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Advertising & Marketing

SaaS Marketing Hacks To Win As A Competitive Startup

Businesses require diverse software solutions to stay on top of tech trends, but not all organizations can afford custom development. Thankfully, SaaS providers come to their rescue, offering software on a subscription model. Not surprisingly, the demand in the SaaS domain is high, making it a lucrative one for aspiring entrepreneurs. Joining the bandwagon is a great idea, as you need not worry about falling short of demand. Additionally, the profit potential is high in the industry. But you require a viable marketing plan to set yourself apart in the tight landscape. Here are some valuable SaaS marketing hacks to win as a competitive startup.

Leverage the power of content

SaaS customers are often knowledgeable business leaders and decision-makers looking for solutions to enhance their business. They also want to address specific pain points such as employee productivity, customer relationships, and more. Experts at Outreach Monks emphasize the importance of providing valuable content to show how your solution can resolve customer pain points. The best way to do it is to create relevant content that answers the questions they ask through their buying journey.

Offer free trials

Another quick hack to get customers on your side is by offering free trials of your product. They will probably upgrade to a paid subscription if they find your product relevant to their needs. It is the best way to acquire new buyers and retain them for recurring revenue. The good thing about free SaaS trials is that they entail little to no cost because you need not bear the shipping costs. You only need to let the potential buyer use your product to make them stick.

Push ahead with reviews and referrals

B2B leaders often rely on word-of-mouth while buying a product or service for their business. You can push ahead by promoting positive reviews from your clients on your website and review sites. Encourage happy customers to share a good one on social media and review platforms. Also, showcase them on your website’s home page where visitors can see them. Incentivizing clients for referrals is also an excellent strategy to drive new ones to your website. A small offer or discount is enough to drive referrals, while great services may even get them free of cost.

Build trust with SEO ranking

Since SaaS is a B2B offering, the trust factor matters more than anything else. A top-ranking website is an ideal way to build credibility because the audience wants to buy from top sellers. You can win the SEO game by creating top-quality SaaS backlinks consistently. Also, remember that quality matters more than numbers, so prioritize factors like relevance and authority while linking to websites. Guest posting is an ideal strategy when it comes to link-building in this domain because it gives you the advantage of being endorsed by niche leaders.

SaaS marketing need not be a challenge for startups running on tight budgets. Follow these simple and low-cost tips to win the race, no matter how competitive your business landscape is. 

Related: read more about location data for advertising and marketing.

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Advertising & Marketing

5 Ways to Grow Brand Awareness in 2026

Did you know that consistently presenting a brand on many platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%? This is just one of the benefits your business can get from creating and growing brand awareness. If you have been wondering why your revenue has not been impressive, you should take a closer look at how aware of your brand your customers are. However, increased revenue is not the only advantage of making people aware of your brand; there are many other merits if you master the art. 

 

Many businesses have shut their doors as a result of not understanding how to grow awareness for their brands. They had good products but lacked the know-how of creating consistent awareness for their businesses. That know-how is what this article will teach you. When you finish reading, you will have a good grasp of the whole concept of brand awareness and be ready to implement it in your business.

 

What is brand awareness?

 

Brand awareness is an integral part of a marketing campaign, just like market segmentation and established KPIs. Brand awareness involves how customers and prospective ones identify and remember your brand. When a consumer or potential one is aware of your brand, they know what it is about and what to expect. They are familiar with your niche, values and personality.

 

Let’s use Apple as an example. Apple users and would-be users are familiar with the logo, design and adverts. You’ll see adverts and know they’re Apple adverts even before you see the logo or hear the name. That is brand awareness. You know you’re building awareness for your brand when people can identify marketing elements that are peculiar only to you. 

 

Levels of brand awareness

There are four levels of brand awareness. Understanding them will equip you to grow awareness for your brand.

 

Zero awareness

At this stage, your prospective customers have no idea who you are. They have never heard of your brand or they’ve heard of it, but it didn’t stick. However, this shouldn’t be cause for alarm. See the bright side and view their minds as fresh, fertile lands where you can plant your brand awareness. Acknowledging this set of prospects helps in building a robust marketing campaign.

 

Recognition 

This is the level where your customers and prospective ones recognize your brand. They can identify your brand’s visual symbols like logo, color, slogan and packaging. Consumers at this level can say a few things about your brand. However, that is where it ends. There is no element of loyalty yet and if you slack in your marketing campaign, they can slip away. 

 

Remembrance

When customers remember your brand without any prompt, they’re at the remembrance level. At this level, your brand name jumps into their mind anytime they need your product or someone else needs it. Your brand becomes synonymous with the category your product belongs to. For example, people say, “Get me a Burger King,” instead of “Get me a burger,” because, in their minds, Burger King is synonymous with a burger. Customer loyalty has kicked in at this stage.

 

Differentiation 

Differentiation is the final level of brand awareness. At this stage, customers become fans and can differentiate between your product and others. When they use a similar product, they immediately note that it’s not the same as yours. This happens quite often to Apple products, with some customers saying they can’t use any other phone or computer. In their minds, no other product comes close. They identify with Apple’s values and causes and will do anything to promote the brand. This is the level to aim at. 

 

5 Ways to grow brand awareness in 2026

After grasping the concept of brand awareness, the next step is to learn ways to start and increase it. Here are time-tested strategies to apply in your marketing campaign to grow awareness for your brand. 

 

Be relatable

When creating awareness for your brand, abstraction doesn’t cut it. People respond to what they can relate to. It doesn’t matter if your product is technical and not what the regular person understands. Find the human angle to it. What problems is it solving? How does it make life better for people? Does it impact the community? Does it protect the environment? Creating a relatable marketing campaign is one of the first steps to take when growing awareness for your brand.

 

Sell digital products

A digital product is an intangible product sold online. Examples are eBooks, courses, tutorials and guides, podcasts, research and data. A guide to selling digital products online will go a long way in helping you to decide on which products your brand should start selling and how to go about it. Selling digital products helps you reach more people and is a great way of putting your brand out. When people buy your products, your brand registers in their minds and your brand awareness grows.

 

Invest in SEO

The world has gone digital and even though traditional methods of boosting awareness for a brand still serve their purpose, you must embrace modern approaches. Investing in SEO is a great way to improve your brand awareness. SEO involves optimizing websites and pages so that they rank higher or people see them first in search engines. Use SEO to boost your brand awareness by publishing and optimizing content that will give you higher visibility. Roll out content that talks about your brand, what you offer and how you improve lives. If you are a SaaS company or you sell a digital product, work with a SaaS SEO agency that has a proven track record for success.

