Social class - Does data quality matter in social media?
By Mervyn Mooi, Director at Knowledge Integration Dynamics. (KID)
[Johannesburg, 11 Oct 2011]
Quality data is a key requirement for customer interactions. The ability to address someone correctly allows for successful marketing. Customer engagement must be based on respect, which in part also means the customer should be identified correctly.
Data-driven marketing depends on quality data and information. In this context, social media is becoming an increasingly important component of the social network. Social media content is almost limitless in its scope and evolution from Facebook to Twitter to LinkedIn. Most organisations today include social media in their marketing strategy, even if those organisations are not yet fully embracing the full power and benefits of social networks.
Nitty-gritty
However, social media depends on accurate, reliable and dependable content or data. Many market commentators are advocating that social media abrogates the requirement for data quality, stressing that most social networkers are not “quality aware” in their communications as long as the crux of the communication is understood, nor are they the custodians of content.
One huge benefit of social media content/data is that it enhances lead generation by providing almost free information and insights about individuals, groups and organisations in target markets.
Direct marketing and funnel lead generation is what drives B2B marketers, as it ultimately boosts sales.
A company will hardly ever embark on a marketing activity without consciously deciding that such activity will generate leads that can be tracked to fulfilment. Likewise, it is very rare that someone would communicate with an abstract, anonymous audience or readership, given the cost of communication.
Salespeople tend not to accept unqualified leads – if they do so then they are simply “spraying and praying”. This is not the case when using accurate information or quality data.
Crystal clear
Without accurate data or information, marketing initiatives will not have a single view of the customer to profile or segment. So data quality becomes vital, as it ensures definite/realistic lead creation, supports lead management and helps customer alignment with corporate offerings.
Given the pervasiveness and importance of social media, data quality should underpin every component of social media strategy.
Subscription to social media demands accurate personal and other details, which equates to quality content. It's all about the right to truthfully be (or not be) part of a social community. It is important that a company knows who it wants to reach. Fundamental to this is correct and accurate name, company, location, phone and e-mail address and more.
Social media is also about relationship generation, which supports lead generation.
The world has changed dramatically – social media has been a key contributor, to the extent that the industry is now talking about a “Twitterlution”. The opportunity exists for marketers to become part of this revolution, and a key success factor is knowing the target audience well. This demands data quality.
Today, based on accuracy of customer and prospect data, companies confidently engage and converse with customers.
Furthermore, there should be a central database of customers' details to be shared across the enterprise. The social media data/content should be incorporated into an organisation's other databases.
A single, uncontested customer view should include social media profiles and engagement. In fact, social media should arise from this single media view.
The sequence is:
* Identify customers, accurately and uniquely.
* Communicate with them, respectfully and correctly.
* Target them with the right offering, without duplication. Sending the same message more than once to the same, wrong person is a sure way to anger that person. So do not overdo it. Everyone accepts the occasional call, SMS or Tweet, but too much of the same communication results in spamming, no matter what is being offered.
* Follow through, hopefully in person, especially with high-value transactions.
An example of an organisation that communicates and markets itself correctly would be Talk Radio 702, which has a good blend of breaking news, advice on chronic traffic and upcoming interviews, and as a consequence, has a strong following; it adds so much value to its audience's life. Whoever is garnering that database is building significant value for the radio station.
Social media is nothing more than a new channel, and those who ignore it do so at their own peril. Those who overstate its value and influence do so too.
But all marketing and communication down the centuries have depended on the ability to send the right message to the right person at the right time, with the minimum distortion, with the highest likely successful outcome.
So, data quality is the very underpinning of success in social media.