Why Data is a Powerful Tool in Field Marketing

Having worked in the events industry for over a decade, I've witnessed both extraordinary successes and moments where valuable lessons were learned. Now, with advanced data-gathering and measurement tools, field marketers have an unprecedented opportunity to craft highly effective events. Data allows us to pinpoint the optimal times, places, and methods for hosting events.

Here are a few reasons why data is essential for driving successful field marketing programs:

Strategic Decision Making
As all good field marketers know, the success of their programs is all about getting in front of the right prospects at the right time. Having trustworthy, timely data empowers field marketers by helping them make the most informed decisions possible on elements such as the right location for an activation, selecting which products will resonate best with a given customer profile, and effectively allocating typically tight marketing budgets. For example, by working with MarketingOps teams to run regional prospect reports, marketers can gain valuable insight into the titles and company demographics within a certain geographic location. This information can be a game-changer when making decisions on what cities to target and products to promote for an upcoming program and allows the team the opportunity to then fine-tune or pivot their strategy to maximize both impact and efficiency.

Measuring Performance and ROI
In a prior role, we struggled with capturing event metrics, and the data we did have was often inaccurate and unreliable. This caused havoc for our team when trying to plan and measure the success of our programs. We had to rely on guesswork and opinions to make planning decisions, which sometimes resulted in big wins but other times led to disappointing flops. The lack of data also affected our ability to understand the effectiveness of our campaigns afterward.

Post-event data, such as impacted pipeline, meetings booked, and conversions, are critical for analyzing program success. This analysis is crucial for pivoting current and future strategies and allocating resources to other programs if needed. This data also helps when gaining buy-in from sales business partners for programs by visibly showing the value they hold. Using the metrics to set clearly defined and attainable goals not only helps to show value in the programs but also keeps stakeholders aligned on how success is being defined for each.

Enhancing Brand and Customer Experiences
While driving lead generation, field marketing also helps create memorable brand experiences for prospects and customers. It’s all in the details. Whether it’s a special swag item, an onsite activation, or a guest speaker, understanding the elements that resonate with your target audience can make the difference between an event that generates buzz for your brand and one that attendees forget about by tomorrow. By reviewing data such as attendance rates for specific sessions, social media hashtags from special activations, or post-event surveys, field marketers can better understand what to focus on in the future and how to better design interactions that feel authentic to the brand and are more customer-focused.

Optimizing Budget Allocation
Field marketers need to be masters at managing their budgets to ensure maximum ROI for their programs. They can’t afford to waste money on programs that don’t meet goal metrics. By reviewing both historical and current campaign data, marketers can identify which strategies are working and which aren't, allowing them to pivot and reallocate budget dollars quickly and use their often tight budgets more efficiently.

During the pandemic, for instance, when in-person events were reimagined as virtual ones, our virtual events initially saw record engagement. However, as the months went on, event attrition analysis showed that the format was no longer resonating with our audience and needed adjustment. Without this data, we would have continued to spend unwisely on the virtual series without achieving our desired results.

Simply put, data isn’t just numbers on a spreadsheet; it’s a crucial tool for field marketers to enhance market understanding and forge authentic customer connections. Overlooking this data risks missing essential insights that could be pivotal in establishing those connections and driving business success. A data-driven approach to program strategies ensures that marketing campaigns are effective, efficient, and closely aligned with the target audience's needs and expectations.