 

Be a guest blogger

Using SEO to boost your website or blog is great but it has limits. To further grow your brand awareness, write as a guest for other blog sites. Being a guest blogger gives you a wider reach and opens you up to new audiences, especially if you’ve been doing location-based marketing. Sharing information about your industry and product on other blog sites establishes you as an authority and increases the awareness of your brand.

 

Master the art of storytelling

Everyone loves a good story! Little wonder it’s a potent means of communication and highly recommended in copywriting. Stories make your copy interesting and relatable, drawing people to your brand. People’s attention span on the internet is limited but a good story will grab their interest. Learn how to share your brand story, your customers’ experiences, and how your values are changing the world. This approach will stand you out and make your brand more popular.

 

Benefits of brand awareness for your business

Why all this fuss? Why should you put in all this work to grow awareness for your brand? Here are compelling reasons why you should invest in brand awareness.

 

It creates trust in the brand

Brand consistency, a characteristic of brand awareness, creates trust for your brand. When people see you’re consistent with your message and branding, they will start to like and trust you. This is a great way to establish a brand relationship with customers and would-be ones. 

 

It increases profits

Eventually, brand awareness leads to more profits. The more people know your brand, remember and differentiate it, the more sales you’ll make. People buy from brands they trust and since trust is one major advantage of brand awareness, profits will definitely increase. 

 

It builds customer loyalty

Remember the example of Apple given earlier? Brand awareness rewards you with customer loyalty and turns your clients into your ambassadors and marketers. They wouldn’t want to use any other product except yours and will go out of their way to promote your brand. Although it takes a lot of work and investment to get to this level, it is well worth the effort. 

 

It helps to expand your business

When people know, like, trust and are loyal to your brand, they will embrace other products from you. If Apple launches a new product today, they won’t have to worry about getting fresh customers. They are assured that their fanatic customers will accept the product, buy it in a frenzy and even recommend it to others. This is one of the most rewarding benefits of brand awareness; it gets to a stage where you won’t have to do so much marketing; your brand has done the most work. 

 

Master the art of brand awareness and see the dividends in your business

A marketing campaign is incomplete without brand awareness. Creating and growing awareness for your brand makes customers and potential ones know, like and trust your brand. Also, brand awareness requires careful strategy as consumers are at different levels of awareness. 

 

Making your brand popular is not a day’s job but it yields a bountiful harvest if well executed. Being relatable, selling digital products, using SEO, becoming a guest blogger and mastering the art of storytelling are some ways to build brand awareness. You stand to gain trust from consumers and prospects, customer loyalty, increased profits and business expansion.

Related: read more about location data for advertising and marketing.

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Advertising & Marketing

12 Education Marketing Trends to Keep an Eye on in 2026

The realm of education marketing is in a constant state of evolution, with new trends and technologies continuously reshaping the landscape. In a world where students are increasingly tech-savvy and digitally connected, education institutions must keep up with the latest marketing trends to effectively reach and engage their target audience. 

 

The rise of digital technology has opened new avenues for communication, from personalized emails to AI-powered chatbots that can answer a student’s plea to “who can write my term paper.” In this article, we will explore seven education marketing trends that are expected to dominate in 2026, from the use of video content to enhanced website user experiences and the rise of AI. 

 

As the landscape continues to change, understanding these trends will be key for educational institutions looking to stand out and connect with prospective students in a meaningful and impactful way.

 

Personalization in Marketing

 

Personalization has become the cornerstone of effective marketing, and the education sector is no exception. From personalized emails to targeted advertisements, schools, and universities are using data-driven insights to tailor their marketing efforts to prospective students. This trend is expected to continue in 2026, with an increasing number of educational institutions leveraging AI and machine learning to deliver personalized marketing messages.

 

Increased Use of Video Content

 

Video content is an effective tool for education marketing, capable of conveying a large amount of information in an engaging manner. Schools and universities are increasingly using video tours, student testimonials, and educational content as part of their marketing strategies. The year 2026 will see the proliferation of video content in education marketing, with an increased emphasis on live video sessions and interactive video content.

 

Social Media Engagement

 

Social media has emerged as a critical platform for education marketing. It allows schools and universities to engage directly with prospective students and their parents. The trend of using social media for education marketing will continue to grow in 2026, with an increased focus on platforms like Instagram and TikTok that are popular among younger audiences.

 

Enhanced Website User Experience

 

An educational institution’s website is often the first point of contact for prospective students. As a result, institutions are investing in enhancing the user experience of their websites. This includes intuitive navigation, mobile-friendly design, high-quality content, and easy-to-use application portals. In 2026, we can expect to see continued emphasis on website user experience in education marketing.

 

Artificial Intelligence and Chatbots

 

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing education marketing. AI-powered chatbots, in particular, are increasingly being used to engage with prospective students, answer their queries, and guide them through the application process. This trend is likely to intensify in 2026, with more educational institutions adopting AI and chatbot technology in their marketing efforts.

 

  1. Focus on Lifelong Learning

 

With the increasing pace of technological change, there is a growing demand for lifelong learning opportunities. Educational institutions are responding to this demand by offering more flexible and accessible learning options, such as online courses and professional development programs. In 2026, marketing these lifelong learning opportunities will become a key focus for educational institutions.

 

Data-Driven Decision Making

 

Data is playing an increasingly important role in education marketing. Schools and universities are using data analytics to understand prospective students’ behavior, track marketing campaign performance, and make informed decisions. The use of data in education marketing will continue to grow in 2026, with institutions leveraging advanced analytics tools to drive their marketing strategies.

 

Rise of Influencer Marketing

 

Influencer marketing has proven to be effective in various sectors, and education is no exception. Educational institutions are increasingly collaborating with influencers, especially those who appeal to young audiences, to showcase their offerings and reach prospective students. This trend of using popular online figures to influence prospective students’ decisions is expected to grow in 2026.

 

Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) Experiences

 

As VR and AR technologies become more accessible, their use in education marketing is expanding. Virtual tours of campuses, AR-enhanced prospectuses, and VR class experiences are just a few ways these technologies are being utilized. These immersive experiences offer prospective students a unique insight into an institution and its offerings, making them a strong marketing tool.

 

Emphasis on Sustainability 

 

Sustainability is a growing concern among students and parents, and educational institutions are responding to this by promoting their sustainability initiatives. Whether it’s sustainable campuses, green programs, or research in sustainability, showcasing these efforts has become a key part of education marketing. This trend is expected to continue growing in 2026 as students increasingly consider an institution’s commitment to sustainability in their decision-making process.

 

Mobile-First Marketing

 

With the ubiquitous use of smartphones, educational institutions are adopting a mobile-first approach to their marketing efforts. This means optimizing all content, from websites to emails, for mobile viewing. The use of mobile apps for marketing is also on the rise. As more and more prospective students use their mobile devices for information gathering, this trend is expected to dominate in 2026.

