Customer empathy is a competitive advantage

As an agency dedicated to helping businesses excel in the world of ecommerce, we have seen time and time again how a lack of customer empathy can hinder even the most well-thought-out strategic plans. Many of the clients we onboard come to us with ideas that are focused solely on their own bottom line, forgetting that at the heart of any successful business are the customers.

Embracing a customer-centric approach isn’t just a good deed; it’s a strategic game-changer. Time and time again, brands that prioritize customer experiences outshine the competition in financial success.

So, imagine infusing your strategic planning with the magic of customer empathy – the secret ingredient for progress. This approach will allow you to embark on innovation with a human-centered mindset, decoding the “why” behind your analytical thinking. This fusion leads you to solutions that don’t just inch forward, they propel you in new directions. 

For most businesses, the journey begins with truly understanding people’s needs. Delve into emotions, desires, motivations, and the driving forces behind behaviors. By grasping the thoughts and feelings of your customers, you’re primed to create solutions that resonate. 

With this method, cultural and operational barriers dissolve, replaced by a profound connection to customers. This connection leads to exceeded expectations and improved experiences. Ready to dive in? Let’s talk through five ways to transform your strategic planning.

1. Understand your customers through comprehensive research

Data is definitely useful, but to truly grasp what motivates your customers, you need to go deeper. That’s where qualitative research comes in. By taking the time to truly understand their emotions, attitudes, and behaviors, you’ll gain insights that can’t be found through data alone. Don’t get us wrong – quantitative data has its place, but when you marry that with the power of qualitative research, you’ll gain a holistic understanding of your customer base. 

2. Prioritize customer insights

One key element to transforming your strategic planning is the prioritization of customer insights. It’s easy to fall into the trap of using our own opinions as a proxy for our customer’s needs, but that’s a surefire way to miss the mark. By adopting an objective stance and really listening to our customers, we can gain valuable understandings that will inform every aspect of our strategic planning. It’s not always easy to let go of our personal relationship with the brand, but it’s absolutely essential to put evidenced findings first and ensure that our customers’ needs and desires are at the heart of everything we do. 

3. Invest in informed decision-making

Often, resource limitations are seen as roadblocks to conducting research. But let’s shift that perspective. Research isn’t an optional extra; it’s a savvy investment that pays off. When you unveil customer insights, you’re not just reducing risks – you’re supercharging your decision-making. The benefits gained from well-informed strategies far exceed the costs of gathering vital data.

Think of it as an opportunity, not an obstacle. With research, you’re not just spending; you’re securing the pathway to success.

4. Frame your challenges first

Amid challenges, we often rush to solutions—a natural impulse. However, consider this: dedicating attention to framing solutions themselves. By prioritizing this approach, we establish a robust bedrock for strategic planning. It’s a shift from urgency to measured consideration, and it holds the potential to redefine your organization’s trajectory. Step away from quick fixes and explore the potency of this strategic transition.

5. Champion customers’ voices

Championing the customer’s voice sparks opportunities. By centering on customers, decisions naturally lean towards their experience, not just internal factors like tech upgrades or cost-saving. Even when an advocate is present, remember this: shared insights deepen understanding. They form the foundation for nurturing a customer-focused mindset, turning empathy into a collaborative force across the entire business.

Elevate your customer empathy quotient

At JH, we help eCommerce brands on Adobe Commerce and Magento Open Source bridge their empathy gap by continually seeking a fresh customer perspective. We undertake generative and evaluative research to inform everything from strategic plans to interface designs. And we help clients adopt habits that make them truly customer-centric.

To help you, we’ve created a couple of self-assessment tools to gauge the effectiveness of your research activities and roadmap planning. To receive these, fill in the form – where you will also have the chance to enter a giveaway to win a charming JH memory bear. After completing the assessment, why not connect with us? We want to know how you’re performing.

One area of confusion is the difference between ‘cross-channel‘, ‘omnichannel’, and ‘multichannel’ marketing strategies. By exploring these terms and their benefits, we can clear up any confusion and help you make the best decision for your business. So let’s investigate what these terms mean and how they can benefit you.

