Your audience aren't users, they're customers

Put down the data.

No, really.

Marketers (that's you) are facing a dilemma. The last decade or so has seen us spoilt by a mind-numbing amount of data at our fingertips. But with GDPR, stricter privacy directives, a bigger shift towards a cookieless future (not to mention the wider economic context), the way we use, access and report on data is changing.

And it's about time too.

Redressing the balance between data, marketing and storytelling

At the recent (brilliant) Building Brands UK conference in Exeter, our Founder Jaye Cowle ?? used her workshop to remind digital marketers what really matters: the customer.

With audience behaviours shifting, an economy in downturn and major platform changes on the horizon, your (digital) marketing strategy needs to pivot too. So as budgets come under scrutiny, what do you do? It's time to get back to basics.

• Stand out from the crowd and tell your story – What is it that makes your brand or business unique? What value do your offer your customers over your competitors?
• Put in the work to truly understand your customer –?Who is your audience, really? Has it changed during the pandemic? Is it changing now during the cost of living crisis? Now's the time to look at all that data you've been collecting and build a true picture of who you're actually marketing to.
• Focus on?lifetime?customer value –?Chasing quick wins is not going to serve you well in what's predicted to be a longer recession. Focus on finding the people likely to have a long-term interest in your brand, and nurture them.
• Rockstar marketing strategy – Put real thought into your marketing strategy. Again, it's likely you've been sitting on a lot of data. Now's the time to wield it, analyse your competitors, and go to market with creative that tells your story, campaigns that balance your data, and messages that resonate with your audience.
• Design your new data strategy to measure what matters – GA4 is here. Universal Analytics is on its way out. You don't want to be migrating a 'kitchen sink' approach to data. Report on what matters. Your data and tracking should align with your rockstar strategy. Which metrics represent real success for your business? Zero-in on those.

It's time to rethink data strategy

Our industry has grown very comfortable with calling audiences 'users' and relying solely on data. Go where the results are. Chase that ROAS. Capture all the data!

Don't get us wrong, capturing the right data is essential. But something's gotten lost in the age of metric chasing. A thoughtful, considered approach to data and marketing.

Consider this:

• How often do you spend really exploring your data?
• How often are you using data to inform your marketing decisions, beyond budget?
• Are you using your data to improve your customer experience?

Your answers should dictate your data strategy moving forward. You don't need insights into everything (you don't have time for that). Those numbers in Google Analytics are people with buying power, problems, needs and wants. You need insights into the things that make a tangible difference to those people, and your business.

That's especially true when both businesses and customers alike are facing tricky times ahead. Data is undeniably essential, but the real marketing magic happens when it's balanced with a human touch.

Handy resources to help you

Want some more guidance for navigating the months ahead?

Download our free 'Digital marketing in a downturn' playbook for advice on how to handle paid media, performance and data in the year ahead.

For more thoughts from Building Brands and making your marketing more considered, read our blog and download Jaye's slides from Building Brands.

Check out our articles on first-party data and zero-party data – useful ways to implicitly or explicitly uncover what matters to your audience by using data intentionally.

About Launch

At Launch, we do more than just run ads.

From PPC and social media ad campaigns, to bespoke data tracking, to digital strategy and consultancy, we help brands and businesses unlock more potential online. Want to discover how you could be doing more data-driven marketing? ?Email our Sales Director Steph.