 

Podcasts and Audio Content

 

The popularity of podcasts and audio content has been steadily increasing, and education marketers are taking note. Universities and schools are producing podcasts to share knowledge, discuss campus life, or delve into subjects related to their programs. They are even utilizing this format to guide students to the best paper writing services available. This format allows institutions to engage with prospective students in a more personal and in-depth manner. In 2026, we can expect to see greater adoption of podcasts and audio content in education marketing.

 

In conclusion, education marketing is evolving rapidly, driven by advances in technology and changes in student behavior. By keeping an eye on these trends, educational institutions can stay ahead of the curve and effectively reach and engage with prospective students.

Related: read more about location data for advertising and marketing.

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Advertising & Marketing

5 Ways In Which Big Data Is Changing The World Of Marketing

If there is a ‘silver bullet’ to marketing, it would be data. 

Data is the raw material marketers need to make sense of things so that they can do their job with precision and purpose. There’s a million marketing tools and templates available on platforms such as Notion, but this understanding is what empowers marketers to understand their customers, based on the actions they take, revealing their most authentic intentions.

In a recent survey, 40% of brands plan to expand their data-driven marketing budgets, while 88% of marketers used data to enhance their understanding of the customer. Quite clearly, data is slowly becoming to marketers; what oxygen is to humans.

In this article, we’ll look into how data is revolutionizing the world of marketing. If you’re a marketer, you’ll get some robust insights into how data-driven marketing is shaping the future of your profession. So let’s get into it!

 

Personalization Of Marketing Campaigns 

Imagine being greeted by your first name the second you visit a website. Or receiving an email addressed to your name with a list of your favorite products. Better yet, being notified about ordering your groceries every week with personalized recipe recommendations. Are you impressed yet?

That’s precisely what data-driven marketing enables you to do. By collecting critical pieces of data about customers at various marketing touchpoints, like their name, contact details, what they’re interested in, what they’d like to hear about and who they want to hear from, marketers are empowered to be strategic in all their campaigns.

Amazon, for instance, uses customer data to analyze their historical purchases to show them product recommendations based on their shopping habits. They’re able to showcase customized product pages to appeal to customer interests, so they’re more likely to buy. These customized product pages could include customized product recommendations, and even personalized pricing to induce customers to buy.

Capitalizing on customer data is excellent for both customers who receive personalized communications, and marketers, who make a positive impact on the bottom line!

 

Predictive Analytics

HIstorical customer behavior is one of the best ways to predict how customers are likely to behave in the future. For instance, if you’re a grocery store, and a customer has always been health conscious his whole life, ordering sugar free granola bars for the last three years, the chances are that he is going to continue ordering them from you in the near future.

When customer purchases become predictable, businesses can capitalize on this information by ‘automating’ their sales. Essentially, they’d offer the customer a chance to make ‘repeat purchases’ based on the predictability of their shopping behavior.

Building on the Amazon example, they’ve recently obtained a patent on a system called “predictive dispatch” to send products to customers even before they buy it! This is a real game-changer for Amazon, and it’s customers. Amazon can stabilize their revenue, and customers purchase products without having to put any effort into actually making the purchase.

And with the rise of tools that can help access public data, it’s easier to say “what is web scraping, and how can this provide data that will boost my marketing”.

 

Customer Segmentation

Customer segmentation is the act of ‘clustering’ customers into groups to identify unusual patterns. For instance, your data may reveal that customers from a particular city are more likely to buy your products than others. Or you may discover that customers belonging to a specific age demographic purchase different products from you when compared to other age groups.

Tools like Tamoco can be extremely useful to gather location data to help you segment your target audience. For example, Tamoco collects information based on location to further segment your audience based on specific interests, how many times they’ve visited a location, common preferences, and demographics including age, gender, and even home and work location.

These insights can be golden opportunities for marketers to create bold campaigns that optimize their return on investment. By clustering customers into specific groups, they can create separate marketing campaigns for each segment, making their content highly relevant.

While there are several techniques marketers use to segment data, the overarching goal is to identify anything of interest that helps them boost revenue and meet their goals. With effective customer segmentation, marketers can:

  • Identify who their most profitable and least profitable customers are.
  • Predict future customer patterns.
  • Improve their marketing focus by creating relevant content.
  • Build loyal relationships.
  • Price products differently.
  • Develop better products based on customer interests.

Inevitably, high-quality data is the precursor to doing segmentation well. That’s why businesses must continue to invest in collecting high-quality data so that all segmentation efforts can be fruitful.

 

Optimized Paid Campaigns

By collecting data about customers, social media platforms like Facebook and Linkedin make it possible for marketers to customize paid ad campaigns, at scale. What this means is that they can create separate ad campaigns for specific groups of prospects, for paid campaign success.

Additionally, big data makes it possible for marketers to conduct “remarketing” campaigns. Remarketing campaigns are ads that literally ‘follow’ your customers online, wherever they browse, once they’ve visited your website.

Chasing customers online with your paid ads can be an effective strategy when executed well. As per the ‘rule of 7’ in marketing, a prospect needs to be exposed to your ad for a minimum of 7 times before they decide to take action on it.

That’s why some marketers are looking to focus on specific platforms, such as LinkedIn marketing.

While big data makes it possible to chase customers with paid ads, it’s important not to make your customers feel stalked when creating remarketing campaigns. You should endeavor to expose your ads to customers by spacing out the time of exposure, so your ads appear more natural, and don’t come across as being pushed onto prospects!

 

Your Business Size Doesn’t Matter Anymore

Whether you’re a big business with over 500 employees, or a small business with under five employees making category specific products like an underwire bikini top, software tools make big data easily accessible to all. That’s the beauty of marketing on the internet!

You can be just as effective at marketing no matter what size business you are, because success in this game is dependent on how well you utilize the data to your advantage. While the size of your marketing budgets may certainly have a role to play in the extent of your success, you can still achieve a high degree of precision in your marketing campaigns and acquire customers rapidly, with big data being your marketing backbone.

Free online tools like Google Analytics have made it possible to collect and analyze big data in real-time. Small businesses need not spend money on buying expensive tools to get a deeper understanding of who their customers are since google makes it easily affordable. Before the ‘big data era,’ this was impossible to do.

 

Wrapping It Up

Big data makes the future of marketing very bright! With high-quality data being collected in real-time, and the availability of technologies like machine learning and AI, the world of marketing is up for massive changes. It’s no surprise that only the sky’s the limit to what sophisticated marketers can achieve in the near future!