What is cross-channel marketing?

Cross-channel marketing is all about connecting with your customers across multiple channels. We’re not just talking about sending out a bunch of emails or posting on social media. It’s about creating a seamless experience for your customers, no matter where they are. 

Think about it, your customers are constantly switching between different devices and platforms throughout their day. They might be reading their inbox on their phone, browsing search engines on their laptop, or scrolling through social media on their tablet. By utilizing cross-channel marketing, you can reach them at each of these touchpoints and make sure they get a consistent message from your brand. 

Figuring out which channels your audience prefers and personalizing each channel is an important aspect of cross-channel marketing. Are your customers more active on social media? Do they prefer email? Once you have that figured out, it’s all about creating a consistent and tailored message that works across those channels.

Some key aspects of cross-channel marketing are:

Coordinated cross-channel strategy

Cross-channel marketing amps up your reach by strategically coordinating your campaigns across multiple channels. This creates a seamless, consistent message for your audience no matter which platform they use. 

Increase cross-channel reach

By using cross-channel marketing, you have the power to reach a larger audience thanks to the variety of platforms available. Each channel offers the opportunity to connect with different segments of your target market, amplifying your brand’s visibility and presence.

Personalized touchpoints across channels

Cross-channel marketing enables businesses to create personalized touchpoints with customers based on their behavior and preferences. By tailoring your message and content to suit the individual, you can effectively address their needs, desires, and pain points at various stages in the customer journey.

What is omnichannel marketing?

Omnichannel marketing is similar to cross-channel as it allows you to deliver a seamless and integrated customer journey across marketplaces, devices, channels, and platforms. 

When comparing omnichannel and cross-channel marketing, the main difference is that omnichannel integrates marketing efforts, data, and strategy under one umbrella while cross-channel does not.

With omnichannel, data is organized centrally and becomes more reliable. This creates more chances for personalization as customer data is synchronized, making it easier to deliver personalized content and messages. This approach enables retailers to offer shoppers the products they need, when and where they need them.

So how does it work? Let’s say someone finds your company through a Facebook ad and decides to view your website. With omnichannel marketing, you want to make sure that the messaging and branding on your website match what they saw in the ad. And if they decide to make a purchase, you want to make sure that their shopping cart is saved across devices, so they can seamlessly continue the checkout process on their phone or tablet.

Some key aspects of omnichannel marketing are:

Customer-centric focus

The primary goal of omnichannel marketing is to ensure customers have a convenient and engaging experience, regardless of the channel they use. By prioritizing the needs and preferences of your customers, you can create a unified experience that encourages brand loyalty and satisfaction.

Connected interactions

In an omnichannel strategy, all customer interactions are interconnected, allowing for a smooth transition between various touchpoints. For example, a customer browsing your website on their phone can continue shopping on your desktop site or in-store, experiencing the same level of personalization and tailored recommendations.

Data integration

Omnichannel marketing relies on integrated customer data that provides a holistic view of each individual’s preferences and behaviors. This information enables businesses to offer relevant content, promotions, and offers across all channels, enhancing the overall customer experience.

What is multichannel marketing?

Multichannel marketing is using different marketing channels to reach your audience. Instead of just relying on one method, like email or social media, you’re spreading your message across various platforms to maximize your chances of connecting with potential customers.

Think about it like fishing. If you only cast your line in one spot, you might catch a few fish, but you’re limiting your chances of reeling in a big one. But if you cast your line in several different spots, you’re increasing your odds of catching something awesome, right?

So, multichannel marketing works the same way. You’re casting your marketing net wider, reaching people through different channels. This approach amplifies your brand visibility, as you’re able to reach a larger and more diverse audience who might have different preferences when it comes to how they like to receive information.

Some key aspects of multichannel marketing are: 

Diverse channel selection

Multichannel marketing involves implementing a mix of channels, such as email, social media, content marketing, paid advertising, and traditional avenues like print or TV ads, to reach your audience. By leveraging each channel’s strengths, you can optimize your overall marketing strategy and reach a wider range of customers.

