It’s official: spring is in the air. It’s that glorious time of year when all the clutter that has built up over the months gets the much-needed attention it deserves. Whether it’s at home or the office – spring is the opportune time to refresh your space, get rid of the old and welcome the new.
For many, that’s easier said than done. Today, more and more of our “stuff” belongs in the digital universe. Ninety percent of the world’s data was generated over the last two years alone. And, for businesses specifically, research estimates the volume of data worldwide across all companies doubles every 1.2 years. That’s a lot of data, and with it comes a lot of responsibility to keep things clean.
Swap “Does it bring you joy?” for “Does it bring you results?”
Here at Certain, we’re focused on the data that reaches event marketers. In the past, B2B professionals have struggled both to make sense of the insights they gather from events, and with how those insights can help deliver measurable outcomes from events. Five years ago, research found that a quarter of event marketers don’t analyze and use data to determine future event spend decisions, while just last year our 2018 State of B2B Event Marketing report revealed that tracking return on investment (ROI) still remains elusive, with only one-fifth of event marketers connecting their spend to revenue.
The missing link here is the data. Event marketers have a wealth of information at their fingertips, and with the right tools, they can break through the clutter to demonstrate the value of face-to-face events in an increasingly digital world. Here are three ways event marketers can clean up their data best practices this spring:
1. De-clutter by choosing quality over quantity
First thing’s first – in order to have a successful data strategy, event marketers have to be sure they’re collecting the right insights. Data is messy, and to get the most out of it, event marketers should be able to sift through the noise and pull clean insights that can be shared with the rest of the organization. With Certain Platform, event marketers and planners have access to the insights that matter – including attendees’ check-in information, sessions attended, and topic preferences.
2. Compartmentalize where possible
Just like your t-shirts, pants and socks should get their own drawers in your dresser, so too should your data be organized and integrated. Our latest platform, Certain Signal, allows you to set up integrations across multiple events, and easily connect Certain with your marketing and sales platforms so you can be sure your data paints one cohesive picture to inform strategic action.
3. Don’t wait until next spring to act again
Letting things pile up only results in stress. More than half of B2B professionals said they experience an ineffective hand-off of leads from the event to sales. The problem? Not having immediate and easy access to the right insights to determine the next best step. With real-time insights, event marketers can engage with leads on the spot, and alert marketing and sales to high-priority session check-ins in order to start building strong relationships before the event is over.
Learn more about how Certain Signal can help you tidy up your data strategy today.