 

Ryan Gould
Vice President of Strategy and Marketing Services

Elevation Marketing

From legacy Fortune 100 institutions to inventive start-ups, Ryan brings extensive experience with a wide range of B2B clients. He skillfully architects and manages the delivery of integrated marketing programs, and believes strongly in strategy, not just tactics, that effectively align sales and marketing teams within organizations

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Advertising & Marketing

Programmatic In-housing – What About Programmatic Data?

Programmatic advertising spending now accounts for more than 80% of digital ad spending. This spend is increasingly being moved in-house. When surveyed, 35% of brands had, to some extent, reduced the role of agencies.

Over the last few years, marketers have developed this in-house programmatic media buying so that it makes use of first, second, and third-party data sets.

The role of data in the in-housing process shouldn’t be overlooked. It offers many benefits to brands that can successfully create a centralized data environment, such as maximizing ROI, increasing, and enabling real-time behavioral based triggers to create more personal and engaging programmatic campaigns.

 

Things to consider with data and programmatic in-housing

All of your data in one place

For in-housing to succeed, it’s essential to develop a data-centric environment.

This means that different data platforms, people, partners, and processes are brought together to create a single data solution.

It depends on the business as to whether the data sources are first-party only, or if the organization wants to integrate third-party data sources to improve its programmatic efforts.

Whatever the decision, the key to making a success of in-housing requires a single centralized data strategy.

Another requirement to succeed when in-housing programmatic media buying and programmatic data is to focus on the dialogue between DMP managers and media users. Developing a consistent and productive conversation between these two is one of the main benefits of moving programmatic in-house.

Making sure that you own the data you’re bringing in-house. In-housing allows you to take control of these data sets and use them across different kinds of marketing activities and touchpoints.

External partners are often unable to provide the same, and this means that you are unable to see the effect of marketing efforts on driving business growth.

 

Improved performance and ROI

Combining 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party data sets into a centralized in-house data solution maximize positive impact on advertising success.

The benefits of integrating 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party data into a DMP that is managed internally will provide a significant boost to marketing and advertising performance.

In-housing data allows organizations to understand customer data better and use it to implement better targeting throughout the funnel.

This drives ROI by facilitating smarter and more personalized cross-sell, up-sell, and optimization.

A combined in-house dataset allows marketers to improve further up the funnel as well. Internal datasets allow for better programmatic lookalike modeling. Anonymized IDs can be sent to DSP platforms to identify audiences across devices and model new audiences based on real-world behavior.

In-housing doesn’t always guarantee better programmatic marketing performance. But combining it with a data-centric approach can help to improve ROI for marketers in both in terms of short term results and longer-term programmatic performance.

 

Real-time capabilities

In-housing programmatic media buying allows organizations to be more adaptive and support real-time targeting capabilities. Combine this with data-centricity, and very quickly, marketers can optimize their campaigns to drive even more performance.

Data in-housing has a significant impact on effectiveness and provides a real-time boost to programmatic advertising. It reduces the time for tweaking and improves the speed in which advertisers can react to behavior signals.

Granular real-time optimization requires data in-housing. But the benefits for brands are clear as more look to align their programmatic spend and their datasets in-house.

 

Cost efficiency and transparency – data transparency and cost benefits

Some brands see in-housing as a potential problem in terms of data privacy. Taking control of customer data and managing it in-house alongside programmatic media buying can seem daunting, but it is instead an opportunity for brands to take control of the role that data plays in their organization development.

Robust data-centric organizations are looking at in-housing data because it puts them in control of the data and how it is used. This naturally requires an organization to look at its data sets and understand the consent and collection process. In a GDPR world, this is an essential requirement for programmatic buying companies.

Data and programmatic in-housing have also led to an increase in transparency. On the programmatic side, false impressions and the ability to understand exactly what costs are associated with each campaign have led to the rise in-housing.

For data, it is a similar story – transparency allows them to understand and perform their tests on data accuracy.

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Related: read more about location data for advertising and marketing.

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Advertising & Marketing

What Is Business Intelligence & Business Analytics?

For your business to grow, you need to understand which elements are working and which will work in the future.

With the rise of big data businesses now produce a vast amount of data. Making sense of this data is where business intelligence and business analytics comes in.

But what’s the difference and what can each do for you?

We’ll break down both and help you to understand how they can become a crucial tool for your business growth.

 

Business intelligence vs. business analytics

Business intelligence is often used as a blanket term to describe the approaches and tools that can be used to provide useful insights that can help you to understand how your business operates.

This usually involves data and some kind of analysis to establish trends and understand why things are performing in a certain way.

Business analytics is also about exploring data that is related to your business. The goals are similar – to better understand relative performance and make better-informed decisions that facilitate more significant growth in the future.

BA is slightly different from BI in that while they both address similar problems, BA is the process of using data to predict and draw conclusions. It is also used to predict what will happen in the future.

In this sense, the difference between business intelligence and business analytics is that the first is descriptive and the second is prescriptive.

Business intelligence explains what has happened with your business or what is currently happening. Business analytics is focused more on what will happen in the future, with emphasis on prediction.

 

Examples

So if we look at a dataset that we are familiar with – location.

Location data is a powerful tool in understanding business performance, and it can be used to inform decision making from management to marketing.

Let’s say we were a retail store with online advertising. We wanted to see if the advertising affected store visits or how they had affected an industry such as gig economy apps.

We could use location data to see which devices then entered the store. By matching these devices to those that were exposed to our online advertising campaign we could see the number of devices that were exposed to the advertising and then also visited the store.

This is an example of business intelligence. We’re taking the number of devices that visit the store and have been exposed to our advertising to create a simple conversion rate.

Let’s use the same store to illustrate business analytics.

We created a dataset that consisted of all the devices that visited the store in a monthly period. We used metadata in the Tamoco network that is associated with these devices to get a detailed understanding of the type of consumer that is related to the device.

By association, we now have insights into the type of customer that visits this specific store. This is fueling our business intelligence.

The next step is for us to create a predictive model that helps us to tailor our online advertising to the customers that visit our store. This will allow us to optimize our budget and maximize conversions.

Using this data to predict the type of customer that will visit our store and target advertising accordingly is an example of business intelligence. We are actively using the data to predict and inform future business decisions with the view of optimizing them.

 

How does this fit into your business

Modern businesses need a solution that can combine both. Location intelligence is one that allows companies to analyze performance and model data to make smarter decisions in the future.

Location is one example of a dataset that can fuel business intelligence and business analytics.

To compete in today’s landscape business need to be able to understand what has happened and what will happen in the future.

This is where it’s essential to get the right data.

 

Location for BI and BA

Business intelligence with location

Location data can help you to measure KPIs in the offline world such as store visits, and can improve conversion copywriting in real-world locations.

It can also help you to measure behavior anywhere in the real world. Real-time business intelligence solutions can identify population movement, macro trends and other valuable metrics for your business.