Channel-specific strategies

With multichannel marketing, each channel has its unique strategy, catering to the specific characteristics of that platform. For example, social media campaigns might focus on building brand personality and driving customer engagement, while email marketing is more targeted towards nurturing leads and driving conversions.

Measurement and optimization

If you use multichannel marketing, analyze the performance of each channel to determine which are most effective in achieving your business goals. Through data analysis and performance metrics, you can optimize your marketing strategy by allocating resources to the most successful channels and maximizing the return on investment (ROI).

What approach is best for me?

Choosing the right strategy depends on your business goals, resources, and the preferences of your target audience. To determine the best fit, consider these key factors:

Customer experience

If delivering a completely unified and immersive customer experience (CX) is your priority, cross-channel or omni-channel marketing may be best suited for your business. 

Personalization

For businesses looking to personalize messaging and engagement at specific milestones in the customer journey, cross-channel marketing offers the flexibility and customization needed to create targeted touchpoints.

Channel diversity

If your focus is on actively engaging with customers via multiple channels, without necessarily linking the messages or strategy between them, multi-channel marketing is the ideal approach.

How Dotdigital helps your cross-channel marketing strategy

Here at Dotdigital, know the importance of implementing comprehensive marketing tools tailored to your business goals and target audience. That’s why we’ve developed an innovative cross-channel platform as an all-in-one solution to help manage your channels.

With the Dotdigital platform, you can:

Connect with your customers on all their favorite channels

In today’s world, reaching savvy customers through multiple marketing channels is essential to stay ahead of the game. With Dotdigital, you can effortlessly connect with your audience across various touchpoints, leading to a more effective and rewarding marketing strategy.

Create seamless customer journeys

Dotdigital’s marketing tools help you send personalized messages to customers through email, text messages, and social media. By enhancing their experience at every stage of their journey, you’ll be able to build stronger relationships and drive engagement.

Supercharge your email marketing

Email is a powerful way to stay in touch with customers who want to hear from your business. Dotdigital’s email builder makes designing eye-catching emails a breeze so that you can grab your customers’ attention and inspire them to take action.

Turn texts into sales

Have you considered using SMS marketing to reach your customers? It’s a quick and effective way to connect with them in real time. With Dotdigital, you can integrate your text messages with other channels like email and social media to increase your chances of making a sale.

Grow, convert, and retain with social media retargeting

Looking to expand your customer base? Dotdigital has got you covered. With Facebook Lead Ads, you can easily acquire new leads and grow your marketing lists. Plus, keep your current customers engaged by showing them targeted ads after they visit your website.

Reduce barriers to purchase with live chat

Forrester says using live chat on your website can increase conversion rates by up to 40%. With Dotdigital’s live chat feature, you can make it easy for customers to get the help they need while also increasing their happiness and likelihood of buying from you. 

Reach customers anywhere with push notifications

Dotdigital helps you stay connected with customers by sending them timely push notifications on their smartphones. These messages remind customers of your business and encourage them to take action, like making a purchase.

Summary

So there you have it – the key differences between cross-channel, omnichannel, and multichannel marketing. Now that you’re in the know, it’s the perfect time to reevaluate your marketing strategy. The good news? Dotdigital’s cross-channel platform can make the journey smoother and more effective than ever before.

1. Tap into eRFM

eRFM customer modeling is a good way to determine whether your customers are genuinely engaged. This tool empowers you to categorize customers based on their past behaviors and actions. eRFM looks at data from four metrics: engagement, recency, frequency, and monetary value.

With eRFM modeling you can develop comprehensive customer segments. Each RFM persona receives an engagement score, so you can identify customers who are primed for conversion, and those who need to be re-engaged. With detailed segments, you can use eRFM to adapt your email marketing strategy to send the right message to your audience at the best time.

2. Predictive AI (Artificial intelligence)

By utilizing predictive analytics powered by Dotdigital’s WinstonAI, you can turn insights into action. Using AI, you can segment your customers based on predicted actions such as a customer’s anticipated next purchase date. This enables you to create timely and relevant marketing campaigns that reach your audience at the perfect moment. Not only does this help you keep your customers, but it also ensures that your messages remain relevant and the conversation continues.

