To engage and convert prospects into customers more easily, brands need to know their audiences. This is known as customer knowledge, and involves gathering relevant, accurate and up-to-date information about their profile, expectations and habits. This data enables brands to :

• Create products or services that meet real demand;
• Communicate on the marketing channels their customers already use with content that resonates with them;
• Offer a smoother, more enjoyable shopping experience;
• Imagining and creating contact points to extend the customer relationship and build consumer loyalty.

The crux of the matter is data collection. This is invaluable information about who customers are and what they want. With the announced end of third-party cookies, brands need to come up with data collection methods that are both effective and non-intrusive.

What are the most effective techniques for collecting qualitative data? In this article, we present 5 tools for collecting data.

SUMMARY

• 1. The marketing game as a data collection method
• 2. The form lead
• 3. Coregistration
• 4. Email to lead to collect customer data
• 5. Comparators for recruiting highly qualified leads

Fun and interactive, marketing games are an excellent way of collecting data. Not only does the prospect of winning a prize help to attract prospects and engage them, but the game itself incorporates data collection mechanisms (via interactions as in Swiper or Customizer ). La marque peu également intégrer un formulaire de collecte plus classique de type formulaire en début (pour accéder) et en fin d’expérience (avant de recevoir le gain). Ce second formulaire est dédié à la qualification des participants.

Why use it: to recruit, engage and convert prospects and customers by creating memorable brand experiences.

When to use it : at every stage of the customer journey. One example might be the distribution of an instant win via the brand’s website or social networks to generate new leads.

How to use it: game marketing works as long as the form or the method of collecting zero-party data (via interactions) is in harmony with the game experience.. Les prospects et clients seront également plus enclins à partager des informations si la marque leur propose de remporter une dotation attractive.

Le form lead (ou formulaire de prospection) permet de générer des leads en laissant les prospects soumettre leurs informations dans un formulaire intégré à une annonce publicitaire. 

Pourquoi l’utiliser : pour recruter et qualifier des visiteurs à l’aide d’un formulaire pré-rempli intégré à ses campagnes média. En plus de permettre de générer des leads, l’avantage de cette méthode de collecte réside dans sa rapidité. L’utilisateur ne quitte pas l’interface (réseau social, moteur de recherche etc.) puisque le formulaire est nativement intégré à la plateforme. Cela rend le remplissage du formulaire plus rapide et l’expérience plus rassurante pour le prospect. 

Quand l’utiliser : Les leads forms peuvent être partagés aux prospects de la marque à différents moments stratégiques comme lors d’une demande de devis ou de démonstration gratuite. Ou encore l’inscription à la newsletter ou à un évènement. 

Comment l’utiliser : Le form lead peut être configuré avec pré remplissage des données que l’utilisateur à rempli sur son profil (compte client ou profil sur les médias sociaux). Il est conseillé de diffuser un formulaire le plus court possible. Les champs sont entièrement personnalisables, ce qui permet à la marque de se concentrer sur les données qui sont pertinentes pour elle.

Also known as co-subscription, coregistration allows brands to take advantage of a user’s subscription to a newsletter or another form of subscription (for example, a monthly product box) to collect data or opt-in.

This method generally takes the form of an advertiser logo, a catchphrase and then a personalised check box. When users fill in their plan form, they can tick an additional opt-in box to subscribe to the partner brand’s mailing list.

Why use it: to recruit opt-in volumes via a partner campaign in order to benefit from its audience

How to use it: as with other collaborative marketing methods (such as cobranding), the key to coregistration is to target the right partner. The more closely the brand’s value proposition and positioning are aligned with that of the partner, the more likely customers will be to tick the co-subscription box.

This data collection method consists of highlighting an offer to encourage users to sign up for the brand’s newsletter. The opt-in is generated by the click (click-lead), and the user is then redirected to the e-commerce site.

Why use it: to facilitate data collection and generate conversions, as part of a prospecting emailing campaign.

When to use it: as part of an email campaign to generate leads

How to use it: to encourage opt-ins generationThe offer highlighted in the campaign must be attractive. Adding a deadline for taking advantage of the offer can also create a sense of urgency that will encourage prospects to sign up for the newsletter or tick the opt-in box so that they don’t miss out on current promotions.

Finally, online comparators can be a lever for collecting customer data. The principle is simple: users want to find out more before buying a product or service by comparing different offers. They use a comparator and provide precise information in order to benefit from recommendations.

Why use it: to recruit ultra-qualified data and opt-ins.

When to use it: when a new prospect arrives on the comparator to understand their needs.

