The Importance of Data Verification in B2B Lead Generation
B2B lead generation is more important now than ever because of how fast-paced and technology-driven business has become. To keep up with the competition, companies are constantly seeking to expand their customer base and foster valuable business relationships.
However, effective lead generation relies heavily on the accuracy and quality of the data companies use. That’s where data verification comes in. Data verification can empower businesses to make informed decisions and achieve greater efficiency in developing marketing strategies. Keep reading to find out 6 ways data verification is important to B2B lead generation.
What is Data Verification?
Data verification is the process of ensuring that data is correct, up-to-date, and reliable. Therefore, it is extremely important to B2B lead generation success. Data verification works by comparing one dataset to the data stored in other systems, for example, phone directories, subscription lists, voter registration records, and other proprietary sources and databases.
As you’ll see in this article, successful businesses utilize some form of data verification tools and processes. Not only do you need to collect data for lead generation, but you also need to make sure it’s good data. When it comes to your customer and client information, quality is arguably more important than quantity. The stronger, more accurate your data is, the better your decisions and results will be when putting it to work.
The Importance of Data Verification in B2B Lead Generation
Quality Data
Good data quality is the foundation of every successful B2B lead generation campaign. Inaccurate and outdated information can lead to wasted resources, missed opportunities, and slow business growth. Alternatively, reliable data ensures that businesses target the right audience and reduces time wasted on unsuccessful marketing campaigns.
Data cleaning is the process of verifying data against credible sources to identify and fix errors, duplications, and incomplete fields. You can do this quickly and easily with a data append tool (more on this later). Good, clean data allows marketing teams to create targeted campaigns, improve customer segmentation, and make well-informed decisions.
Enhanced Lead Scoring and Prioritization
Lead scoring is an important part of B2B lead generation. It helps businesses prioritize and focus their efforts on the most promising prospects. Data verification aids in this by providing companies with up-to-date information on potential customers. That way, businesses can refine their lead scoring models and use their resources more effectively.
You want to be able to distinguish hot from warm from cold leads. This allows your sales teams to focus their efforts on the prospects that are most likely to convert. Therefore, data verification results in higher conversion rates and faster sales cycles.
Improved Personalization and Customer Engagement
With the increasingly competitive nature of business, personalization is key to successful B2B marketing in the digital age. Customers expect personalized experiences that cater to their unique needs and pain points. Data verification ensures that businesses have accurate and reliable information about their leads which allows them to specifically tailor marketing messages and other modes of outreach.
Verified data allows marketers to gain insights into prospects’ preferences, pain points, and previous interactions with the company. With this information, you are able to craft personalized content and engage in meaningful conversations which build stronger relationships with your potential customers.
Strengthened Credibility and Trust
Trust and credibility are valuable assets in the B2B landscape, especially as more data breaches and privacy lawsuits make the news. By verifying your data regularly, you establish yourself as reputable and reliable. Providing accurate information positions you as a professional with close attention to detail.
Prospective customers and clients are more likely to trust a company’s expertise and offers when they receive personalized and relevant communications. Trust results in repeat business, higher customer retention, increased loyalty, and even referrals.
Efficient Cost and Resource Optimization
You’d be surprised by how affordable data verification can be, especially when you consider the time and money it saves by avoiding errors. For example, it prevents you from wasting resources on the wrong leads and reaching out to the wrong contacts. Without data verification, you risk higher bounce rates, spam traps, and damage to your reputation.
You also avoid fines and lawsuit settlements by maintaining clean and accurate data. Data verification allows businesses to avoid fines and penalties associated with non-compliance with data protection regulations. If you are found to be in violation, it not only costs you the set fines and penalty fees; it also costs you business if your reputation is damaged in the process.
Real-Time Decision Making
Considering how fast-paced the world of B2B lead generation is, real-time decision making is crucial. Market conditions constantly change, and customer preferences evolve over time. So access to real-time, verified data allows you to make quick decisions without sacrificing accuracy.
Data verification allows marketing and sales teams to stay up-to-date with the latest changes in the market and adjust strategies accordingly. Making real-time decisions based on reliable data gives you a competitive advantage and positions your business as an industry leader.
How to Use Data Verification in B2B Lead Generation
There are a number of data verification tools you can use to simplify and automate the data verification process. The tools you use and the frequency you verify your data might depend on what information you collect and the volume.
Phone Validator
You can use a phone validator to verify phone numbers in your database. This tool will let you know whether numbers in your list are landline, cell, or VoIP numbers and whether they are active or disconnected. You can also get the carrier for each number as well as OCN and location.
This is a quick, affordable way to make your data more accurate and reduce fraud and spam complaints. All you need to do is upload your entire list of numbers, identify the columns you want verified, review your options, process, and download your results.
Bulk Email Verifier
Similarly, you can verify email addresses in bulk. Searchbug’s bulk email verifier conducts a 27-point check to make sure your email list is the best it can be. It identifies valid, invalid, disposable, toxic, and catch-all email addresses in your list. This allows you to remove them or fix them and prevent email bounces and increase email deliverability.
Your email list can also be plagued by abuse addresses, which are owned by users who often mark emails as spam, and spam trap email addresses that aren’t even owned by real people. Email validation can identify and label these addresses to help you keep your emails in users’ inboxes and protect your sending reputation from being marked as a spam sender. Email verification therefore increases engagement, conversions, and inbox delivery.
Batch Append
You can also append contact information to keep your entire list complete and up-to-date. Just upload your list of database records to find names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses that might be missing or incorrect.
APIs
APIs can be integrated into your website, too. This allows you to verify data at the point of entry. You can use an email verification API to identify invalid, spamtrap, abuse, toxic, and disposable email addresses that try to enter your database. This way, you know that emails are valid before you even add them to your list.
Using an identify phone number API not only lets you know everything about each phone number immediately, but it also helps protect you from TCPA violations. Find out right away which numbers are safe to call, which are registered on the national Do Not Call (DNC) registry, and which have been used in TCPA litigation.
Whether you use an API to verify your data at the point of entry or not, it is still recommended that you clean, or verify, your data regularly, at least twice a year. This is because data changes over time as people move, change phone companies, abandon email addresses, etc. The best way to make sure you are always working with the most accurate and up-to-date data is to verify it regularly—not just once.
Conclusion
Because of the many reasons above, data verification is the backbone of successful B2B lead generation. Accurate and reliable data translates directly into effective marketing efforts, lead scoring, personalization, customer engagement, and overall business success.
Data verification processes and tools are an investment that guarantee long-term savings. It’s fundamental to thriving in the always-evolving world of modern marketing. Ensure that your marketing strategies are well-targeted, cost-efficient, and capable of building lasting customer relationships today!
