Data collection can help your company with improving business intelligence and optimizing marketing plans. Marketers can collect data in a number of different methods depending on their goals. Adding data collection strategies to your marketing plan can help you with:

• Generate qualified leads — Assemble a library or database of clients for future marketing or retargeting

• Determine your priorities — Learn and understand what matters to your customers to address their concerns more directly

• Get ideas for new products — Make data-driven decisions for upcoming product releases and market entry campaigns

• Better budget your expenses — Discover which products and features people are interested in. No more wasting money on features and items that your customers don't truly care about.

What technologies you're utilizing and if they're suited for gathering the precise data you need for your marketing efforts will determine which data collection techniques work best for your campaigns. Whether you collect data using the internet technology (e.g. website visitors), mobile technology, online survey tools, or Global Positioning System (GPS), you must plan strategies that will have consumers cooperate with your company and give information willingly, such as giving your clients a reason to gain in exchange for their information.

There’s no doubt that data collection is a powerful tool every business must have in their marketing toolbox. Below, we’ve laid out some brilliant data collection ideas to get you started.

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Wondering what Marketing Ideas to use to collect data?

Let’s take a closer look at the best ideas for Data Collection for your business.

1. An app that shows products' location and push promotions as clients walk around

Idea by Muneeb Mcknight

Getting younger generations to look away from their mobile can tend to be a losing battle. Put your knowledge of where their focus lies to good use with an app that works as an interactive map of your store. With assistance from Bluetooth and Wifi beacons situated throughout your store, the app will be able to locate the app user within your store and show them the best route to their desired product, as well as push promotions based on the products that are close to them as they walk around. See full idea

2. Promote safe driving with an app that tracks users’ driving habits

Idea by Sarah-Jane Mcloughlin

Promote safe driving by introducing an app that tracks users’ driving habits, like the speed at which they tend to drive, how eco-friendly their driving is, etc. By giving access to their mobile's geolocation; the app is able to gather relevant data such as their speed, length of stop, acceleration, and more. At the end of each drive, users receive a score and tips on how they can improve. Additionally, a loyalty program can have drivers earn points or discounts based on their results. See full idea

3. Democratize your decision-making process with a simple tool

Idea by Qokus

Show those across the organization that their opinion is valued and trusted by involving your employees in the decision-making progress through an instant, anonymous, one-click micro-survey. 

Create a private Qokus community and ask for their opinion on product development or any other matter related to the business activities. See full idea

4. Ask the public what shops they would like to see open up through online surveys

Idea by Matei Aguilar

Create online surveys that ask the population what businesses they would like to see open up in the various available properties in their areas. The results of these surveys not only benefit the people that completed them, but is also a new way for potential tenants to see where their businesses are most wanted and have the highest success rate, as well as guarantee to the property owners that they will be renting out their properties to high potential tenants. See full idea

5. A digital map that lets people vote for your next philanthropic donations

Idea by Terry Spooner

As much as people love to hear that a company is giving back to the community that supports them, it would be even better if that community was able to have a say in how they were being helped out. Give a voice to the members of your community by developing an interactive map on your website that shows all of the potential philanthropic opportunities you could give back to. Visitors can look into the different causes and vote for them if they find the cause worthy of your support. See full idea

6. A snapshot of your community

Idea by Chris Bent

Showcase how your community feels about a certain topic using drawings, and turn these responses into colorful promotional materials to attract a larger audience.
Coordinated creative content engages your audience in fun and accessible ways, giving you meaningful qualitative data and a visually appealing way of sharing it with the world. See full idea

7. A quiz that lets people evaluate their environmental impact & share their score

Idea by Sarah-Jane Mcloughlin

Show people that your company cares about their futures, and the future of our planet, by creating a quiz available on your company site that allows participants to get an evaluation on how their way of living is positively or negatively affecting our world. The results of these quizzes can be shared on social media and good results can allow participants to win different discounts on your products or services. See full idea

8. Create a customized budget calculator that fits students' interests and profile

Idea by Philippe Larose Cadieux

Create a customized budget calculator that asks questions to students related to their interests and profile in order to provide them with real examples that can apply to them, such as going out for a sport match or going to see a dance performance. The gathered data on students can then be used to retarget them with ads that correspond to their profile and interests. See full idea

9. Host a contest in which the participants are asked to submit your next slogan

Idea by Martin Villette

Are you struggling with how to talk about a subject in a way that comes across as approachable and accepted? Make sure the public feels comfortable with your campaign by letting them have a say in how your subject matter is approached. Host a contest in which the participants are asked to submit a slogan for your brand new awareness campaign. This will allow them to become more aware and vocal on the subject without ever having been subjected to an advertisement. See full idea

10. Let the crowd make decisions for you at your event👥

Idea by Qokus

From which song should be the encore to who should be the Player of the Game, let the crowd have a say during important decisions taken during your event through an instant, anonymous, one-click micro-survey. Create a private Qokus community and get the unfiltered opinion of the crowd instantly. See full idea

11. Help people meet their matches and create more traffic at your establishment

Idea by Umer Lewis

Target a potential new clientele of single people by offering them the chance to be matched with their potential new love. When buying their ticket to your event, people will be asked to fill out a form that asks them about preferences regarding gender, age, hobbies, and interests. These forms will be used to make quality, real matches amongst other ticket buyers, creating a great new event for people to rediscover the joy of meeting people face-to-face. See full idea

12. Showcase your company's involvement with fun quizzes that offer monetary prizes

Idea by Sarah-Jane Mcloughlin

Create a set of fun online quizzes, available on your company website to demonstrate just how involved your company is with its community. These quizzes will focus on the quiz taker’s knowledge of your company and its community-driven initiatives. For each positive answer that is given, participants will accrue one dollar off of their next purchase of your products, and at the end of the quiz, they will be sent an email with a coupon for the total discount that they have won. See full idea

FAQ

Q1. What is the definition of customer data collection?

A. The gathering of quantitative and qualitative information about customers using various data collection methods. Data collection assists businesses in understanding customer attitudes toward their products and services.

Q2. What methods are available to businesses to collect data?

A. There are many data collection methods. Here is a list of examples:

• Surveys

• Interviews

• Focus group

• Online tracking

• Marketing analysis

• Monitoring social media

• Subscription and registration data

• Monitoring in-store traffic

Q3. What are the types of marketing data that can be collected?

A. Marketing data can be categorized in four types:

• Personal data (social security number, gender, IP address, browser cookies, and device information)

• Behavioral data (purchase history and online navigation such as mouse movement)

• Engagement data: (how visitors interact with a website, mobile app, SMSs, social media, emails, etc.)

• Attitudinal data: (customer satisfaction, product’s desirability, purchasing criteria, etc.)

Ready to build a data collection strategy?

Data Collection is a powerful tool to work into your marketing plan, so it’s time to embrace it. Search for more Data Collection Ideas to differentiate yourself and unleash your maximum potential on Wittycloud.