Is Database Marketing the Future of Paid Advertising?

In the age of data, owning your own information is invaluable –– and one of the most efficient ways to obtain first-party data is utilizing inbound marketing methodologies. When aligned with your paid advertising efforts, database marketing can do wonders for your conversions, sales, and ROI. 

Continue reading to learn about the importance of merging your marketing initiatives to develop a robust database marketing strategy that aligns with your digital presence.

What is first-party data? 

When your company collects data directly from your target audience, it is referred to as first-party data. Given the fact that they have already shown interest in your product or service, this set of data is often considered the most valuable to marketers for many reasons. 

This group may consist of data from:

• Your current customers
• Website/app visitors
• Social media community
• Newsletter subscribers 
• Customer feedback 
• Survey respondents

Why is it important for advertising?

People have expressed growing concern over their personal information and how it’s being collected and used. In recent years, there has been an increase in data privacy laws and restrictions on collecting and using third-party data to help protect these rights. 

Typically, cookies collect information from websites on users, including their interests, behavior, and purchasing habits, but this will no longer be permitted come 2022. 

When you take the time to collect relevant information about your customers, your business will flourish. Why? You have gathered a set of data points that allows you to engage with users who have already shown a strong interest in your business. This makes it ideal for retargeting and nurturing campaigns that can foster conversions and improve relationships with existing customers. 

Put simply, owning your own set of data is the key to continue to get to know your ideal customers and foster those relationships.

Inbound Methods to Improve Your Database Marketing

Essentially, inbound marketing involves creating valuable and customized content and experiences in order to attract customers. By doing so, you can build your first-party data in a natural way and use it to execute your paid search strategy –– it’s a win-win! So, let’s take a look at four productive ways to accomplish this. 

1. Purposeful Data Collection

Don’t simply collect data for the sake of it –– keep it simple! When creating lead generation forms for gathering information on your target audience, ask only for the information you need in order to reach your target audience. Talk with your sales teams to determine what data they will need to communicate with the lead in the most effective way for their process. Remember, well-aligned marketing and sales funnels are the keys to converting more of your leads into customers. 

Once you begin to nurture the relationship, you can then slowly ask for other pieces of information you find relevant to support your marketing and sales teams. After you develop your database, you can use them to craft retargeting ad campaigns that resonate with their wants and needs. 

2. Implement Lead Generation Campaigns

In inbound marketing, lead generation is one way you can build interest in your business. By creating and providing your target audience with special offers, you help determine who your prospects are and how you should approach them. You can provide them with anything from downloadable content, such as how-to guides or white papers, to invitations and webinars –– as long as it offers value to them on their journey towards a solution to their needs.

Learn More: What is Inbound Marketing and How It Will Increase Your Leads

3. Segmented Landing Pages 

The key to successful lead generation through advertising is by creating highly personalized landing pages. To do so, create a strategy where you define your goals for each campaign as it relates to your audience and their steps in the buyer’s journey. Then begin to create a strategy where you have ads that direct users to the custom pages with targeted content. Lastly, it is time to begin building each of these marketing assets. 

The more landing pages you create, the more leads you will see come in! But don’t just take our word for it –– take a look at HubSpot’s research on Lead Generation on more than 4,000 companies! They found that businesses, both B2B and B2C, with 31 to 40 landing pages generated seven times more leads than businesses with only one to five landing pages. This shows that having curated content for each of your target audiences and the various stages of the sales cycle will be fundamental in driving conversion rates.

4. Targeted Copywriting

No one should know your clients better than you –– so, use what you know to your advantage. You should write ad copy that demonstrates how your business can solve their problems. Be sure to use this space to highlight the benefits of your brand and entice them to click on your ad. 

To accompany your advertising, create resources that provide helpful information that show you care about your customers. These content offers and white papers can be added to one of the customized landing pages you created. This moves them along in the buyer’s journey and towards the next action that you want them to take. 

5. Automation for Lead Nurturing

Data shouldn’t just be stuck in a database; use automation to engage with prospects in a programmable way. Create workflows or drip campaigns that will automatically send relevant emails to prospects who meet certain criteria. This can be anything from visiting one of your landing pages to filling out a form. Over time, these automatic methods of communicating with leads can help you build your relationship with them and stay top of mind when it comes time to make a decision.

Related: Use Automated Workflows to Nurture & Convert More Leads

How to Use Your Database Marketing for Successful Ad Campaigns

Once you have your database and the tools in place to keep it growing, it’s time to leverage the data to good use in your paid advertising campaigns. Here are a few ways you can accomplish this:

1. Improved Ad Targeting

The information you have on your customers can allow you to improve targeting for both your current database, as well as new, prospective customers. This will improve the accuracy of your ads and allow you to be as relevant as possible –– making the most of your marketing budget to ensure a positive ROI. 

Learn More: Understanding Bidding Strategies for Your Google Ads Campaign

2. Remarketing to Your Database

Take full advantage of your data by remarketing to the users who meet certain criteria. You can use the information you have on their buying patterns and online behavior to create custom audiences. Then, run ads to these specific users, giving them more information and moving them along their decision-making process. 

3. Display Ad Campaigns 

Another way to use your data is to create display ad campaigns and target visitors to your website. These ads will be shown on articles, videos, or websites that consumers browse. And, because they are already showing interest in your company, you will continue to stay top-of-mind and build awareness by serving ads that are relevant to their actions, in a natural way.       

Unite Your Ads and Inbound Marketing Campaigns 

At Pinckney Marketing, our goal is to unite all areas of digital marketing to create a fully-developed strategy that works for your business. Our experts know how to bring all the moving pieces of digital marketing together to create a complete strategy that will attract valuable leads for your business. 

Take the first step and schedule a free strategy session with one of our marketing specialists. During this meeting, we will dive deeper into your business goals and determine the best way to use your marketing efforts to help you achieve them. Feel free to contact us and a member of our team will be in touch shortly.