5 Marketing Database Red Flags: How to Spot and Fix

Written by the Obala Team - (5 Minute Read)

As reported by ChiefMartec, there are now over 14,000 MarTech products being used by modern marketing teams. Across these tools, teams are acquiring and collecting several data points from users across multiple touch points. This causes inevitable issues in integrating and management of all this data, and as your bessie mates, we want to let you know which red flags to keep an eye out for and how to resolve them.

Mass Duplication

For many, this raises a challenge of record duplication on a mass scale which is often not realised or properly catered for.

Excess amounts of forms in disorderly and disparate locations make contact profiles in bulk. User habits of alternating between submitting work, personal, and hidden email addresses depending on their preference don’t help the matter of inflating databases.

Also, lacking a standard process in data entry, coupled with access to CRM systems being afforded to multiple teams and users really make duplicates a major issue.

Stale Records

Red flag number 2: stale records. If you ask most marketers, we’ll say we’re not hoarders. Yet, if you look into the data we work with and access daily, you might find records we’ve collected from ancient times, records from contacts who have never shown interest in moving down our sales funnel, not engaged with any of our marketing since their first engagement.

But letting go of these records is a major challenge for teams. The thought of actively reducing your audience that you worked so hard to acquire is triggering for a lot of teams. But the fact is that a recently engaged audience is more valuable than an inflated, aged audience, and the numbers could be a big factor in underperforming channels.

Non-uniform Source Information

This is one of the red flags that could be forgiven for getting out of hand, but nonetheless is pretty disruptive to marketing objectives. With all the data coming into the system as per red flag uno, getting a handle on the sources of the data really requires and deserves a strong operational effort. What a marketing team loses by not understanding the sourcing of contacts, leads and other records could hamper their ability to repeat positive activities or focus resources on high-performing channels.

Field Mismanagement

A red flag that can often fly under the radar is field mismanagement. There is an element of colour blindness to this flag, with Inconsistent data fields and improper labeling leading to significant issues in data retrieval and analysis. For instance, having multiple variations of a field like "Company Name" or "Job Title" can create confusion and inaccuracies in database segmentation and campaign targeting.

This mismanagement not only hampers marketing efforts but also creates challenges in personalising communications, leading to a disconnect with the audience.

Lack of Segmentation

Without proper segmentation, marketing efforts can become unfocused and ineffective. A one-size-fits-all approach rarely resonates with diverse audience segments. Like I’ll be honest I’d rather be addressed by my name in an email than a default value like “Hey Marketer” :-( . 

Failing to segment a database means missing out on the opportunity to tailor messages to specific needs and behaviours of different groups. This can result in wasted resources on broad, un-targeted campaigns. Not to mention the fact that marketers are left feeling like pigeon excrement when attempts to increase engagement fall flat and performance metrics  just don’t improve. Ok that’s an exaggeration but you get the message.

How to solve your Red Flagnicity

The following tips can help with addressing these red flags - they do involve giving those in your team with marketing operations responsibilities the freedom, support and authority to instil thorough data management practices. But the results will ensure the whole marketing team enhances the accuracy and effectiveness of their campaigns and activities. 

Form Centralisation & Mandatory Fields

Centralising form creation, reducing the amount of variation in data collection touch points and enforcing mandatory fields can significantly reduce data duplication and inconsistencies.

By having a unified system for form submissions, marketers can ensure that data is collected in a structured manner, making it easier to manage and analyse. Additionally, mandatory fields ensure that essential information is always captured, reducing the need for follow-ups and incomplete profiles.

User Management - Permission Sets for Data Access

I don’t know who needs to hear this but NOT EVERYONE SHOULD GET THE KEYS!

Yes as a marketing operations person you can occasionally feel like the police but thems the brakes. Strict user management protocols are essential, they aren’t optional.

Assigning permission sets for data access ensures that only authorised personnel can make changes to the database. This reduces the risk of unauthorised modifications to data and helps maintain data integrity. Regular audits of access levels can further safeguard against potential breaches or errors.

Data Entry Guidelines and Process

Establishing clear data entry guidelines and processes is fundamental to maintaining a clean database. Standardised procedures for different teams when entering data, including consistent naming conventions and field usage, help prevent discrepancies and errors.

Training all team members who interact with the CRM or database on these guidelines ensures that everyone follows the same protocols, leading to more accurate and reliable data. 

Data Cleanse & Review Intervals

Regular data cleansing and review intervals are essential to keeping the database up-to-date. Don’t make this the thing you say “Ahh it can wait till next quarter” lock in set dates, round up the crew and stick to it. Scheduling periodic reviews to identify and remove stale records, merge duplicates, and correct inaccuracies can significantly improve data quality. Utilising automated tools for data cleansing can streamline this process and ensure that the database remains a valuable asset for marketing efforts.

Summary

Better data management not only leads to more successful marketing initiatives but also helps you build stronger relationships with customers by providing them with relevant and personalized experiences.

Share your insights in the comments below.