01/09/2014 
David AshtonData mining is the foundation of great personalized marketing, but it often strikes fear into the hearts of many marketers. The reality is that this fear is unfounded since data mining is well within the grasp of any sized marketer. Let’s break it down into three simple steps.
1. Discover What’s in Your Database
The first step is to understand the field headings in your database. Most databases have basic information like name, address, and purchase history. Are you also capturing information such as age, gender, and home ownership? What data do you actually have? Knowing this helps you leverage your existing data more effectively.
2. Ask the Right Questions
Knowing what data you have tells you the types of queries you can run. Running queries simply means asking questions of the data. For example, if you are a retailer, you might ask, “Which customers purchased hardwood flooring last month?” If you know that these customers are also likely to purchase area rugs and floor conditioning products, this gives you a great start.
3. Identify Relationships
The next step is to run data sorts. Is there a relationship between hardwood flooring and gender? How about income? Are customers more likely to purchase hardwood flooring at different times of the year? Even basic software like Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Access provides sorting capabilities. Alternatively, you might want to purchase add-on data mining modules or third-party software. If you need to outsource, there are plenty of companies that specialize in this process at reasonable costs.
Get Curious and Explore!
So get curious. Take a few hours to run a variety of sorts just to see what you can find. Once you know what’s in your data, you’ve asked questions of your data, and discovered relationships within the data, it’s time to act on what you find. That curiosity could make a big difference to the bottom line.
Enhance Your Marketing Strategy with Linemark Printing
At Linemark Printing, we understand the importance of utilizing data effectively for personalized marketing. Our expertise in data mining and database management can help you unlock the full potential of your customer data. Whether you need assistance with data analysis, running queries, or identifying key relationships, we are here to support your marketing efforts.
Visit our Data Mining Services page to learn more about how we can help you harness the power of data for your marketing strategy. Ready to take your personalized marketing to the next level? Contact Linemark Printing today!
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