Database Continuity: How To Preserve That Hard-Won List

Bylori

database continuityOne of the most important components of a strategic marketing plan is your database. At the most basic level, without an effective database, you won’t have anyone to sell to. And businesses need a solid database of email and postal addresses through which to generate interest in products and services.

But once you develop that list, you’ll also need a strategy for database continuity. Avoiding this step could cost you significantly. After all, you work hard to develop a solid database of customers, so it makes sense to put just as much effort into preserving a healthy, viable customer database.

Steps to effective database continuity:

  • If you don’t already have a program to manage your database, that should be your first step.
  • To ensure database continuity, the program you use should perform several functions, including: collecting addresses for your marketing campaigns; updating old addresses easily; organizing information in a way that increases usability; and maintaining existing, viable customer information.
  • Organization is important. If you plan to personalize your marketing campaigns down to the individiual sales representative or branch manager level, make sure the system is set up with a hierarchy. You may also want to set up different levels of permissions for certain employees.
  • Reports are also a priority. You should be able to generate easy-to-read reports, choosing relevant fields for viewing, to optimize lead generation and tracking.
  • The occasional database scrubbing will help you to maximize your marketing efforts. Look for a program, such as Halo Programs’ data cleaning services, that can verify customer information by authenticating addresses, cleaning and updating information via the National Change of Address registry, and sourcing new leads generated from your database.

Do you need to give your businesses’ database continuity another look? Find out how Halo Programs can help you manage and track your database, and develop a robust strategy for database continuity. Contact us today, and we’ll walk you through our comprehensive, turnkey marketing solutions.

Database image via Shutterstock.