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Making New Year resolutions is a tradition for many of us.  We resolve to lose weight, eat better or get organized.  But there is one resolution that every marketer should make (and keep) this year:  resolve to evaluate the health of your database and make data hygiene a priority.

A marketing campaign will only be as successful as the data it uses.  What is incomplete, misleading or outdated data costing you?

Below are some data hygiene best practices to consider when evaluating the health of your database

• Do you have data entry standards?  Has your data team been trained in these standards?
• Do you have duplicate records in your database?
• Are you using consistent fields, codes, and attributes in your database?  Are some of these fields duplicates that can be merged into one?
• Is data within a field entered and formatted consistently?
• Are you bringing in data from third parties?  Is the data formatted to fit your database before it’s brought in?
• What are you deliverability rates for mail and email?  When was the last time you updated your email and mail lists?  Have you NCOA’d your file in the last 90 days?
• Are you missing data?  Do you need to append your database to fill in the holes?
• How are you dealing with old records?  Are they segmented?
• Once your database has been cleaned up, do you have a plan in place to regularly review and maintain the health of your database?  Has this responsibility been assigned to someone?

Not sure where to start? Learn how to squeeze every drop of profit from your current customer and prospect database. Get tips and advice from a Streamworks Database Marketing Expert -- without cost or obligation.