“With great power comes great responsibility” is both an ancient adage with roots over 2000 years ago and it is really the perfect summary of the most important principle of using consumer data for marketing.
Responsible Consumer Data Management
As a publisher, we know the power that accurate consumer data can have for an advertising campaign. We also know that consumer data represents consumer trust. The misuse of consumer data, the consequences will be profound.
As a responsible member of the performance marketing industry, you need to find ways to use that data to benefit all parties. Both your company and the consumer need to protect all information. Protecting customers will help stop compliance issues that can arise from using consumer data. At Visiqua, have thought for a long time about the best ways to responsibly help our clients use consumer data.
Here, we have compiled our 5 best tips for using consumer data carefully. These tips reflect the practices that we use as a company to obtain data. We use these tips as advice that we give our clients when they purchase data, leads, or services from Visiqua.
UX is King
When many companies begin to think about best practices when using consumer data, their first thought is often protecting themselves legally. Unfortunately, this mindset is backward. When you spend your time thinking too much about legal protection, your company becomes less and less creative.
Instead, you want to start thinking in terms of user experience. The ultimate goal of a compliance push should be improving user experience, ensuring that the users who interact with your company feel good about the way your company uses their data to create a unique, tailored experience. You want the user to feel like you are trying to get to know them, not like you are stealing their information.
Get Help
Compliance can sometimes take a back seat for companies because it just seems so intimidating. Online advertising is governed by a slew of state, national, and international laws, and keeping track of them all can feel like a full-time job.
Fortunately, services have recently sprung up around companies who want easier ways to remain compliant and use consumer data responsibly. Organizations like Consumer Consent are helping companies remain compliant in their advertisement and create a great user experience.
Present Data, Don’t Retrieve
One huge step in improving user experience through consumer data is the idea of presenting rather than retrieving it. Few customers have the time and energy to invest in filling out online forms, and many users cite online forms as an annoyance that drives them away from sites. With that in mind, how do you ensure that you have the right information about your user so that you can advertise to them correctly?
Generally, you can retrieve some information from anyone who visits a website. This information is a great starting point for retrieving more information. If you present the information you have to your consumer and ask them to verify, for example saying “Hello Mindy, are you still located in California?” Presenting information like this and giving Mindy a chance to click “yes” or “no” is a great way to make your customers feel at ease with the data you have on them.
Monitor For Compliance
Within your company, you should work to ensure compliance through monitoring. There are third-party services such as Black List Alliance, One Trust, and Jornaya that will provide AI to help you monitor your calls so that you can ensure that if an employee is using problematic or non-compliant language in calls, they will receive early feedback.
Remember, monitoring for compliance is not about framing your employees or engaging in a “gotcha” culture. Instead, think of it as professional development. In an age where do not call lists are constantly changing, it is very tough to stay up-to-date on compliance.
Check your Data, and Check Again
That brings us to our last point. The most important aspect of responsibly using customer data is staying ahead of the curve. Find ways to check your work regularly. It is important to to make sure you are both remaining compliant and working to improve user experience. As a company, you should schedule these checks into your business schedule and plan to verify the quality of user experience regularly.
If you can keep these five tips in mind, you will be able to harness customer data to ensure that you remain compliant and that you deliver the best consumer experience possible. By working toward these two goals simultaneously, you will be able to increase both profits and satisfaction.
