For any company, databases are an essential tool in the development of business strategies. Organizations invest time and resources in the development of database building tactics, this is not just about collecting information. It is useless to obtain a huge amount of records (leads) if you do not have a perspective of what actions will be taken to get the most out of them and convert the holders of this data into prospects.

What is a database?

A database is a compilation of information organized according to certain criteria. This set of data is systematized so that it can be processed later and, depending on the objectives set by the company, generate valuable actions focused on growing the business. 

Databases should be considered by the company as the core of its sales strategy, and it is for this reason that it must work to optimize them.  

Not having a solid database, with accurate information and clear classification criteria can mean the loss of important opportunities to execute campaigns efficiently and thus achieve the company’s commercial and positioning objectives. 

How to create a database?

There are different ways to obtain data from potential customers. Companies have done this through launches, promotions or other types of face-to-face activities that require registration. In the digital world, events can also be created for data collection. 

To facilitate this work, it is important that the company has an inbound marketing platform in which all the necessary tools and services are grouped together to capture registrations, nurture them until they become quality leads and then business opportunities. 

The first step is to define the offer of attraction, i.e. to define what incentive the user will receive in exchange for his data. It can be a discount offer, a coupon or code to redeem. It can also be valuable content such as an ebook or an article with information relevant to the niche targeted by the campaign.

To access what the company offers, the user must fill in a form. It should be simple and easy to fill out, brief. It is recommended that the form has a check box, so that false data can be avoided.

How to get the most out of a database?

Databases allow you to concentrate detailed customer information, not only their basic data such as name, telephone number or e-mail address. It is also possible to obtain data on their tastes, hobbies, interests, work schedules and, through this consolidated or segmented knowledge, develop email marketing campaigns, promotional calls, loyalty or direct and online sales, among other actions.

 In order to be effective in the execution of campaigns, it is necessary to optimize the databases by aligning the information selection criteria with the objectives of each campaign. In other words, the first thing to be clear about is: what do you want to achieve with the actions to be carried out? Once the response has been defined, the lead or record data that will be taken into account to create the segmentation lists must be selected.   

One of the main mistakes that a company can make with the treatment of its databases is to want to reach everyone in the same way, the best way to get the commercial message of the brand to potential customers is to create a communication as personal as possible.

This is where segmentation plays an important role within the strategies to take advantage of databases because it allows to focus and direct more precisely the communication towards a market niche with the characteristics that interest the brand of customers and prospects. This focused communication generates greater business opportunities. 

How to achieve quality leads?

Having an optimal database, with real and qualified leads, with segmentations aligned with the communication objectives will allow the company, through marketing automations, to address each user by their first and last name; show them relevant content according to their interests; induce the purchase decision, among other important actions for the company. To achieve these levels of optimization of the database, the organization must be able to identify the customers with the greatest potential to buy, detect which customers react most favorably to the proposals and which do not show interest. 

This is achieved through a Lead Nurturing process that consists of sending relevant content to potential customers according to the segmentation or stage they are at in the conversion funnel and thus maintain an active relationship with them until they feel confident to make a purchase or hire a service.

The goal of this strategy is to keep the lead engaged so that when they are ready to buy, they remember the company they contacted. 

Finally, it is necessary for the company to perform a periodic database cleansing process and ensure that all the information it collects is of value and fully useful. This process requires identifying users who have changed their email address or phone number, users who are no longer available, users who are no longer interested in the company’s products or services. 

Re-engagement campaigns can be carried out and if they do not have an effect on some leads, it is advisable to think about eliminating those that have been inactive for the longest time.

All these actions will also allow the company to detect the best customers and launch loyalty campaigns to ensure that they become ambassadors and brand advocates.