In this Forbes article, Bernard Marr reminds readers that data on its own is meaningless. To avoid drowning in data, and for data to be useful, marketers must first know what data is needed.  Otherwise, too much data will obscure the needed answers.

Marr stresses the importance of starting with a strategy and identifying the right questions. Know what you are trying to achieve, then develop the questions to which answers are needed.

By knowing the critical questions, the data needed to answer those questions can be accurately identified. By following this process, you will be able to improve performance and harness the primary power of data.  Decision-making will be supported by the data developed by asking the right questions

Marr concludes that data is a strategic asset, but it must be used constructively and appropriately, as he has outlined above, in order to deliver optimal results.

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