How Data Discovery Platforms Can Transform Your Marketing Strategy

It's said that this is the Golden Age of data. It's very clear now that companies are not going to stop their quest for more data any time soon. Data is now more available to companies than ever before in history. To add to the situation cloud providers are allowing this to happen very easily and at a rapid pace. With this said the future situation is headed only toward increasing the amount of data companies will need to manage. 

However, companies are now finally facing the music. Hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of data at their disposal have to be organized and processed somehow. This data is flowing in from several different places: the company's website, its apps, all the SaaS apps and SaaS portals the company's using, Google documents, etc. All of these are being altered on daily bases and the information has to be updated accordingly.

Luckily, the solution to this problem is already at our doorsteps. As it's becoming more and more difficult to handle the abundance of information, data discovery platforms are here to save the day. Their timing is perfect and the features they offer ease the way companies work with information in all aspects. 

Using this type of platform for marketing purposes is just one of these aspects but a very important one. Making better-informed marketing decisions can influence the overall workflow and growth of the company and generate more leads.

So here are how data discovery platforms work and how they can be used in your company's marketing strategy.

What is a Data Discovery Platform

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A data discovery platform is simply a platform that finds, analyses, evaluates, classifies, and organizes data across various systems. It looks for trends and recurring patterns in your company's data providing you with better insight into your company's workflow. 

Because simply having so much information at your disposal is not enough. This information needs to be processed and classified to give some valuable input to the ones who use it. 

Something that took endless manual labor and used to be a tedious and mundane task is now automated and created in such a form that will serve companies to their benefit.

How data discovery works

Data Discovery is a complex process that should ultimately lead to unlocking data patterns and relevant statistics and schemes. For this to be achieved there are three main steps that data discovery entails and those are data preparation, visualization, and analysis. They can be expanded into more detailed tasks, but these three major ones make the bigger picture a lot easier to understand.

1. Data preparation 

This first step should actually follow previous smaller tasks that will make data preparation possible. Before data is prepared, we need to include the following into the process.

• Identifying the purpose. 

What do we need to find? What is the goal and what kind of data are we hoping to discover? Are we looking for personal data, marketing-relevant data, or something else?

• Collecting relevant data

Once we know what kind of data we need, the next smaller step or task is to collect them. So gathering all information across different sources is what is needed to proceed toward the actual preparation of the data.

Now that we have the right data collected at one spot the preparation can take place. That usually means cleansing data from all unnecessary noise around it, making it easier to use and handle. During this stage data is being rearranged and the quality is being largely improved so that they are more formattable and easier to systemize. 

2. Visualization

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Once the data has been cleansed and transformed into decipherable content it enters the visualization stage. What happens here is that data is regrouped into visually pleasing and easily comprehensible templates. Some of the more popular ones are.

• Pie chart
• Bar chart
• Heatmap
• Histogram
• Waterfall chart 
• Timelines
• Pictogram chart
• Area chart

There are many more data visualization techniques that can be created in this stage. Most of them are very easy to follow and understand. The visual format of data is very user-friendly, and people are much more likely to use the actual information when presented in this manner rather than as text or numbers.

3. Analysis

After visualization is complete the final process begins. This stage transforms all that has been discovered into a simple, easy-to-read report or summary. When this report is created, we 'unravel the hidden message' behind all of those statistics and read between the lines of what all of those words and numbers actually mean. 

This step provides 'the real gold' or the actual information that can be used further for the respective purpose in mind.

Another sub-step to this stage is the repetition of its Al. Data discovery is actually a repetitive process and because data is being virtually created non-stop, once data discovery has been finished it needs to start all over again to bring us fresh and relevant input.

How can a DDP transform your marketing strategy?

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Building your marketing strategy is one of the most important aspects of your company's operation. It's a process that needs to be put a lot of thought into and should not be taken lightly. Building your marketing strategy must be based on well-informed decisions, statistics, and data that will ensure success. This is where data discovery enters the stage. This is how DDPs can help you build your marketing strategies better.

• Check if SMS marketing is the right form for you!

Maybe it sounds like an outdated method or one that has been replaced lately by digital marketing but with the right SMS marketing guide, this can still be one of the most successful marketing tools. This is because it's directed personally to the user, and it has one of the highest rates of opening the message. Check if the statistics are in your favor to give you a green light for this marketing method.

• Find the best marketing forms and methods based on facts!

One size doesn't fit all when it comes to marketing. Actually, it's quite the opposite. You need to be very well-informed and tailor your marketing strategy to suit your business. Once you know what the data will reveal you can start your research. The previously mentioned SMS marketing is just one of the tools you might need. Other options you might need to look for and invest in include.

• Email marketing platforms
• Content marketing
• Social media marketing experts
• Video content creation software

Data discovery will provide you with the relevant information on what will promote your business best. 

• Establish your marketing initiatives and marketing plans. 

The right data about your company and the market systemized properly can create miracles in the way you think about your marketing initiatives. What is sold, demanded, when, and where are all relevant data that should be a solid base for your marketing plan.

• Identify your pain points!

Data discovery can help you identify and therefore address your pressure points and work on being a better company. Knowing what you're lacking or doing wrong is of immense importance. Sometimes it's even easier to do the work to improve than to actually locate what you're doing wrong.

• Find the best solution for market segments!

Creating a marketing strategy for a specific market segment means going into detail for that segment and using more statistics and relevant information. Therefore, performing a data discovery for that segment of the market and creating a research-based marketing strategy for it minimizes the chances of product failure. 

• Helps you make final decisions.

When you have several recommended marketing options and you're having a hard time making a bold decision, DDP-generated reports can help you make the cut and feel confident in your decision-making. Basically, you're letting the data lead to the best-recommended option. So, performing regular and up-to-date data discovery should always be your go-to assistant in creating your marketing strategy.

Final thoughts

We hope that what we've outlined for you above will get you interested in the data discovery process and its automated versions i.e., data discovery platforms. You now have the basics of how it works and what it can do for you and your business. Furthermore, we've provided you with a short list of how you can use DDP in creating, changing, and improving your marketing strategy. 

Data discovery can be a game-changer when used in marketing planning and its automation is only a reason plus to make you start implementing it right away. We hope we've tackled your curiosity and you'll start researching how data discovery can alter your company for the better.