I’m sure you’re not alone if you are. But this isn’t your typical how-the-GDPR-will-kill-your-marketing post. We’ve all read enough of those to last a lifetime.
Yet the fact remains — the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation is here to stay. And with all the recent furor over Facebook’s (mis)handling of user data, an eventual US version of the legislation doesn’t seem all that far-fetched.
So maybe it’s time we shift our focus and try making the best of things? As marketers, you might as well get very used to treating customers and their data with proper care and respect, and that includes email content security. It’s about so much more than complying with current or future regulations — it’s about ensuring you earn and keep your customers’ trust. And improving security and trust can’t possibly be anything but positive, for us and for our customers alike.
The GDPR’s data consent requirements are also a good thing. (No, that’s not a joke.) The regulations require businesses to obtain the user’s consent before collecting even a single piece of data, while providing clear and concise information about how that data will be used and with whom it will be shared (if anyone). This requirement is a massive opportunity to improve customer relationships by enhancing transparency around data privacy and security. A customer who knows what data you’re collecting, how you’ll use it, and perhaps most importantly, how you’ll protect it, is a customer who is more likely to trust you with that data.
Not only that but collecting consent gives you an opportunity to sell the enhanced, personalized customer experience the user’s data will allow you to offer. A customer is more likely to share their data and give their consent for you to use it if they have a good, ‘what’s in it for me?‘ reason to do so.
“If you let us track your browsing behaviour with this cookie/tracking pixel, we’ll be able to provide you with relevant, personalized content as you explore our site.”
That’s just a quick-and-dirty example — I’m sure you can do much, much better — but you get the idea.
And as you deliver on the experiences you promise, while making it easy for the user to update or delete their data, you’ll be incrementally building trust and forging a relationship with an engaged customer.
Sounds an awful lot like a recipe for building brand loyalty, doesn’t it?
If you’d like to know more about GDPR marketing and compliance, our white paper goes into much greater detail. Check it out!
Marketing for Consent:
How to Make GDPR Marketing & Compliance Work for You
Want to learn more?
View our webinar! Sendwithus CEO Matt Harris and VP of Engineering Will Warren discuss basic principles of GDPR compliance and the massive opportunity for improved customer relationships they represent.
You’ll learn more about how to see consent requirements as a chance to earn your customers’ trust and encourage them to share both the data you need to deliver optimized experiences and the consent to use it.
WEBINAR:
Marketing for Consent: How to Make GDPR Compliance Work for You