You can use predictive analytics to forecast what products your customers may be interested in next. WinstonAI will analyze browsing history, past purchases, and spending patterns to understand your customer’s unique tastes and interests. This allows you to offer tailored product recommendations before they even know what they want themselves.

3. Behavioral segmentation

Unlocking the full potential of email marketing begins with understanding your subscribers through behavioral segmentation. Start by closely monitoring their email interactions; keep a keen eye on email metrics like opens, clicks on links or attachments, and conversions. This data lays the foundation to help you create highly effective messaging and content.

For ecommerce business owners, understanding your customers’ buying patterns is important. Take a closer look at your customers’ purchase histories, average order value (AOV), and category preferences. This information can assist you in not only refining your segmentation strategy, but also creating personalized campaigns that cater to each customer’s interests and needs.

4. Lookalike segmentation

If you’re looking to reach potential customers who share similarities with your ideal buyers, why not try Dotdigital’s lookalike segmentation tool. To start, you’ll need to use the single customer view (SCV) feature.

Dotdigital’s SCV gives you a holistic view of every one of your customers. You can see all your customer’s interactions, preferences, and behaviors from different touchpoints like email, SMS, and website activity. This helps you better understand your target audience and you can recognize their behavior patterns and trends. With this knowledge, you can optimize and tailor your email marketing campaigns.

Once you have insights from your SCV, you can then identify ideal customer profiles to represent your best buyers and create lookalike segments based on that information. With just one click, you can use these segments to effectively target the right prospects with the right message.

5. Self-segmentation

You can get customers to self-segment using preference centers. Encouraging your customers to select their preferences at an early stage in their journey allows you to use zero-party data to create customer segments.

In the preference center, your subscribers can set and modify their content, frequency, and communication channel preferences. Then you can create segments using selected preferences to easily send messages to your contacts based on their expressed interests in your brand and products.

Alternatively, you may want to send out a survey or questionnaire to learn more about your audience and hyper-personalize your messages. Let’s say your customer service survey asks someone their job title and you find that your audience base has many teachers. Try sending out messages that align with their interests and career seasonality to strategically deliver the right message at the right time to the right people.

6. Preferred channel segmentation

When it comes to cross-channel marketing, recognizing your customer’s preferred channels is your secret weapon for maximizing audience engagement. It helps you discover the communication methods your audience prefers most. 

Start by segmenting your audience based on their preferred channel. By doing so, you will not only increase the efficiency of your segmentation strategy but also ensure a seamless cross-channel customer experience for your customers.

It’s also a good idea to maintain an up-to-date contact list of your customers’ preferred channels. This way, you can easily pinpoint where they’re most active and tailor your cross-channel marketing approach to resonate with their preferences.

By reaching out to your contacts through the channels they’re most likely to engage with, you’ll be well on your way to forging meaningful connections and nurturing long-lasting relationships with your customer base. 

7. Event-triggered segmentation

Segment customers based on key milestones in the journey with your brand. You can do this by sending them a special discount on their birthday or celebrating their brand anniversary. 

Sending personalized messages to your customers is an excellent way to demonstrate appreciation and foster brand loyalty. For instance, if you have customers who were born in a specific month and haven’t engaged with your brand in a while, you can segment this group and provide them with a customized birthday discount. This not only encourages them to come back, but also demonstrates your consideration for their special occasion.

Summary

By using these seven innovative segmentation techniques, you can deliver personalized and relevant content to engage your customers. When you make your messages more in tune with individual preferences and interests, you’re much more likely to boost engagement, form deeper connections, and ultimately make your customers happier.

1. Make your content mobile and desktop friendly

In today’s digital age, it’s important to ensure that your content is not only visually appealing but also optimized for both mobile and desktop devices. With more and more people shopping and browsing through their phones and laptops, it’s important to review how your website performs across different devices and make any necessary optimizations.

By making your content mobile and desktop friendly, you can provide a pleasant browsing experience for your users. Nobody wants to zoom in or scroll endlessly just to read the content or view product details. So make sure that your website and email design is responsive, with easy navigation, readable text, and properly sized images.

