Once upon a time, the freshest data you could get was "hotline" information—names from postal mail order buyer or subscriber files selected on a monthly or quarterly basis.
Advances in technology have reduced the time frame of a hotline name to weekly and sometimes even daily. And with the advent of online transaction data, some secured data can now be made available not only in a daily batch cycle hourly and in real time as well.
Real time delivery is just that. But it can be further defined in a number of ways depending on the list owner, the offer that was sent to the consumer, the amount and type of data being collected and how long the online publisher is required to retain the record before releasing it to other online or telemarketing offers. Real time data can be made available as quickly as 5 to15 minutes from the time the consumer hits "submit."
Real time data delivery also gives more aggressive marketers the ability to serve up personalized offers based on the referring URL or self-reported information submitted by the prospect. While real time data might not be desired for every marketer, it does allow for instant communication with a prospect who might still be online or available by phone. Real time delivery can also provide you with the ability to test new creative, price points and offers.
When inquiring about real time data ask the list manager or online publisher the following questions:
· What is your definition of real time availability?
· What is the time delay in receiving the data?
· What is the average amount of data we can expect to receive on a daily basis?
· Do you make available hourly traffic reports in order to determine time to market opportunities?
· Will differences in time zones influence our ability to send out offers?
· What are the referring URLs comprising the data that would be available in real time?
· Real time data commands a higher or different rate other than a traditional CPM. What price structure will you make your data available at?
Generally, technical staff members on both sides need to connect and review the protocol of sending and receiving real time data. And be patient: Allow for a ramp-up time period for the data to start to flow.
Leland Kroll is CEO of Kroll Direct Marketing.
