Mia
Running a business comes with many challenges. One of them is making the right decisions all day, every day to grow the brand. This sounds like an overwhelming and maybe even impossible task, right? How can you guarantee that all your decisions are as informed as possible?
The key is a comprehensive data strategy. Every business relies on data to be successful, whether they realize it or not. Information about competitors, customers, partners, vendors, market trends, material prices, and more is all necessary to make the right decisions.
If you want to improve the data strategy of your business, particularly if you are running a relatively new brand, then here are a few ideas to consider.
Pursue Additional Audience Research
Knowing your target audience is one of the first steps every new business must take. Whatever you can do to research this audience will be helpful as you create products and market them to customers. There are numerous channels through which you can supplement your market research. First, there are audience insight tools available through Hubspot and other marketing brands to find demographic data. If you want to think outside the box, you could engage with customers on discussion platforms like Usenet, which features unregulated forums on many different topics. The more data you collect from your target audience, the more effective your business can be at selling to them.
Use Enterprise Resource Planning Systems
One problem that many businesses run into is using data efficiently. You may have collection practices in place, but if that data is not given to the people who need it in various departments, then it will be useless. A one-stop shop for data sharing makes it easier to access all the shared data within your organization. This exact need is one of the many functions of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. ERPs help businesses manage their resources, including data. Often, they integrate multiple applications for more efficient workflows. As a result, the data you collect can be immediately shared on various applications for use by the different departments at your company.
Embrace AI
Artificial intelligence is already leaving its stamp on the business world, and it has only begun seeing widespread use in the last few years. While many are worried about the applications of this technology and what it may do to workforces, AI can be an incredible asset for your business. Based on the data you collect about consumers, both as a whole and individually, AI can be the perfect tool to create personalized and targeted marketing based on that information. This will make your messaging more effective, leading to higher rates of conversion. AI can also analyze consumer behavior itself to predict when they should be marketed and how.
Beef Up Cybersecurity
Any company that deals with data online has a significant security concern. Just as physical products can be stolen from a store, information online can be hacked. In this case, even customer data could be stolen, as well as the sensitive information that belongs to the company. This could be seriously damaging to your bottom line and your reputation. Customers must be able to trust that their information is safe with you. For this reason, it is important to beef up cybersecurity to protect all that data. Better security software, working with a cybersecurity firm, and/or restricting access points can ensure better privacy practices for the data your company handles.
Optimize Internal Communication Channels
Nothing holds up a project more than people waiting on others to deliver data. Sharing information between departments smoothly lets the whole company operate more efficiently. Sometimes, sharing data requires better communication practices. After all, if no one knows how or when to send information to the next person, then how can everyone be on the same page? It might be necessary to choose one communication platform and lay out some best practices in writing so everyone knows what they are supposed to do with data. This step is critical if you want to avoid the hiccups that often occur during projects because of miscommunications.
Improve Your Data Strategy to Grow Your Company
Since the business world thrives on data, you need to make sure your organization is on board with a strong data strategy. Pursuing additional methods of audience research, using an ERP, embracing AI, beefing up online security, and optimizing company communication can all improve how the organization collects, shares, and uses data. Consider if your current practices are enough to keep up with the competition and make these changes if you are concerned about your company’s ability to grow.