Optimizing your website for mobile devices can also help reduce abandoned carts and increase conversions. If users find it difficult to navigate or complete a purchase on their phones or tablets, they are more likely to abandon their carts. On the other hand, if the checkout process is smooth and user-friendly on all devices, it can lead to higher conversion rates.

2. Turn abandoned carts into revenue with crafty email follow-ups

The holiday season is here, and with more shoppers turning to online shopping, it’s the perfect time to focus on fine-tuning your abandoned cart recovery strategy. Don’t let those potential customers slip away – give them a chance to save their carts for later.

One effective way to reconnect with shoppers who’ve shown interest in your products is through personalized emails or messages. By sending follow-up messages tailored specifically to their abandoned carts, you can remind them of the items they left behind and entice them to complete their purchase.

Whether it’s a friendly email highlighting the benefits of the products or a text message offering a limited-time discount, these personalized approaches can make a significant difference in recovering lost sales during this busy holiday season.

3. Add a personal touch to your messaging

When it comes to holiday messaging, personalization is key. Gone are the days of generic mass emails and cookie-cutter marketing campaigns. Today, it’s all about creating a personal connection with your audience.

By utilizing the data you’ve gathered from preference centers and first-party data sources, you can tailor your messages to cater to each individual’s preferences and behaviors. This level of personalization not only shows that you value their unique needs but also increases the chances of engagement and conversion.

Imagine receiving an email that speaks directly to your interests or a targeted holiday ad that showcases products you’ve been eyeing. It instantly creates a sense of connection and makes you feel understood as a consumer.

4. Sprinkle some holiday magic into your SEO

The holiday season is the perfect time to sprinkle some festive magic into your website’s SEO. By incorporating festive keywords throughout your SEO copywriting and product descriptions, you can capture the attention of shoppers who are in the holiday spirit.

One way to add a touch of holiday flair to your SEO is by updating your meta tags and headings to showcase that seasonal spirit. By including keywords like “holiday deals,” “gift ideas,” or those related to your product, you can align your website to what customers are searching for at this time of year. By with your customers’ seasonal searches, you can increase the chances of attracting more traffic to your website. 

You can make the most out of your website traffic by incorporating a clear call-to-action (CTA) section. Not only does it help enhance your click-through rate, but it also allows you to drive revenue. By organizing your CTAs with various links, you can cater to the different interests and preferences of your visitors.

To make your CTAs engaging, use simple language that is easy for users to understand. A user-friendly layout will also encourage them to take action. Remember, the goal is to create a seamless experience that entices users to click and explore further.

5. Be social media savvy

The holiday season is the perfect time to have some extra fun on social media. With so many people spending time online during this festive period, using paid and organic social methods is an effective way to reach both new and loyal customers.

On Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, you can use targeted ads to connect with your desired audience uniquely. These platforms offer a range of gamification options to incorporate into your ad campaigns. You can create engaging content that resonates with your demographic using interactive quizzes, polls, and immersive storytelling experiences.

By adding gamification elements to your social media ads, you can transform the user experience from passive viewing to active participation. This approach not only increases brand awareness but also encourages interaction and engagement with your target audience.

But why stop there? For an added layer of flair and authenticity, team up with influencers who resonate with your target audience. Collaborating with influencers can help you tap into their engaged followers and create a buzz around your brand during the holiday season.

Time to wrap up

These five simple and engaging tips will help make your holiday marketing campaign a smashing success. By keeping your messaging personalized, your SEO festive, and your content as device-friendly and heartwarming as possible, you’re setting yourself up for a profitable holiday season. So why wait? Jump into the holiday marketing fun and spread good cheer all around.

It’s important to prioritize customer data privacy and make it a central part of your marketing strategy. At Dotdigital, we know that understanding data privacy can be complex and you may have concerns and questions. That’s why we created this blog to explain the key considerations and best practices you should use. By embracing these practices you’ll build trust with your customers and comply with regulations.

What is data privacy?

