Customer Journey Maps: How data comes into play
Customer journey maps are some of my favorite tools, and I’ve been hearing about them nonstop lately. In a world that was formerly so driven by customer demographics, we’re seeing […]
Using Data to Build Your Dimensional Marketing Strategy
Even I know how easy it is to get overwhelmed by data. (Yes, really.) Too often, I hear marketers say that they don’t have the resources to get deep-dives of […]
The New Data Silos: Are your marketing tools connected?
Remember the early days of marketing, when our “CRM” was a spreadsheet? Or worse, just index cards? (Geez! How did we survive?) For the longest time, our old tools created […]
Getting Organized: What data do you migrate to your new database?
A new year means letting go of the old, getting organized and starting fresh. For many of our clients, that comes in the form of a new CRM database, and […]
What is Marketing Analytics, Anyway?
If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I’m passionate about marketing analytics and food. In both cases, I have to keep things simple, clear and […]
Is your data ready for appeal season?
Year-end appeal season is coming up fast, with some not-for-profits dropping their first appeals as early as September. Are you ready? Is your mailing list? Massa & Co. helps non-profits […]
Make Google Analytics Work for You
The marketers I know are still reeling from Coca-Cola ousting their CMO, and I can hardly believe it myself! Now more than ever, we have to focus not just on our […]
Keeping KPIs Simple: Narrowing Our Focus
I recently attended the CMO Smart conference from American Marketing Association Chicago, which was all about “Marketing at the Speed of Change.” The two panels of six chief marketing officers (CMOs) mentioned […]
Predictive Analytics: When to Use It and How
I have a client with an incredibly creative marketing team – they have some of the most off-the-wall, clever emails I’ve seen in a while, and meeting with them always […]
Which Customers Are Buying What? Here’s How To Tell
There are three key questions that must be answered before you begin any marketing campaign. In Part 1 of this series, I talked about the first question, “Who is your […]
Putting Your Data to Work: How to Use the Data You’ve Collected to Boost Your Bottom Line
When was the last time you had a conversation about cornbread? Let me explain what this has to do with DATA! There are two cornbread camps, and the one you fall into can reveal a lot about your marketing. I will explain this claim later in this article and why my friend Fran likes to make cornbread in an aluminum pan but when it comes to marketing her small business she opts for a well thought out plan based on carefully appended data – the cornbread equivalent of baking in a cast iron skillet. By focusing on quality, long-term customer loyalty, and strategic marketing decisions that are based on aggregated data, you’re sure to achieve results as delicious as cast iron cornbread. Check out the following case study to see what I mean…. Case Study: Data In Action
Intuition vs. Data: Which Marketing Style is Right for Your Business?
This month on the blog, we’re revealing 3 easy, actionable ways to predict your customer’s next purchase using data and predictive analytics. Some marketers rely heavily on intuition to create their marketing campaigns. When they’re right about what their customers want, this technique works well. However, when marketing goals aren’t met, it can be mystifying to try and find the source of the problem. That’s why Step 1 of this 3-step process is changing your mindset about your customer. Whether you rely on intuition, data, or a combination of the two, it’s important to recognize that only your customer knows what they really want.
Small Mindset Shift = Big Bottom Line Impact
Did you know that ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory? I didn’t. Once I discovered the health benefits of ginger, I was determined to find a great new ginger-based recipe to try. Imagine my delight when I stumbled across a recipe for Dirty P’s Garlic-Ginger Chicken Thighs. Now, in order to get down and ‘Dirty’ with this recipe, you have to be willing to marinate the chicken for a long time. The more patient you are, the better the flavor. Marinating overnight, as opposed to an hour, makes the chicken incredibly succulent and really brings out the flavor of fresh ginger. It’s sort of like marinating on what your customers really want. When it comes to truly serving your customer’s needs, you want to do what works. But you also want to create a marketing strategy that’s fast, effective, and affordable.
How to Target the Customers Likely to Buy Next
Recently I was the honored recipient of a free week of Blue Apron meals gifted to me by a friend who appreciates my “foodiness.” Blue Apron is perfect for a passionate cook like me because you get to experiment with new recipes and ingredients each week. The first item on the Blue Apron Agenda was a recipe for Thai Coconut Shrimp Soup, which called for the use of lemongrass. Now, I had never used lemongrass in my cooking before, but my friend had done her market research: she knew I was a culinary adventurist always ready to try something new (turns out lemongrass is great for infusing broth with flavor, but not so great when minced and consumed directly!). Lesson I learned is that sometimes – without proper research into a new ingredient – I do not prepare it correctly just by reading a recipe! I wish Blue Apron had provided a better way to describe the expected results of using this non-mainstream ingredient. Crunchy lemongrass in each bite of soup was disappointing. The lemongrass infused broth was delicious!
The Biggest Marketing Mistake You Don’t Know You’re Making
After returning from a trip to Italy, I found myself inspired to recreate all of the incredible Italian dishes I’d sampled during my vacation. Although cooking is a passion of […]
Turning Data Into Dollars: How to use Predictive Analytics to Increase Revenue and Decrease Marketing Costs
In my last post, I revealed how Predictive Analytics can be used to predict customer behavior in the same way that a great recipe can predict a delectable meal. Just […]
5 Ways to Use Predictive Analytics to Boost your Bottom Line
In my exploits in the kitchen as an enthusiastic home cook, I am usually looking for more than one way to use a new ingredient (or an old one) that […]
The Definition of Predictive Analytics
My recent trip to Italy has fueled a cooking frenzy in my household. While I’ve always loved to cook, something about creating homemade sauces and hand-rolled pastas based on authentic […]
Why Donor Databases are Like Wardrobes
Here’s a cautionary tale. A social services organization called me because its case management database no longer provided useful reports for case workers—or the statistical information funders wanted. My research, […]