The data side of things can be a daunting part of the marketer’s remit – fear not, a new guide walks readers through launching and enriching their journey.

The ‘Expert Walkthrough: Data Segmentation’ white paper covers everything from understanding the ins, outs and purpose of segmentation, different types of segmentation, how to implement comprehensive segmentation with a limited data pool, how to segment customers across multiple channels and the importance of a hygienic data set.

Many businesses, particularly those with limited or poor data sets, feel buying or renting data is their only route to obtaining actionable insights and viable target lists. This is simply not the case, says the new white paper. 

According to Taguchi, a list of email addresses alone is still a practicable stepping stone to more complex segmentation. “Even this, through the use of your marketing automation application, can be enough to start segmenting your customers.” Through email engagement, click behaviour and A/B testing, the white paper details how marketing automation beginners can gain a clearer view of their customer base. 

Additionally, the white paper explores how marketers can utilise event information – such as purchases, website behaviour and conversions, email list subscriptions, in-store activity – to further expand the customer view.

“It’s important to remember that not all data is equal,” says the white paper. “While demographics will give you a view of who your customer is, their actions and behaviours will often deliver deeper insights.”

According to Taguchi, the real power of marketing automation is realised when marketers can engage the customer across whichever channel they prefer. Monitoring customer behaviour across multiple channels adds new insights into your database on how your customers like to engage with your brand.

Employing a careful mix of channels – such as SMS, email, direct (snail) mail, social media – is the optimal way to connect with customers, informed and generating rich customer insights. The white paper goes into further detail on precise advantages and disadvantages of each channel to find the best combination for countless business types. “It requires time and effort to understand the way each channel complements another – which is only possible at scale through marketing automation.”

Finally, the white paper explores further options for brands to expand their database through clean, transparent, ethical value exchanges. “Sure, you won’t have a huge amount of data in the first couple months,” reads the white paper, “but within six months you’ll have enough to build great models. Within a year, you will have a rich database, and within two years you will be flush with rich, real data on your customers.”

Learn how to leverage your marketing automation platform to deepen customer understanding and supercharge communications – download the Expert Walkthrough: Data Segmentation white paper today.

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