Being an effective marketer requires a data-driven approach. However, adopting the right mindset can be confusing. The scientific method for marketing helps you produce data-driven results and Incremental Innovation. Here’s how:
Testing is arguably the most crucial part of a digital marketer’s job today. Without it, you can’t know if your ideas are working. Scientific methods help researchers standardize their investigations, so shouldn’t digital marketers do the same?
The core of the scientific method is testing. Similarly, testing is the heart of data-driven marketing. Therefore, marketers must test if they want to be data-driven. Using the scientific method for marketing helps marketers stick to the facts and limit perceived notions about what should or shouldn’t work.
The scientific method can be applied across industries, but it generally includes a set of specific steps:
1. Make an observation.
2. Create a hypothesis that takes the observation into account and makes a prediction.
3. Test the hypothesis in repeatable experiments.
4. Analyze the data and decide if the hypothesis was right, wrong, or should be modified.
5. Repeat the experiment until observations and theory align.
As a marketer, you may not be uncovering how things in the universe work. However, The scientific method for marketing is your scientific approach to creating a hypothesis, setting up experiments to probe that hypothesis, observing the results, and using that information to inform future strategic decisions.
Deliver Data-Driven Results
How can you back your results up, especially during critical conversations with company leaders? The same question applies to measuring growth and performance. Marketers must advocate for testing and experimentation—a necessary data-driven component.
Data-driven marketing analyzes incoming signals to predict what’s most likely to work. The ability to effectively run tests and turn the resulting data into actionable insights creates a competitive advantage because organizations can quickly respond to changing customer demands. Thus, applying it to subsequent campaigns leads to effective marketing.
The scientific method for Marketing begins with the assumption that the first test can be messy. But the initial data and insights lead to incremental innovation or learning. When we talk about innovation for B2B marketers, we’re not necessarily referring to a fancy aha moment with patents and fireworks. The innovation is the continuous success of effective tactics and connecting those insights to the business’s workflow.
Incremental Innovation
You don’t need to go big to innovate. Even small changes within the construct of what you’ve previously done lead to powerful discoveries. For example, incremental innovation is using the same messaging against multiple audiences to test slightly different targeting approaches. Creating a new way to target an audience is game-changing information for the marketing team and business.
For instance, how we use Linkedin is an excellent example of incremental innovation at NetWise. We test new ads in partnership with sales and gather feedback from our customers weekly. Then, we hold regular brainstorming sessions to create solutions based on our customer’s input. Refreshed ad copy follows. The process keeps the teams integrated and creates cohesion across our advertising efforts.
Another aspect of innovation is using tools such as Segment CDP and Amplitude to create a complete picture of our demand generation efforts. These insights provide critical intelligence to our sales team, decreasing the time it takes to close deals.
Closing Thoughts
Incremental innovation proves your data can provide valuable answers if you ask the right questions. You don’t have to go big to succeed with data-driven marketing. A breakthrough can happen when marketing and sales balance innovation with execution. Connect with us using the channels below. Share how you fit testing into your processes.
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