 Leveraging Your Data
If you are going to collect data for a directory, but
not planning to store it in a data base, then you are
about to miss the opportunity of having your information
available for other purposes. Leveraging your data means
storing it in a format which allows you to use it over
and over again for multiple purposes.
Once the information is entered into a data base, it can
also be used to generate letters, listee update
questionnaires, labels, files for desktop publishing, or
sent to a disk/CD for deliverr to a typesetter. It can even be
used to produce HTML pages for placement on the internet
where readers can view and access it directly. In fact,
you can even use web-site forms to be the source of
on-line data collection for your directory. For this
purpose, update questionnaires which are being mailed out can
be used to direct your listees to your web-site for a
hidden data entry form, or the site itself can promote
collection of information for publishing in your
directory. If you've built a list of e-mail addresses for
the listees, you can broadcast out the information to be
updated, or just send a general notice message with a URL
directing them to the specific spot where they can update
their own information.
A well thought out data base can be used for other
purposes besides generating a directory. It can also be
used as a promotion data base, or a research source for
future editorial or sales projects.
If you don't have the in-house expertise to develop
and maintain your own data base of information, consider
out-sourcing that part of the work. Or consider having a
custom application written specifically for your needs as
a secondary alternative. But whatever you wish to do,
contact us for some direction if you feel that you may
need it.
|