Business analytics with location

Large scale device movement data can help to inform a robust business analytics solution. By combining location data sets with other existing data or solutions, it’s possible to predict how your customers will behave.

The use cases for this are incredibly large. Everyday use cases could be city planning, connecting smart vehicles, optimizing advertising and marketing or optimizing the supply chain.

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Advertising & Marketing

Creating a Marketing Trailer Video: 7 Top Video Editing Software to Try

‍Introduction to Making Marketing Trailer Videos

Businesses always need to find creative ways to capture the attention of potential customers and one effective method is through the use of marketing trailer videos. These short, captivating videos are designed to grab the viewer’s attention and provide a quick overview of a product or service. They can be used on websites, social media platforms, email campaigns, and more.

Consider incorporating AI tools into your video editing process—their capabilities can significantly boost both efficiency and engagement. Editing platforms that harness the power of AI video editing to increase views enable content creators to expertly tailor their trailers. AI takes care of tasks like script writing, managing sound effects, and streamlining post-production processes— all pivotal elements in crafting engaging marketing videos.

Video editing is a must-have skill nowadays. The process of creating a marketing trailer video involves combining various elements like images, animations, text, and sound effects, and others. It requires a good understanding of storytelling, design principles, and video editing techniques. With the right tools and skills, businesses can create marketing trailer videos that leave a lasting impression on their target audience.

In addition to marketing videos, these skills are highly valuable for content creators across platforms. For instance, if you’re aiming to attract more Twitch viewers, mastering video editing can significantly enhance the quality and appeal of your streams and highlight reels, drawing in a larger audience and boosting engagement.

This article will discuss the top 7 video editing software options available for creating captivating marketing videos

Key Elements of an Effective Marketing Trailer Video

A well-crafted marketing video helps to promote your business. It consists of several key elements that work together to convey the intended message and evoke the desired emotions from viewers. These elements include:

  • Attention-grabbing visuals: High-quality images, animations, and footage are crucial for creating a visually appealing trailer. You should carefully choose them and design to support the message and capture the viewer’s attention within the first few seconds.
  • Clear and concise messaging: The text and voiceovers in a marketing trailer should be brief, direct, and easy to understand. They should convey the main selling points of the product or service without overwhelming the viewer with too much information.
  • Emotionally engaging soundtrack: The right music and sound effects can greatly enhance the emotional impact of a marketing trailer. They can help create anticipation, excitement, or other desired emotions that align with the brand’s identity.
  • Call-to-action: A strong CTA is essential for driving the desired action from viewers, whether it’s visiting a website, signing up for a newsletter, or making a purchase. It should be clear, visible, and persuasive.
  • Consistent branding: The marketing trailer should maintain a consistent look and feel with the brand’s overall visual identity. This includes the use of colors, fonts, and design elements that are easily identifiable with the brand.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Trailer Maker

When selecting a movie trailer maker to create a marketing trailer, consider the following factors:

  • Ease of use: The software should be user-friendly and easy to navigate, even for beginners.
  • Features and functionality: The trailer maker should offer a wide range of video editing tools and features, such as templates, effects, and transitions to help create a professional-looking marketing trailer video.
  • Compatibility: The software should be compatible with your computer’s operating system and support various file formats for importing and exporting.
  • Price: Compare the costs of different movie trailer makers, considering the features and capabilities they offer. Some software options are available for free, while others require a one-time purchase or a subscription.
  • Customer support: Look for a movie trailer maker that offers reliable customer support through various channels like email, live chat, etc.

Top 7 Video Editing Software for Creating Marketing Trailer Videos

VSDC Video Editor

 

Compatibility: Windows

VSDC Video Editor is a versatile movie trailer maker that offers a wide range of editing tools and features. It supports various video formats and allows users to create marketing trailers with ease. 

The software is designed for both beginners and experienced users, with a user-friendly interface and a comprehensive set of features for creating professional-looking trailers. 

Key features

  • Non-linear video editing
  • Masking, AI filters, color blending, chroma keying
  • Color correction, charts, zoom

Pros

  • Free 
  • Supports all popular formats
  • Good collection of video effects, sounds, and transitions
  • Export in HD and 4K
  • Share directly to social networks

Cons

  • Clunky interface
  • Lacks advanced features like multicam support and motion tracking

Price: Free, $19 for Pro

Sony Vegas Pro

 

Compatibility: Windows

Sony Vegas Pro provides a complete set of tools for creating high-quality marketing trailers. With its advanced features like motion tracking, video stabilization, and color grading, users can create visually stunning and engaging trailers. 

The professional video editor also offers a wide range of pre-built templates, effects, and transitions to help streamline the editing process. Although it is a bit pricier than some other movie trailer makers, its advanced capabilities make it a popular choice among professionals.

Key features

  • Scene detection, keyframing
  • HDR color correction, chroma key
  • Great library of effects, filters, transitions, and titles

Pros

  • Customizable interface
  • Fast render
  • Many export options

Cons

  • A steep learning curve, no tutorials provided
  • It may be expensive for some users

Price: 30-day free trial, $19.99​/month, $399 for a new license

Cyberlink PowerDirector 365

 

Compatibility: Windows, macOS

Cyberlink PowerDirector 365 is PC and Mac video editing software that comes with an intuitive interface and drag-and-drop functionality. It includes a large library of templates for intros and outros, effects, and transitions, as well as support for 4K and 360-degree video editing. 

Key features

  • 3D and 360-degree editing
  • Text overlays, transitions, animations
  • Green screen effect, object tracking, video stabilization

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Built-in library of graphics, music, and plugins
  • Plenty of video effects
  • Supports 4K

Cons

  • The interface may be overwhelming
  • Unexpected bugs for some users
  • Expensive compared to others

Price: 30-day free trial, $69.99/year

Movie Trailer Maker Online by Movavi

 

Compatibility: web-based

 

This online trailer video maker is web-based that allows users to create videos without the need to install any software. Whether it’s a blockbuster movie trailer or a product video, you create highly attractive and professional video with just a few clicks. 

Whether utilizing a ready-made template or crafting a custom trailer, we seamlessly blend text, voice-overs, titles, music, sound effects, and visuals to create captivating marketing videos. With the aid of text to voice tools, we ensure grammatically correct voice-overs, enhancing the viewer’s experience without incurring significant expenses.

Key features

  • Basic video editing options
  • Transitions, customizable titles, sound effects, and soundtracks

Pros

  • Online and free
  • Fast and quality video editing
  • Upload videos from your computer or use Dropbox
  • Export to YouTube

Cons

  • Lacks advanced features

Price: Free

Corel VideoStudio Pro

 

Compatibility: Windows

Corel VideoStudio Pro is a feature-rich movie trailer maker. You can enjoy switching between hundreds of effects, transitions, titles, and animated AR stickers. There is also a wide range of face effects, color adjustment tools, and 500+ music tracks to explore. 