In a nutshell, data privacy is the protection, and the fair and transparent use of an individual’s personal information, preferences, and activities. With the rise of online customer data, new measures have been developed to protect personally identifiable information (PII) such as full names, dates of birth, email addresses, financial details, and browsing history. 

How governments and organizations are safeguarding customer data privacy

To tackle the pressing concerns surrounding data collection, governments and organizations across the world are taking action to protect personal information. As a marketer, it’s important to be compliant when collecting data. Consider keeping an eye on these regulations:

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Data privacy regulations like GDPR have made a big impact on marketing. These regulations aim to give people more control over their personal data and make sure businesses ask for clear permission before getting and using their data. Due to this, digital marketers have had to change how they collect data and update their privacy policies to follow the new regulations.

One big challenge for marketers with GDPR is having to be extra clear about how they collect and use data. Companies have to let people know what they’re doing with their data and give them a choice to say yes or no to having their information collected. This makes it more complicated for marketers to target customers and personalize content, as they need to be sure they have the right permission from people before using their data.

Another key part of GDPR is handling requests for people to see or delete their data. Customers can ask companies to show them the data they have on them and request for it to be deleted if they don’t want it stored anymore. Marketers need to be ready to deal with these requests quickly and properly to follow GDPR regulations.

Emerging privacy legalization in the US

As data privacy evolves globally, the United States has started enacting its own privacy laws. Although the country has yet to implement a comprehensive, nationwide data privacy regulation similar to the European Union’s GDPR, individual states have begun stepping up their efforts to protect their citizens’ privacy.

One of the most prominent examples is the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which came into effect in January 2020. The law grants Californians more control over their personal information by giving them the right to know what data businesses collect, who they share it with, and if desired, they can delete it. Additionally, the CCPA allows consumers to opt out of selling personal information to third parties.

Several states have looked to California’s lead and are creating privacy legislation. Virginia, for instance, passed the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA) in March 2021, adding yet another layer of privacy protection for its citizens. Similar to the CCPA, the VCDPA gives Virginians more control over their data, offering transparency, access, deletion, and opt-out rights.

Apple’s privacy-focused updates

Marketers continue to face new challenges with Apple’s privacy-focused updates. The MPP (Mail Privacy Protection) feature, introduced in 2021, serves as one example. MPP uses a bot to open incoming emails as soon as they arrive in the recipient’s inbox. This method saves user privacy by hiding IP addresses and preventing open rates from exposing the recipient’s location or tracking their online activity.

In addition to MPP, Apple’s recent iOS 17 privacy updates add another layer of protection for users. These updates have been implemented to safeguard user data and privacy, making it increasingly difficult for marketers to track and measure engagement through traditional methods. For instance, iOS 17 features Link Tracking Protection, which automatically removes tracking parameters from messages, mail, and links, complicating the process of linking an interaction to a specific user.

Despite these challenges, you don’t need to panic. Link tracking remains a useful tool and metric, with only specific link types for certain user cases being affected. For example, Dotdigital customers are expected to see less than a 1% impact on the data they gather from link tracking. By staying informed and adapting to these changes, you can be an ethical marketer and protect your audience’s privacy.

Best practices for responsible data collection

Customers can feel limited when collecting data. If they don’t consent to data collection, their overall experience will be lessened. However, if you’re open and transparent about what data you want and why you want it, you’ll build a relationship based on honesty and integrity. Here are some ways to be ethical when collecting or using personal data: 

1. Use consent management tools: Don’t leave your customers guessing about the data you’re collecting. Use our consent insight feature at the point of sign-up. With this, you can be transparent about the data you collect, and how it will be used, and offer a fair and easy way for customers to provide (or withhold) their consent.
2. Build a preference center: Show your customers you respect their choices by providing an easily accessible preference center. Let them easily add or remove information, and include it in every email you send. 
3. Include a double opt-in: Double opt-in ensures that marketing lists are accurate and high-quality. Make it a standard for any channel you use and your customer engagement will improve.
4. Offer alternative channels: Different customers have different communication preferences. While some prefer emails, others prefer SMS or WhatsApp. Stick to their preferences by giving them the option to choose their favorite channel to ensure an optimal customer experience. 
5. Communicate the benefits: Help your customers understand how sharing their data can improve their experience with your brand. Are you offering exclusive deals? Tailoring content to their interests? Let them know what’s in it for them, and they’ll share willingly. Transparency is key. 

