Marketing data is necessary to grow a business, and one way to ensure you are getting the most from your data is through database marketing software. Advertising databases help you organize and integrate collected information about your company, your customers, your inventory and other relevant data. Optimal integration then allows you to create a strategy to maintain your present customer base as well as directly market to other potential customers.

Extending beyond your current customer base is one of the reasons you should purchase advertising and marketing database software. It isn't enough just to maintain information about your present customers, which is basically what customer relationship management software (CRM) allows you to do. You need to manage your data effectively to target a market and create a campaign that will reach potential customers. You also need to track results to determine the effectiveness of your campaign. Therefore, before purchasing an advertising database software, you should look for the following:

1. Database marketing software integration for optimal functionality.
2. An analytical feature that tracks the efficiency of your marketing campaigns.
3. Simplicity in managing your marketing data.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Look for an advertising database solution that fully integrates your marketing information

You want a marketing database program that not only maintains demographics on your customer base and targeted market but also lets you customize your data to reach your potential market based on a set of variables that you can add to. This ensures that your direct mail campaigns are as broad as you need them to be. You also want integration with existing systems, including Excel and Outlook to give you full functionality.

I recommend: Biz-Tech Software manages your customer database and captures information to help you better target your market. Marketing functions include tracking sales and call cycling. You can also import data from Excel files or Outlook.

Choose advertising and marketing database software that provides analytical market data

You want a software that not only provides customer demographics but also profiles potential customers, intersects types of purchasing behavior and offers predictive analysis.

I recommend: Pinpoint provides predictive data analysis in addition to data mining features, profiling, field statistics and campaign management.

Buy database software for marketing that is easy to use

Not only should your marketing database software be powerful but easy to use as well. Simplicity ensures smooth data management. Look for flexibility as well as efficiency.

I recommend: MarketingPilot Marketing Software enables easy and optimal marketing resource management. Its features include campaign and project management as well as tracking tools for advertising media.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Take advantage of any free trials that can be ancillary to many advertising databases. One web-based solution is QuickBase, which includes a tracking spreadsheet, document management and an e-mail calendar among its many features.