken all appropriate measures when sourcing your future business list.
Any business list supplier needs some good answers to some key questions.If your data supplier can't easily answer each question, you need to better understand you're growing liability.
Any evasion, or failure to inspire your confidence probably means you would be safer by going elsewhere!
We have invested a lot in making sure we have the answers you need. Ask us, we would be delighted to answer these questions, together with any others you may have. As the UK's premier B2B business list supplier, you can be confident we can answer them all, and we simply won't leave you exposed!
1. What is the legal basis you used to collect your data?
2. How have you complied with the fairness and transparency requirements of the law?
3. Are you able to provide documentary evidence of this if needed?
4. What action will you take if a data subject I contact objects to the processing of their information?
5. How will you keep the business list I license from you accurate?
6. Who is your Data Protection Officer so that I may notify data subjects to contact if asked?
7. Do I need to do anything new when using the business list you have supplied?
Posted on 23/08/2017 at 14:02By Corpdata
Here is a simple list of things which might lift your marketing results:
If you are planning a marketing campaign it’s beneficial to take into account both online and offline exposure. Doing so not only helps sync your message when someone happens to view it offline and online. It also ensures that if you just rely on online then there maybe those you’re missing offline and vice-versa. This conclusion is supported backed up from the following stats:
• 55% welcome direct mail that gives them useful information and this increases even more when it rewards loyalty, when already a customer or when a direct mailer informs them of a special offer.
• 74% of marketers found that when direct mail was used with email it was the most successful combination of two marketing channels.
• 62% increase in return on investment when direct mail was used in conjunction with an online campaign (rather than using online only). "More on these stats here"
Thus it appears that there is good reason to consider using more than one marketing channel.
You have probably heard about GDPR, and if not, now is the time to look it up. It replaces the ageing Data Protection Act on 25th May 2018. The main objective of GDPR is to enable the data subject to understand how their data is being collected and processed, and who by. Data subjects have more rights over their personal data, and direct marketers must be more respectful of their wishes.
Some people are worried that this means you must have consent for direct marketing, which isn't true, in fact it is often not the best 'legal basis' where direct marketing is concerned. Have a look at our videos about how our data products have changed to find out more.
An examination and review of your existing customer base will allow you to then be able to profile your potential prospects, and raise the accuracy of your targeting when sourcing your marketing list.
Profiling and getting to understand your existing customers may allow you to see opportunities to upsell additional products or services. Amazon is a good example of just this.
If you make your communication as personal as you can, the more chance what you write will be read. Does what you send look like a bulk mailing or a personal letter or email ? As long as it can be personalised safely (without the chance of getting it wrong) personalisation can be made more impactful by including reference of past purchases.
How will what you write stand out and grab your reader’s attention. Happily when using direct mail you’re now competing with less mail from others because fewer companies invest in postal campaigns, which are why we face an unceasing flow of emails and social media. However even with less ‘noise’ you still need to not only target the right audience but to also engage them with a marketing message that is interesting. Using a copywriter to help you fine tune might help you find just the right words. They specialise in just this type of work and can make all the difference to the response rate of your campaign.
The very same message might be used online within email, social media and other digital marketing activities. However its probably wise to assume that online gives you less time to make initial impact.
If your reader has already seen your direct mail, your message online may act as a useful reminder; particularly if they were interested after their first read. Interest may prompt another look online and possibly a decision to purchase. There may be many reasons why they didn’t respond to your initial direct mail piece; seeing your message or offer online is not only a reminder but given the high likelihood of embedded links within email copy any purchase or request for more information is just a few clicks away.
Ensure that whatever you send has a clear call to action.
Make the action you hope your reader will take clear and obvious. Its also very useful to be able to see and understand what has been read and acted upon helping you identify what is working or not. Tracking and calculating the return on any one marketing campaign is really useful. If you have the time and resources to do this you have any number of choices; use different phone numbers, tracking URLs, QR Codes, promotional codes, discount codes, all help you identify who has read what.
When sending your direct mailer, you don’t have to use a standard envelope size. You now have so many options that doing something surprising or different could offer another way to grab someone’s attention offline and become memorable. Keep your eyes and ears open, just speaking to people you know about what they have used, or received or heard about can be a rich vein of ideas. Keep a note as and when you receive interesting mailing is also useful.
We hope that these tips can add a little to your campaign results.
Don’t forget, whatever you write we’ll help you get it in front of the right audience. Just contact us if you want a good list for your B2B campaign. “more on the legislation we follow here.”
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