Key features

  • Basic editing like trimming, cropping, resizing, etc.
  • Multicam and split screen editing
  • Color correction, animated stickers, face effects, lens correction

Pros

  • Drag-and-drop interface
  • Supports popular video formats
  • Vast variety of color adjustment tools
  • Plenty of transitions, text styles, music tracks, and FX effects

Cons

  • Some users experience crash issues if importing large files
  • Blurry rendering for some users

Price: 30-day free trial, a one-time payment for $79.99

Crisp Video

 

Compatibility: web-based

Crisp Video is a video production company that helps businesses create stunning trailers and videos for marketing. The team of experts can help you come up with a concept, storyboard, and script as well as create the finished video by adding all the necessary elements like effects, soundtracks, animations, titles, etc.

Key features

  • Concept creation, script writing
  • Effects, music, transitions, titles

Pros

  • Keep the client’s requirements in mind
  • Smooth and high-quality video production
  • Help increase brand awareness

Cons

  • You can’t work on the project on your own

Price: Custom pricing

Windows Movie Maker

 

Compatibility: Windows

Windows Movie Maker is free and easy-to-use video editing software. It offers basic video editing tools and some effects, transitions, text, music, and overlays to enhance your content. The software also has presets for different types of videos and supports different plugins to extend its functionality. 

Key features

  • Cut, crop, join, and rotate clips
  • A library of titles, text, transitions, effects, and more.

Pros

  • Free
  • Pre-made templates
  • Fast and easy to use
  • Quick share to YouTube, Facebook, and other platforms

Cons

  • Lacks advanced features 
  • No color correction and visual effects adjustment

Price: Free

Wrapping Up

Creating a captivating marketing trailer video is an essential skill for businesses looking to engage their target audience and promote their products or services. By considering the key elements of an effective trailer and selecting the right movie trailer maker, you can create a marketing video that leaves a lasting impression on your viewers.

 

Related: read more about location data for advertising and marketing.

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Advertising & Marketing

1st Party Data, 2nd Party Data, 3rd Party Data – What’s The Difference?

Introduction

 

Data is changing everything. Data is everywhere. Over 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are created every single day, and it’s only going to grow from there. By 2020, it’s estimated that 1.7MB of data will be created every second for every person on earth.

For marketers, this is an awful lot of data to keep in check. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by the amount of information available. Even more so when we hear terms like 1st party data, 2nd party data, and 3rd party data.

To help make this easier there are several ways of classifying data. This helps us as marketers and advertisers to understand the relationship between datasets and understand what each dataset can be used for.

 

Why is this important?

Data is one of the most effective tools to drive successful marketing. Marketers that can make sense of the data at their disposal and deploy it successfully have demonstrated the rewards that come with it.

Depending on your goals different kinds of data will be more relevant to you. That’s where data classifications such as 1st, 2nd, and 3rd party come in.

Let’s look at what these terms mean and how each type is relevant for your marketing.

 

1st party data

First party data is data that you have collected directly from your audiences or your customers. It includes

  • Data from your CRM
  • Behavioral data collected from interaction with your business (website, app, stores)
  • Data around subscriptions
  • Data generated from your social media accounts

This data is generated directly from your customers or your audiences. This data set is genuinely regarded as the most valuable as you are aware of the method of collection and it is generally free or costs little to attain.

First party data is easy to collect and manage in solutions like CRMs and DMPs.

As 1st party data is collected by you directly, any privacy issues are minimal (assuming you are following the correct procedures!). You own your data directly, and you know exactly from where it came.

First party data is extremely valuable as it provides valuable insights around customers and audiences for little to nothing. Companies that aren’t collecting and activating first-party data are missing a trick.

 

What you can do with first party data

For organizations taking control of first-party data collection should be an immediate priority. Because you have complete control fo the data, it is of higher quality. There are many different uses for 1st party data from monetization to engagement.

 

Engagement, personalization

Your first party data can help you to personalize your marketing and help you to engage with your customers.

1st party data can effectively segment your audience and allow you to create more specific, and personalized ads for your customers.

Insights

First party data can be invaluable in helping you to understand your customers. You can identify and map out the customer journey or see how your users behave and interact with your business or product.

 

Monetization

First party data is highly monetizable as you can demonstrate the methodology of data collection. The data carries maximum revenue as you didn’t have to purchase the data. First party data monetization can help to generate revenue to fund other areas of your business.

 

2nd party data

Second-party data is a term that is making more of an appearance these days. We hear a lot of people asking “what is second party data?”.

Second-party data is somebody else’s first-party data. This data comes from their first-party audience, the source is clear, and the provider usually demonstrates the accuracy and collection.

You can purchase 2nd party data straight from the provider – there’s no middle party in these instances. This allows you to form a relationship with the provider and understand the value in the data.

The data is usually collected from the same sources as your first-party data. However, some specialist 2nd party providers provide unique datasets that offer new insights.

These come from behavior outside of your audience, so it’s likely to include potential new customers.

 

What can you do with second party data

Second-party data is a relatively new concept, but it carries enormous potential for marketers. Because it comes directly from the partner and because you will likely have a direct relationship with the company it’s easier to verify the accuracy of these data sets.

The data is more consistent and will be more precise than a bunch of aggregated third-party data sets. 2nd party data offers more transparency for the end data user, making it easier for you to understand the value that the data can bring to your business.

 

New audiences, new business

Second party data is great for prospecting and reaching new audiences that aren’t already a part of your audience.

This allows you to expand into new regions or new demographics with new products.

 

Scale-up

Second-party data can help you to fill the gaps in your existing 1st party data sets. Your datasets might be high quality but might not be large enough to scale your business in the way that you want.

Supplementing 1st party data with 2nd party data is an effective way to make your campaigns reach more people without compromising on quality.

 

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3rd party data

Third party data is data that is purchased from outside sources where the seller is not the direct collector of the data.

These data sets are usually aggregated and could have been resold multiple times. These aggregators pay other businesses that generate the data and collect it into a single dataset.

This large dataset is then broken down based on demographics, behavior or another characteristic. This allows the data to be split into segments that are easily resold.

Third party data is often bought programmatically – this means that it happened quickly and on a large scale. This means businesses can purchase large amounts of data for their campaigns quickly. The downside to 3rd party data is that it’s much harder to verify where the data came from and how it was collected.

 

What you can do with third-party data

Third party data accuracy is hard to verify, and its availability is public, so that means that other companies (and potentially competitors) will be using the same datasets as you.

