Effective marketing is a first consideration, mission critical component of any successful rollout. Whether standing up a brand new ISP or expanding into new markets. Marketing  is not only a sales tool, it is an invaluable market intelligence tool as well. We all know that the various data sources that are available, whether FCC 477 data, state level data sets, census block data, address level data, any numerous others, are inherently incomplete. While these data sets, when incorporated into sophisticated mapping scenarios, may point to a potentially viable market, the map is never the territory. Additionally, the awarding and dispersal of federal and state grants must be brought into the equation as a data point. In order to build confidence in a potential market, these data and marketing initiatives are only a first series of steps.

Subsequent to these efforts and once a potentially viable market has been identified, a “pre-sale” marketing campaign must be initiated. This is the mechanism that moves beyond data based speculation and will allow for real-world insights. In short, this is what will validate or invalidate the insights gleaned from the data and mapping stages. This is when on the ground interest will emerge. This is when and where intelligence based decisions can be made and costly missteps can be avoided.