Data Done Right

Top 5 Questions to Ask Your Data Provider

?Not all data partners are created equal. With a saturated market full of providers with varying capabilities, it can be tough to find the one that would work best for your business. Like many of life’s big decisions, it may require a little shopping around. Here are the five questions to be sure to ask your data provider as you look for the perfect digital audience.

Question 1: What Types of Intent Signals are Tracked?

Consumers’ intent signals can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Ranging from a simple search query to a full-on digital ad clickthrough, these interactions are a great way to gauge a customer’s interest in your brand. You’ll want to make sure that your data provider is pulling from signals that come from multiple sources. Ask if they look at eBook downloads, social media engagement, website visits, and more. The wider the pool, the more likely they are to find folks who are ready to connect with your brand.

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Question 2: What Data Points are Used to Build the Audiences?

When building an audience for your brand, your data provider can’t just model their data. There is so much that can be learned from customer behavior when you stop trying to fit them into boxes. While profiles can tell us some things, they never give us the full picture.

Consumers come across your brand through a variety of avenues. This can create vastly different customer segments that together form a full picture of the customer journey. You’ll want to make sure your provider is gathering both online and offline data points in order to tell the whole story.

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Question 3: From Where Does the Data Provider Source Their Data?

This question is essentially your chance to ask your provider if they’re legit. Are they pulling their data from reputable sources? Or, are they modeling it based on smaller sample sizes from a single industry? We mentioned the importance of pulling from multiple sources earlier, and that continues to ring true. Quality media and publisher websites are key.

You’ll also want to take this time to ask the provider if their data is permissioned properly. Verify that they are compliant with all nation-wide and state regulations, which will ensure that your business will keep its solid reputation all while staying out of legal trouble.

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Question 4: How Does the Data Provider Verify the Quality of Their Leads?

Let’s play a little Would You Rather. Would you rather have a massive number of leads, but the quality and viability are low, or would you prefer a smaller amount of quality leads? You probably would choose the smaller, higher quality data mix. And, that’s absolutely the right choice! We suggest asking to see further insights into each data point. For example, you can ask to see which leads are from a non-business address, or conduct a survey to see how the provider’s information stacks up against what consumers are saying about themselves.

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Question 5: How Will the Data Provider’s Solutions Integrate into Your Existing Technology?

To avoid the issues that come along with a data solution not integrating into your existing marketing technology stack, you’ll want to let your data provider know who on your team is going to need access to it. (We’re talking manual file uploads, process delays, and other notorious time-wasters). From marketing automation and CRM to display advertising and retargeting, don’t forget to consider all of your systems that will be in need of access to this data.

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How We Can Work with You

Here at DBMG – Data Done Right, everything starts with clean data. We’re all about helping brands deliver the right message, to the right consumers, at the right time, through the right channels. Our data goes through regular cleansing, so that we can confidently give you only the best quality leads. Leveraging both online and offline data points, we hyper-target consumers right where they are, providing you with the best solution for your brand’s needs. Drop us a line here!

When choosing a data provider, there’s a lot to keep in mind, and it’s a big decision! Knowing the right questions to ask and the answers to look for is the best way to get started. Keep this list of questions handy, and you’re well on your way to choosing the perfect data provider for your brand.