Understanding Your Customers

May 24, 2011 • Dundee Data • Dundee Data News

In today’s economy, companies are cutting back on their marketing dollars and trying to figure out ways to still market, but more efficiently.  One of the best ways to be more efficient is to understand who your customers are.  Customer profiling can do this for you.  By taking your current customer database and appending demographic information such as age, income levels, interests etc., you can get to know who your customer base is.  By knowing this information, you can better target your audience when purchasing a new prospecting list.  Instead of sending out a mailer to everyone in a particular area, you can send a more personalized mailer to only those that fit within your customer demographic. 

Now, what do you do after you have identified your customer base to be even more efficient with your marketing efforts?  CNN.com has some advice on how to get your prospects attention when it comes to direct mail. 

1. Send a letter vs. a postcard.  To most consumers, serious mail comes in the form of a letter, not a postcard.
2. Impose a deadline.  If the only way they can benefit from the offer is to respond “right now”, the response rate will go up.
3. Emphasize your product’s benefits, not just its features.
4. Outdo your competition.  If your competitor is offering 20% off, you should offer 25% off.
5. Use actual customers on marketing pieces.  By using real customers and employees on marketing pieces, the response rate goes up.  It gives a more personal touch.
6. Rent the right list.  This goes back to customer profiling.  If you know what your current customers’ demographic is, you will be able to rent a more targeted list.
7. Get personal with your marketing piece.  An example of this is to hand address your pieces, or personally sign your letter.

However you choose to market, the first thing you should be doing is identifying who your current customer is.  It is amazing how many companies think they know who their customers are, but when they profile them, it turns out that they are completely different than what they thought.  

Dundee Data can help you with profiling your customers and finding you the most targeted list based on the findings.  We look forward to helping improve your marketing and getting you the best response for your marketing dollars.

~Jaimee Tate

jaimee@dundeedata.com

Posted in Dundee Data News • Tagged appending, customer database, customer profiling, marketing dollars, personalized mailer, prospecting list, target audience