Week 9 Reaction Blog

In his article "Why Timely Data Trumps Big Data in Email & Mobile Marketing," Steve Dille points out that while e-mail service providers produce tons of data, often the real-time access to that data is lacking. I personally was quite surprised to learn how few providers offer real-time data access, especially considering how important this feature could be to a business. Dille provides a bit more insight into just how meaningful real-time data can truly be.

Steve Dille first points out that marketers in business don't have a problem collecting data. In fact, the amount of data all around us is rapidly increasing and there's no sign that trend will slow down anytime soon. Rather, the challenge marketers face is accessing that data quickly, especially in regards to analytics.

Dille breaks down five different types of data: bounce codes, feedback loops, opens and clicks, mobile data, and analytics. While all of these data types are important, in my opinion, analytics is the most vital for the success of a business. Essentially, analytics provide the means to best improve marketing. However, if the analytics are not up to date the information they provide is not nearly as useful as real-time data.

I found that two ideas posed by Dille were very effective in determining whether the real-time data service is effective enough for a business. First, for analytics to be effective, the analytics reports need to be coming in just as quickly as all other data is coming in. Secondly, ask yourself, "do you have the ability to easily filter the relevant data elements for easy root cause analysis and corrective action?" In other words, Dille is basically asking, can you use the analytics you are receiving to make changes in your marketing strategy to improve it and to better reach more customers?

I believe Dille sums up this topic quite nicely when he states, "For marketers to effectively drive customer experience and engagement for their organizations, they need all relevant data from all messaging channels -- and in a timely manner."