Big data, bigger understanding: 5 ways data visualization reveals marketing possibilities

Seeing is believing when it comes to data visualization.

Whether searching for new customers, targeting the competition or even making a case for a new marketing strategy, data visualization has become an important tool for marketers, businesses and brands hoping to make data-informed decisions.

Canada Post Smartmail Marketing™ expert discusses the visualization tool and data solutions for strategic targeting.

Here are five ways data visualization reveals marketing possibilities:

1. Communicates complex data simply

We remember and process visual information better than textual information. Not convinced? Read this Harvard University study which called data visualization “intrinsically memorable.”

In a data-driven world, data visualization takes the guesswork out of customer data and delivers measurable insights to elevate marketing strategies.

By turning raw data into visual elements – such as charts, graphs and maps – visualization makes the complex digestible. With important elements laid out clearly in front of them, businesses and brands can make decisions based on who their customers are today, who they might be tomorrow and where they can be found.

2. Identifies trends, patterns and possibilities

Visualization maps out your data so you can explore more marketing opportunities.

There are millions of data points to input: existing customer data, store locations, where you mailed previously, competitor data, mobile tracking data, demographics, even Canada Post proprietary data. Mix all that together and the possibilities are seemingly endless.

Want to know where customers intersect with store locations? What postal codes hold the most promise? Or who visited a store after receiving direct mail – and who didn’t?

Visualization helps businesses and brands see answers to those questions clearly – and once they do, savvy marketers can refine their targeting strategies and optimize opportunities to place their messages into the hands of the people who matter to them.

3. Helps you make informed decisions

It’s all about seeing the big picture your data is trying to show you.

Visualization lays out the insights you need to make confident, data-driven decisions about your opportunities. For example, a marketer can use data visualization to show which areas of a city are generating the most sales. This can help inform their marketing efforts.

These insights get your messages into the right hands by making your direct mail work smarter to drive traffic to stores and grow your business.

Secrets of Direct Mail webinar tutorial demonstrating visualization targeting capabilities.

4. Confirms strategic effectiveness

Is your marketing spend going to the proper places? Are your solutions to yesterday’s challenges paying off today? Odds are, things have changed, and your strategies need to change, too. Data visualization helps marketers see how their current approach is working and identify opportunities for improvement and growth.

5. Helps make the case for future marketing investments

Some marketers struggle when it comes to educating senior leadership on how the company’s marketing dollars are contributing to the business. Data visualization provides the information you need to demonstrate that your marketing efforts are on track or that you can do better.

This blog is the one of 6 highlighting the power of direct mail for your marketing.