Jul 11, 20217:39 AM - edited Jul 11, 20217:40 AM
HubSpot Employee
How often do you clean your contacts database?
We’re in a data-driven era, where datasets are shared between marketing, sales, and customer service teams to increase organizational effectiveness and facilitate alignment. When you have high levels of inconsistent data, it’s not just one team taking the hit. It’s everyone. The entire company. The fallout from that bad data extends to every corner of your business that the data touches. With that in mind, how often do you currently audit and clean your contacts database? Once a month? Every quarter? Once a year? What does the process look like? Share your thoughts and current schedule.
In my view, cleaning the contacts database is a critical task that should be carried out regularly to maintain data accuracy and reliability across all departments. I believe in conducting a thorough audit of the database on a quarterly basis. This frequency strikes a balance between keeping the data clean and not overwhelming the team with constant clean-up tasks.
The process typically involves running automated checks to identify and remove duplicate entries, updating outdated information, and verifying the accuracy of the data. Additionally, it's essential to involve multiple teams, such as marketing, sales, and customer service, in the cleaning process to ensure that everyone's needs and perspectives are considered.
By adhering to this quarterly schedule and involving cross-functional teams, we can ensure that our data remains consistent, reliable, and beneficial for all departments, ultimately leading to more effective business operations and better customer experiences.
Every 3 months there should be a KPI evalution system in place tracking SMART goals and making everyone accountable. That being said, the database should also be cleaned in order to properly evaluate if our prospects in it are optimally qualified for our strategy and our messages. Inbound marketing strategies require consistent alignment of what are we sending and who are we sending it to.
Regularly cleaning your contacts database is essential for data accuracy and maximizing value. A quarterly audit helps identify errors, remove duplicates, and update outdated information. This proactive approach minimizes the impact of bad data, ensuring better decision-making and improved business outcomes.
Clean your contacts database at least once a quarter to remove outdated or duplicate contacts, correct inaccuracies, and maintain data hygiene. Consider increasing the frequency if you observe a high data decay rate or regularly add new contacts. Utilize automated tools for efficiency.