Computer Keyboard With Red Cookies Key

Data Privacy in Marketing

Marking thrives on data and information. As a marketer, you collect information about the product, your competitors, and your customers. You may also use the data in your marketing plan to create targeted ads and campaigns. While having so much data at your fingertips is important to your marketing success, it’s also essential to keep this data private. Integrating data privacy into your marketing strategy creates a sense of trust with your customers and keeps you compliant with government rules and regulations.

At Advance Media New York, we understand how complex data privacy can be. Here, our team provides a brief overview of data privacy and offers tips on how to use it effectively.

What Is Data Privacy?

Data is like the currency of the internet, and data privacy protects the currency from being stolen. Without privacy protection in place, anyone can exploit and use personal information. In marketing, data privacy involves protecting personal information, handling data ethically, and using it reasonably.

Why Protecting Personal Information Is Important to Marketers

Countries across the globe have data protection regulations in place that companies must agree to before they can do business there. As a marketer, it is your job to ensure that you follow these regulations which have had a significant impact on digital marketing. Protecting your customers’ information, such as birth dates, credit card numbers, and phone numbers should be a priority for several reasons. They include:

  • Data stores confidential information about your company and customers.
  • Data privacy increases customer satisfaction and builds trust.
  • Data privacy enables companies to advertise to the right audience who has consented to their information being stored and shared.
  • Data privacy protects your company from scams and fraudulent activities.

Best Practices for Ethical and Responsible Data Collection

Customers are in a catch-22 when it comes to sharing their information. If they don’t consent to having their data collected, their online experience won’t be the same. However, if they share their information, they risk scammers and hackers being able to access their accounts. By being open and honest about what data you want and what you’ll use it for, you can create a stronger relationship with your customers and enrich their experiences.

There are a few simple ways you can ethically use and collect personal data that leads to trust and increases your brand recognition:

  • Update your privacy policy: Regularly reviewing and updating your policy ensures it is easy for customers to understand. It also allows you to change it to reflect the latest legislation.
  • Collect marketing consent: Using a consent pop-up on your website allows you to show how you plan to use consumer data. It also gives customers the option to pick and choose which data they want collected and how they want you to communicate with them.
  • Clean email lists: People change their email addresses all the time. Sweeping your lists eliminates obsolete data and increases the chances of your emails being seen.
  • Use data relationship management (DRM) programs: Information and data flow in from several sources and touchpoints. DRMs help structure data in an impactful way that is easy to understand and use in meaningful ways.
  • Be transparent: Help customers understand why sharing their data improves their experience. Do you tailor content to their interest? Do you offer exclusive deals? Share the benefits with your customers and let them choose to share their data with you.

Key Factors for Marketers to Consider

A healthy relationship is built on trust, and the same is true for the relationship between consumers and companies. Customers are now more aware of the potential risks of sharing their personal information online. Establishing trust allows you to reassure them that you handle their data responsibly. You can help build trust and transparency in the following ways:

  • Collect zero and first-party data: Ask customers to share their information through a survey or online sign-up form. You can also gather information through website visits and social media engagement.
  • Utilize data protection tools: Encryption, two-factor authentication, and safe data transfer and storage methods keep personal information secure. These tools can also protect customer information from data breaches.
  • Hire a Data Protection Officer (DPO): A DPO helps ensure your company follows data privacy rules.
  • Collect only what’s necessary: Extra data poses unnecessary risks for your company. Collecting only necessary information shows respect for consumer privacy.
  • Reduce unwanted communication: Only contact customers if they agree to communication, and only do so using channels they consented to. Don’t text them, send emails, or make calls without their permission.

Stay Up to Date With Advance Media New York

The world of digital marketing is ever-changing, and so too is data privacy. Staying knowledgeable on current trends and regulations is essential to build trust with your consumers and create a recognizable brand. Advance Media New York provides marketers with solutions to balance data privacy with tailored marketing experiences. To learn more about our work or view past case studies to see how we can help your business thrive, contact us today.