B2B Marketing News

Posted by John Noble on 12 Dec 2022

With numerous B2B data providers in the marketplace, how do you choose the right one for you?

These must-ask questions will help you determine the most appropriate supplier for your marketing objectives:

1. Is the data provider an established and reputable company and is it registered with the ICO?
   Reputation in the data industry is everything and data is the foundation of your marketing campaigns. Choosing an established and reputable data vendor is paramount, especially when considering the implications of GDPR
2. How does the data provider gather and verify their data and where is the data sourced?
   Garbage in – garbage out. The nature of how a database is compiled can determine how good that database is. Far too many providers source unqualified web scraped data that is not compliant
3. How often is the data updated?
   Recency is of paramount importance. It is estimated that 30% of IT decision makers change roles every year. If the database Is not updated regularly, the database will already be 30% out of date after the first year. if no updates are applied within 12 months
4. Is the database an opt-in database, has consent been obtained to share the data with you and what consents are gained for email addresses?
   Since the implementation of GDPR, there are strict rules around consent. When contact details are captured, are these contacts aware of how their data will be used? Have people consented to received third party emails from specified companies?
5. What type of data do you need?
   The three main channels are email, postal, telephone, or multi-channel. Consider whether you are running a one-off campaign or do you need data to support ongoing campaigns?
6. Can you specify the companies you want to target?
   Whether this is buying data based on your Target Account plans or whether this is selecting companies by geography, size (turnover/employees) or industry, think about how you would identify the ideal target audience
7. Does the database have the detailed IT Job Roles you need?
   Many B2B databases just carry an “IT Decision Maker”. This is a very generic job role, which might be suitable in small to medium sized companies, however enterprise organisations have many layers of IT Decision Making. Surely if you are promoting an IT Security offering, you wouldn’t be so generic as to choose “IT Decision Maker”. Surely a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) or an IT Security Manager would be more relevant?
8. How much does the data cost and are there hidden charges or minimum order requirements?
   Data is often priced on a per-thousand record basis, the amount depending on the type of data and period it is being used for. Minimum order charges are often implemented, and some vendors apply selection fees and other hidden costs. Be sure to be clear how the vendors pricing works