But that doesn’t mean that it carries no value for marketers. It can be useful when it’s appropriately combined with your first-party data.

 

Expand your audience

Combining third-party datasets with your first party data can help you grow your addressable audiences. Lookalike modeling can identify characteristics in your current dataset and look for similarities in third-party data to find similar prospects.

 

Tips for marketers and advertisers

Third-party data has been prevalent in many marketing campaigns in recent history. The vast amount of data that is available along with the results it could potentially generate have made it a valuable asset when combined with your first-party data.

However, two significant developments have occurred which have made second party data a much more reliable option for marketers.

 

Privacy

Unless you have had your head in a ditch for the last few years, you’ll be well aware of the GDPR in Europe. Privacy concerns in third-party datasets are always present for marketers.

Often third-party datasets are hard to verify in terms of consent. This is where a direct relationship with a second party data provider is useful. You can verify the consent process and ensure that the data is collected in accordance with the relevant privacy standards.

 

Accuracy and transparency

The truth is that your first party data is more transparent than any other kind of data set. Hover that doesn’t make it accurate. Third party data is difficult to verify in terms of accuracy and often transparency isn’t even part of the discussion as it’s an aggregated dataset.

Second-party data is as good as first-party data as long as you can identify the methodology and verify that it meets your accuracy standards. This is again why a direct relationship with your data providers is a useful situation to be in.

Many second party data providers can provide their data directly into your data management solutions. SO where your first party data sets aren’t enough, you can purchase new data from reliable and transparent providers directly in your existing infrastructure.

Data is here to stay. As a marketer, it’s your job to ensure that your data is activated and that your second and third party data is accurate and transparent.

Related: read more about location data for advertising and marketing.

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Advertising & Marketing

Digital Out Of Home (DOOH) Trends – What To Expect in 2026

OOH advertising as you know it is no longer. New developments in the OOH space are fuelling innovation that is transforming the medium into a powerful tool for marketers of all persuasions.

We’re spending more time than ever outside the home. Around 70% of our time is spent outdoors.

Because of this out of home advertising is becoming DOOH, it’s benefiting from the considerable growth in available data and new technologies.

This growth is driving increased ad spend, better measurement and more interactive and personal ways to engage with consumers with DOOH.

Let’s take a deep dive into the current trends in the OOH advertising space and the positive effect that they can have on your visual marketing strategy.

 

What is out of home advertising?

Out-of-home advertising (OOH) is the collective term for any visual marketing or advertising or media that exists outside of the home. It comes in many shapes and forms, but the most common are found on billboards and street furniture (such as bus stops). OOH also refers to advertising in public areas such as stations or transit hubs, stadium screens and the cinema

 

Innovation in OOH advertising

Optimisation – DOOH to optimize reach

While the majority of OOH inventory is printed, more digital screens are becoming available for advertisers to create more dynamic campaigns.

These screens are producing better optimization and allowing advertisers to create more personalized messaging. They can utilize different kinds of triggers to generate a more dynamic form of OOH advertising.

This innovation is no longer a gimmick, and advertisers have demonstrated how effective digital OOH can be. They have shown that tDOOH is not just effective, but also scalable.

Better data has helped to fuel these innovations. Advertisers can now change media based on the movement of many devices in real-time. The rise in smart devices means that road based billboards can change instantly based on the demographic that will soon be in front of the inventory.

Real-time is important, but in reality, it is part of a growing trend in which the medium is becoming more of a reactive solution. The ever-increasing amount of data that marketers now have at their fingertips is driving this trend. This versatility is driving personalization and producing incredible results for marketers using DOOH to achieve their goals.

 

Enabling digital buying of media in real-time

Marketing automation has reached the out of home industry. Programmatic buying of OOH media is now commonplace.

The purchasing of OOH advertising was previously a lengthy process between the advertiser, digital marketing agency and inventory owner. With this model, the real-time strategies that now dominate the DOOH world would not be possible. Today this process has become far more efficient.

The buying of OOH inventory has not just become automatic, but it is now available in many of the same interfaces that marketers can buy mobile or display ads. This process allows marketers to activate their campaigns seamlessly across several channels.

This real-time automation also means that It’s also easier to leverage first and third party data sets directly into campaigns, maximizing personalization and increasing ROI.

 

Attribution and measurement

The out of home advertising industry has focused heavily on solutions to measure the results of OOH campaigns. Marketers can acquire detailed metrics around their digital campaigns down to impressions and conversions. Data has enabled this in the DOOH world.

As a result, brands can now identify the number of impressions an OOH campaign has generated. Measurement has come a long way from surveying consumers; marketers now can say with confidence how many people saw their ad.

But the innovation doesn’t stop there. Smart data can close the out of home attribution loop. Data around store visits or digital behavior can be used to with OOH exposure to provide the kind of metrics that marketers could previously only get on their digital campaigns.

These leaps forward are all thanks to data. Data is pivotal for measurement and driving accountability in the digital advertising space, and this is no different for OOH.

 

Data in DOOH advertising

For marketers, OOH is now an exciting place to be. Data is fuelling innovation and creating powerful DOOH campaigns.

We now have access to a gigantic data ecosystem which wasn’t available ten years ago. These data sets have enabled advertisers to do more with their activities and campaigns.

However, the advertising is only as good as the data the fuels it. Marketers must be aware of the data they are using in DOOH. Third party data needs to be highly vetted, and direct partnerships with 2nd party providers are a much better solution.

With accurate data at the center of the DOOH revolution, we will surely be seeing more ad spend allocated to reaching consumers outside. This data will enable much better results for marketers and ensure that digital campaigns can be instantly activated in the OOH channel.

 

Related: read more about location data for advertising and marketing.

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Advertising & Marketing

How to Implement a Successful Business Intelligence Strategy

How to Implement a Successful Business Intelligence Strategy

Having the right business intelligence can be the difference in growth or stagnation.

An effective BI strategy can help your business: Remain competitive; Continuously improve; Increase profits; Grow or expand.

But having a BI strategy isn’t just about having the right technology or gathering big data.

It is about having an effective strategy. That means planning, gaining support, executing, reviewing and revising if necessary. It can even require some great Notion templates.

Let’s look at what that means for you and your business.

 

Why You Need Business Intelligence

What could be considered the first use of the term “business intelligence” was used in a document in the 1800s. It described banker Sir Henry Furnese, who gathered information and acted upon that information to increase his profits.

Now, BI is a system of strategies and technologies that gather and analyze data to provide historical, current and predictive views of business and its operation.

BI can comprise a wide range of data gathering and analysis, including the analysis of structured and unstructured data. This information helps to identify business opportunities and enhancements, providing business with a competitive market advantage.

BI is also most effective when it combines internal data, like financial information, and external data, like market information.