How to use it : the data collection form must meet the needs of the user (and not just the needs of the company, i.e. the data it wishes to obtain). The questions asked should be geared towards the user’s expectations and focus on a better understanding of their preferences. To encourage prospects to fill in the form, brands can offer targeted incentives (such as the possibility of being called back within X days by an advisor). The prospect can then be targeted with personalised offers.

Conclusion

Are you looking for effective ways to collect qualified data and get to know your audience better through an engaging interactive experience? Discover our different data collection formats to increase interaction with your prospects and customers. You are also welcome to view our webinar on data collection.

Collecting data is crucial for businesses. Organisations rely on data to optimise their day-to-day operations, facilitate strategic decision-making and better address their needs.

What’s more, to refine your knowledge of your business and your audience, it’s important to put in place a data collection strategy. In this article, we look at methods for collecting and qualifying customer data.

SUMMARY

• What do we mean by data collection?
• Why collect customer data?
• The main data collection methods
• Gamified tools for collecting customer data

Data collection is the process of extracting data from a source to gather information. Then, from the user’s point of view, it can be deployed with surveys, interviews and focus groups as part of market research.

Today, every point of contact is an opportunity for companies to gather valuable information. Browsing a website or application, visiting a shop and interacting on social networks are all opportunities to understand the behavior and expectations of audiences.

The qualification and analysis of this data can then be used to:

• evaluate the company’s performance (in terms of customer satisfaction, conversion and retention);
• make better decisions (sales, marketing, operational, etc);
• predict future market trends and anticipate audience expectations.

The different types of data

Before looking at the different methods of data collection, we need to differentiate between the 3 main types of data.

• Zero-party data, i.e. information that customers share with companies.

• First-party data, i.e. behavioural information collected when customers interact with their sites, applications, products or social networks.

• Third-party data, collected by third parties, but the reliability, quality and ethical nature of this data is less than that of the previous types.

First of all, when collecting data, you need to identify the reasons why the company wants to have the information. There are many reasons for collecting data (not all of which are mutually exclusive):

• Enhancing your CRM database. These days, brands need to collect new qualified contacts in order to gather information about their customers. Feeding the CRM is an objective that enables key messages to be communicated. This is made possible by communication levers such as newsletters and SMS. It’s also an excellent way of refining customer knowledge and better addressing needs.

• Anticipating the end of third-party cookies. Companies may be affected by a significant reduction in the possibilities for tracking visitors to their website. They must therefore implement alternative data collection methods to fill this future information gap.

• To compensate for the deletion of data (which occurs every 3 years). The RGPD stipulates that European authors (including companies) may retain their customer data for 3 years. It is therefore crucial for organisations to plan for data collection opportunities in order to renew their database on an ongoing basis.

Depending on the quality and nature of the data, the company can use different data collection methods:

• Quantitative data collection, using systematic methods. This type of data is distinguished by its ability to provide a basis for statistical analysis of the company. It can be collected via surveys (with closed questions), behavioral observation (data observed on the website, etc.).

• Qualitative data collection focuses on non-numerical data. This approach favors precision and depth over breadth by offering an insight into the preferences and motivations of its audience. In addition, it can be collected via open surveys and in-depth interviews (one-to-one or via focus groups, etc.).

• Primary data collection refers to the capture of data that has not been processed beforehand. This is data collected at source (directly from prospects and customers) via forms, questionnaires or interviews.

• Secondary data collection involves searching for and using data that has been collected for a purpose other than that of the company. This secondary data is often historical and provides a backdrop for new research. It is collected through archival research or database mining.

The golden rule of data collection is that the closer you are to the source of the data, the more qualitative, accurate and reliable it is.

Companies therefore need to mobilise tools to collect information from their prospects and customers. They can rely on gamified and interactive formats. These encourage their audience to share information freely and accurately. What’s more, this information can relate to their purchasing habits.

These gamified data collection tools include :

• The marketing game, ideal for recruiting, engaging and converting. To take part in a competition, users first have to fill in a form. Then, the game mechanics can multiply the number of interactions with the user and the collection of first-party data.

• The lead generation form. This tool enables you to recruit and qualify subscribers using a form integrated into the platforms. This is an excellent format for inviting Internet users to share their contact details.

• Co-registration to recruit opt-ins. This format enables you to pool your recruitment efforts by associating your company with a complementary collection method (via a partner brand).

• The click to lead email. The brand highlights an offer to encourage the user to subscribe to its newsletter and thus expand its customer database. The opt-in is generated by the click and the user is then redirected to the e-commerce site.

Conclusion

Implementing a data collection strategy is crucial if you are to make the right decisions and target your audience as effectively as possible. To meet today’s data collection challenges, your company needs to multiply its methods and tools so that it has a precise understanding of its market and its audience. Discover our gamified formats to help you recruit leads and share quality data!