How to build trust and transparency

Trust is an important part of being a responsible marketer. Trust is no longer just a nice to have, it’s a necessity. Customers are more aware than ever of the potential risks associated with sharing personal information online. By establishing trust with your customers, you can reassure them that their data will be handled responsibly. This not only helps to build a positive reputation for your company but also ensures that customers feel safe and secure when interacting with you. 

Here are ways to build trust and transparency:

1. Collect zero and first-party data: To create trust and show respect for privacy, focus on collecting zero-party data by asking customers to share information via a survey or sign-up form. Also, gather first-party data from your customers’ direct actions, like website visits or social media engagements. 
2. Use data protection tools: Keep customer information safe by using encryption, secure storage systems, two-factor authentication, and safe data transfer methods. This will protect data from breaches. 
3. Educate your team: Get your team involved in a workshop or training so they can understand data privacy rules and best practices for protecting customer information.
4. Appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO): Have a dedicated person, a DPO, in charge of ensuring your company follows data privacy rules. They will also be the main contact between your company and the official authorities.
5. Regularly check your practices: Review how your company handles data privacy. Look for any weak spots and fix them to keep your practices up-to-date and effective.

Key considerations for marketers

Whether you’re aware of it or not, your data is being collected almost constantly. Regulatory breaches, brands, and buying and selling customers’ data have led to an ethical conundrum for marketers.

To tackle these ethical challenges head-on, consider the following concerns when collecting and using customer data. This will make your decisions more responsible and help maintain the trust of your customers:

1. Privacy invasion: It’s not right to take personal or sensitive information without your customers’ permission.  This could make them uneasy about their privacy and potentially put your brand at risk of legal consequences.
2. Data security: You have a responsibility to protect your customer’s data. Data breaches can lead to financial losses and damage the reputation of both your customers and your business.
3. Informed consent: Your customers should be clearly informed about the information being collected, its intended use, and the reasons for it. Transparency goes a long way in building trust.
4. Data minimization: Keep it simple, focus on collecting only what’s necessary, rather than keeping extra data. This approach reduces risks and shows respect for your customers’ privacy.
5. Unwanted communications: It’s not okay to use customer data to send emails, text messages, or make calls without their permission. Doing this can invade their privacy and might even break privacy laws.
6. Unfair targeting practices: Avoid using personal information like gender, race, or disability to unfairly exclude groups. This can lead to discrimination and unequal treatment.
7. Misuse of data: Hold off on using customer data without permission. These actions are not only unethical but can also break down customer trust. Marketers have a responsibility to make sure any third parties they work with handle data properly.
8. Accuracy of data: Double-check and keep customer data accurate, current, and up-to-date. When you use incorrect information it can lead to a negative customer experience.

By sticking to these guidelines, not only will you reduce risk when collecting data, but you’ll also create an environment where your customers feel valued and respected. When your audience knows their privacy is a top priority, you’ll establish a strong foundation of trust that paves the way for more meaningful and long-lasting relationships. In turn, your marketing efforts will flourish as your customers reward you with their loyalty, positive word-of-mouth, and a genuine appreciation for your brand’s commitment to ethical practices.

Future-proof your marketing with Dotdigital

As a marketer, you should use a marketing platform that values data protection and customer trust is essential. Dotdigital, an ISO 27701-certified customer experience and data platform (CXDP), equips you with the tools to stay ahead of the curve and deliver personalized customer experiences. By using these best practices, you’ll stay compliant with data privacy regulations and grow stronger relationships with your audience.

Get to know your target audience

Copywriting is all about creating a connection with your audience. To do so, you need to understand their needs, desires, and pain points. Start by diving into market research, identifying your customer’s demographics, and learning about their preferences and habits. By understanding your audience, you can create personalized content that resonates with them.

The second step is empathy. Place yourself in your customer’s shoes and see the world from their perspective. Write as if you’re speaking directly to them, addressing their concerns, alleviating their fears, and offering solutions to their problems. The more you understand and identify with your audience, the more impactful your copywriting becomes.