By combining different data and sources of information, businesses can get insight into possible new products, new markets, and analyze marketing efforts, to name a few uses.

Think of it like embarking on a trip without a destination in mind, a map or a GPS to find your way. You wouldn’t set out without the tools to help you get there successfully. BI is the roadmap for your business.

That’s the “why” of BI.

Let’s look at “how,” with 11 steps to implement a successful business intelligence strategy.

1 – Get Buy-In

Whatever the size of your organization, the first step in your BI journey is to get buy-in, starting with an Executive champion.

Having a leader from the Executive team who will champion the BI efforts is vital, for several reasons.

For one, it demonstrates to the entire business that the BI strategy is a priority. Secondly, the Executive champion can ensure resources are in place, both human and financial, from across the organization.

The Executive sponsor is the liaison with the leadership team to ensure communication lines remain open and that every area is supporting the initiative. Finally, the Executive sponsor can remove any roadblocks.

When considering the best position to be the BI leader, it doesn’t have to be the person in charge of IT. After all, BI is not a technology initiative. The Financial Officer could be a good choice, but the best option is the member who understands the business strategy and will champion BI.

 

2 – Focus on Team Collaboration

Next, you need to build a team around the Executive champion. Don’t assume that the entire organization will support the initiative. You will need a cross-functional team to bring together all the components of the business. You need to champion team collaboration, with the right collaboration software.

Members of this team will be the champions for your project within each area of the business, so make sure you look for some impressive resumes when hiring for this role. They must understand the BI needs of their area, and be able to communicate the benefits of the project to each area.

They will have to share the information once it’s available and help each area to implement any changes or enhancements that are derived from the data.

It’s essential that each area of the organization dedicate human and financial resources to the BI strategy. While the IT department will be a vital part of the team, they should not be the entire team. Each area of the business must own the program. They know the information that would help them, and they need to be able to access the information when they need it. In many organizations, this access is strengthened by enterprise messaging solutions that help teams share insights, coordinate decisions, and distribute critical updates more efficiently.

Be sure to include strategic, operational and tactical areas of the business. They each require different types of information to enhance their work and improve the business.

 

3 – Define A Vision and Goals

Your BI strategy needs to provide information to your business that allows you to analyze where you are, and where you need to go.

The vision and goals of the BI strategy must align with the vision and objectives of the company.

So, the BI team needs to consider: What does it want to accomplish with the BI strategy? What does the business need to grow? What data would help support business growth?

Thinking back to our road-trip example, the vision and goals will define where you want to go.

Your team’s vision could be as straightforward as “providing BI analytics that allows the business to understand and take action to improve key performance indicators.”

Your strategy will then create the map to get you there.

 

4 – Determine Current State

With your team in place, you can now analyze the current state of the business, from several perspectives:

What data are you collecting? What technology is in place for collecting the data? What sort of collection storehouse is in place for the data? Will you need a new plan for data storage? How is the data shared and used? That includes structures and processes. What works? You don’t have to start from scratch. What doesn’t work? What data isn’t being collected that would help?

 

5 – Define Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

A KPI is a measurable value that will show progress towards or achievement of a business objective. KPIs will tell you whether you’re achieving your goals or lagging behind targets. KPIs must align with the company’s overall vision.

For instance, monthly sales growth, monthly sales performance, or the number of new customers in a month are all examples of KPIs related to sales. They must be measurable.

Think about industry KPIs, internal and external data, and any historical data about your company. As well, think about who will be using the information and how you can best deliver it to them.

Each business area will have its own KPIs. To start, you don’t need a lot of KPIs. Choose a few important ones, from various areas of the business, as you can always add to the list later.

This is where it gets good:

Your cross-functional team will be at the table telling you how they use the data, and who will use it, which will inform your strategy and the execution of the plan.

 

6 – Establish and Document a Common Language

Your KPI list needs to have a “dictionary” that goes along with it. This ensures everyone is on the same page when referring to KPIs like “gross profit.”

A definition of standard terms may seem unnecessary, but it isn’t. It’s part of creating consensus on the data, how it’s calculated, and how it’s used.

Every area of the business must agree on how terms are defined and, more importantly, how data is collected, calculated and analyzed.

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Get in touch to start your BI strategy

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7 – Find a BI Partner/ BI tool

Once you reach this stage, you can finally start thinking about a software solution or partner to work with your business.

Choose carefully, using free trials or demos to help make your decision. Look for a partner who lets you start small and scale the project as you get more experience.

You’ll also have to consider things like your budget, and decisions like a cloud-based versus on-site solution.

 

8 – Phase-In the Strategy

Similarly to identifying a few KPIs and adding later, consider starting small and adding to the project as you progress.

That means you can choose a few KPIs, gather the information, and build reports to share with the organization. Ask for feedback on the reports and make any improvements.

Continue this process by adding more KPIs, developing more reports, and gathering feedback. You don’t have to implement a major project all at once.

 

9 – Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

We can’t say this one enough!

While you may have buy-in from your BI team, you need to do the work to ensure buy-in across the organization. After all, the best BI data will be worthless if it isn’t understood and being used.

Use your BI team to roll out the results in their areas. After all, they are the best advocates. They understand what their area needs to know, and they understand the BI strategy inside and out. Get the Executive sponsor to be part of those sessions.

Consider doing “lunch and learn” sessions, to explain the process and the data to the business.

Ask for feedback, and listen when you get it.

 

10 – Review and Revise

Besides gathering and using feedback, you need to continually review your BI strategy and revise it as necessary.

An effective BI strategy doesn’t have an end date. Your business goals may change; new products may be introduced; team members may develop new KPIs.

Keep investing in your BI strategy. Do regular reviews to ensure the data is still valid and useful. Make changes, additions, and deletions, if necessary.

 

11 – Celebrate

While your BI strategy won’t have an end date, you should take time to celebrate as an organization. Your BI team and their business areas have done a lot of work, and that work has helped improve the business.

Take some time to thank everyone, and have a BI celebration. After all, everyone loves a party!

 

Final Thoughts

Implementing an effective BI strategy is not done overnight. It takes considerable effort, time and consideration to be done correctly.

But an effective suite of BI analytics will be valuable to your business in many ways. It can help improve internal processes. It can provide information on efficiencies. It can give insight into possible new products, or adjustments to existing products. It can even provide information on competitors.

Following the 11 steps we’ve outlined will help ensure your business will find success in developing and implementing an effective business intelligence strategy.

 

Author Bio

Danielle Canstello is part of the content marketing team at Pyramid Analytics. They provide enterprise-level analytics and business intelligence software. In her spare time, she writes around the web to spread her knowledge of marketing, business intelligence, and analytics industries.

Related: read more about location data for advertising and marketing.