Data culling includes responsibility, standardization

It could be tempting to assume that a marketing contact list is getting better as long as it is growing in size. This view could be deceptive, however. A large group of low-quality records may seem impressive at first glance, but it isn't likely to drive business success in any meaningful way. Data quality, therefore, is central to marketing.

According to B2B Marketing contributor Sylvia Jensen, companies need to be vigilant in keeping standards for the way contact names are saved. Every field should have its own regulations, according to Jensen, meaning that no matter what department collects or saves the data, it signifies the same thing and is easy to interpret.

Jensen also stated that businesses should determine just who is tasked with leading data cleansing efforts. She explained that responsibility for quality processes is incredibly fluid, with employees at many companies shifting the burden to their peers.

Marketing through a contact list can be extremely effective when done properly and beyond frustrating when it goes awry. According to Business 2 Community contributor Margaret Spencer, it is becoming more important to track the return on investment that can be directly traced back to the list.