在今日，談起人工智慧，人人口中都會提到輝達；與之相比，提到數位行銷，沒人能忽略谷歌的影響力。實際上，這家矽谷巨頭的廣告業務收入，占總營收的比重高達七成，而廣義來說，廣告業務的核心技術就是數位行銷。《用數據讓客人買不停》書名本身相當有吸引力，加上作者尼爾．霍恩（Neil Hoyne）曾任 Google 數據策略長，參與、指導過許多企業數位轉型專案，這些都更加增添了讀者對本書內容的期待。
本書的主題環繞在指導企業打造長久、有效的客戶關係，而出乎意料的是，作者認為執行高品質的數位行銷，資料和工具並不是最重要的事。他主張一切應該從簡單著手，別理會商業雜誌、軟體廠商每年強力推銷的時髦術語。在正確的心態下，僅靠手上的客戶交易發票和基本的客戶聯絡資料，就能成就一些驚人的成果。不斷測試與優化，而非原地踏步，是數位行銷能夠長久發展的一項關鍵。一封加上姓名、量身客製化的電子郵件，開信率就能提升 20%；轉換率增加 31%，像這樣的小嘗試不勝枚舉。
除了常見的網站行為追蹤外，直接和客戶對話也是一種能夠了解對方的做法。而實作的重點，在於要問對問題。例如問「你購買本項產品是作為禮物嗎？」、「你在外出用餐方面花費多少錢？」前者回答「是」的人，往往是更認同該品牌的優勢客戶；後者則是藉由了解客戶的消費能力，推算其潛在的成長空間。而像是「你最喜歡我們的地方是什麼？」這樣正面的詢問，比起「你覺得有任何需要改進的地方嗎？」這種負面的問法，更能帶來 8% 的客戶銷售額成長。
從事數位行銷工作，絕對要擁抱消費者行為分析的科學發現，讓人類天性的強處與弱處，都成為你的助力。無論是文字上的微調、強調商品的稀少性，或是營造群眾效應等操作手法，都已被證明是有效影響人們行為的技巧，但也要小心其黑暗面，不要玩過頭。在執行行銷計畫上，作者也提出簡明扼要的指導：一切都要從欲解決的問題著手，不必大費周章製作試算表，也能開始進行。設定目標、辨識信號、建立衡量標準；如果資料真的太過複雜，機器學習便可以派上用場。也請記得多利用市面上已有的工具和方法學，不要重新發明輪子。也要記得世事多變，你所得出的看法並非恆久不變的真理，要持續投資，以找到屬於明天的答案。
做人不要大小眼，但經營一家公司卻不然，把心力花在忠誠客戶身上，遠比花在過路客身上更理性，也更符合實務。有一個簡單、有效的工具，就是計算顧客終身價值，並將80 / 20 法則牢記在心。別期望人們的行為會有大幅度的改變，給予精打細算的客戶更多優惠，只會犧牲自身的淨利，增加不必要的客戶獲取成本。成功的企業總是了解最有價值的客戶是哪一群人，並打造出能夠獲得他們歡心的活動，迎合他們原本的偏好與行為。
Today, when people talk about artificial intelligence (AI), everyone thinks of NVIDIA. In the same way, when people talk about digital marketing, no one can ignore Google's influence. In fact, about 70% of Google's total revenue comes from advertising. In a broad sense, the core technology behind advertising is digital marketing. The title of the book, *Data-Driven Marketing*, is very attractive. Also, the author, Neil Hoyne, was once Google's Chief Strategist for Data and Measurement. He has worked on and guided many companies through digital transformation projects. All of this makes readers expect a lot from this book.
The main purpose of this book is to teach businesses how to build strong and lasting relationships with customers. Surprisingly, the author believes that data and tools are not the most important parts of good digital marketing. He says that everything should start with simplicity. Don't pay too much attention to the trendy terms that business magazines and software companies promote every year. With the right mindset, even simple customer invoices and basic contact information can help you achieve amazing results. The key to long-term success is to keep testing and improving instead of standing still. For example, simply adding a customer's name to an email can increase the open rate by 20%. It can also increase the conversion rate by 31%. There are many small improvements like these.
Besides tracking customer behavior on websites, talking directly with customers is another good way to understand them. The most important thing is to ask the right questions. For example, you can ask, "Are you buying this product as a gift?" or "How much do you spend on eating out?" Customers who answer "yes" to the first question are often more loyal to the brand. The second question helps you understand a customer's spending power and future potential. Another example is asking, "What do you like most about us?" This positive question works better than asking, "Is there anything we should improve?" According to the book, the positive question can lead to an 8% increase in customer sales.
If you work in digital marketing, you should understand what consumer behavior research has taught us. Human strengths and weaknesses can both become useful tools. Simple changes in wording, creating a sense of limited supply, or showing that many other people are buying the same product have all been proven to influence people's decisions. However, these methods also have a dark side, so they should be used carefully. The author also gives simple advice on how to plan a marketing campaign. Start with the problem you want to solve. You do not need complicated spreadsheets before you begin. Set your goals, identify the important signals, and decide how to measure success. If the data becomes too complicated, machine learning can help. Also, remember to use the tools and methods that already exist. There is no need to reinvent the wheel. At the same time, remember that the world is always changing. Your conclusions today may not be true tomorrow. Keep investing in learning so you can find tomorrow's answers.
In daily life, we should treat everyone fairly. But in business, things are different. It makes more sense to spend your time and effort on loyal customers than on one-time buyers. One simple and useful tool is Customer Lifetime Value (CLV). Another important idea is the 80/20 rule. Don't expect people to change their behavior too much. Giving bigger discounts to customers who already look for the best deals will only reduce your profits and increase your customer acquisition cost. Successful companies always know who their most valuable customers are. They create products, services, and marketing activities that these customers truly like, instead of trying to change their natural preferences and behavior.