Use Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a powerful assistant that you can use to optimize your SEO copywriting efforts. Generative AI helps you with:

• Content optimization: You can use AI to analyze your content and provide real-time suggestions on improving your content. These recommendations may include keyword density, readability, structure, and other factors that could impact your search rankings. By utilizing these insights, you can ensure your content is more likely to be discovered by your target audience. 

• Keyword research: Keyword research is an essential aspect of SEO copywriting and tools like SEMrush can simplify this process by providing insights into relevant search terms your audience might be using. 

• Generating ideas and headlines: Content ideation can often be time-consuming for marketers. AI tools can help you scan the web and analyze popular trends and topics within your niche to provide fresh, engaging content ideas. 

• Proofreading: AI-driven grammar and spell-check tools like Grammarly are great for automatically identifying and correcting errors, ensuring your copy is polished and professional.

Write an attention-grabbing headline

The headline is often the first thing your reader sees and plays a significant role in grabbing their attention. A good headline should get your message across, spark curiosity, and encourage them to read more. Use powerful words and be concise to evoke emotion and pique interest.

Headlines should include your primary keywords. A mix of powerful, actionable language and SEO best practices will skyrocket your content visibility, attract new readers, and improve your search rankings.

Keep it clear and concise

Effective copywriting is all about delivering your message to the target audience in the most straightforward and impactful way possible. Remember, every word you write should serve a purpose, and unnecessary fluff will only dilute the power of your message. Here are some quick tips:

• Focus on one idea at a time: When writing copy, focus on one main idea per paragraph or section. Write in an active voice, keep your sentences, short, and punchy to communicate your point effectively. This makes your message easy to grasp and leaves no room for confusion. 

• Use accessible language: While you may have expertise in your industry, remember that your target audience might not share your level of knowledge. It’s important to use simple language and avoid jargon, technical terms, or acronyms that your audience may not understand. 

• Break up the text: Long, unbroken blocks of text can be intimidating and hard to read. Improve the readability of your copy by using white space, bullet points, and subheadings. This will make your content more visually appealing and easier to digest. 

• Use clear headings:  Clear, well-organized headings are essential not only for capturing your reader’s attention but also for providing accessibility to screen reader users. Properly structured headings help in guiding both visually impaired and non-impaired users through your content with ease. 

Use effective call-to-actions (CTAs)

Create effective CTAs to encourage your readers to take action. To achieve this, strategically embed persuasive CTAs throughout and at the end of your copy that focus on the benefits, and are action-oriented. Tailor your CTAs to fit your specific goals, such as driving subscriptions, boosting product sales, or generating leads —a CTA should be direct, use active language, and be interesting. 

Incorporate power words like ‘Discover,’ ‘New,’ and ‘Unlock’ to evoke a sense of urgency and exclusivity. Don’t hesitate to experiment with different formats and styles to see what resonates best with your audience.

Optimize for SEO

Copywriting plays an essential role in creating content that ranks high on Google and other search engines. Research relevant keywords that your audience is likely to search for and seamlessly incorporate them into your content, headlines, and meta descriptions. Strike the perfect balance between readability and keyword density to avoid penalties from search engines.

Additionally, consider the overall structure of your content. Break it into easy-to-read sections with informative subheadings that also contain your keywords. To enhance your online presence and strengthen your backlink profile on Google, make certain to integrate high-quality, relevant external and internal links within your content, as these play a vital role in search rankings.

Cultivate a consistent brand tone of voice

The tone of voice, which serves as the “how” when conveying your message, combines elements like word choice, punctuation, and font style to evoke emotion in your readers. Striking the right balance between creativity and adherence to brand guidelines ensures that your messaging remains both engaging and familiar to your audience.

Defining a brand voice that aligns with your target audience is important for creating an emotional connection and laying the groundwork for meaningful, long-lasting customer relationships. By remaining consistent across various channels, you’ll not only strengthen your brand identity but also cultivate trust with your audience.

Test and measure results

Improving your copy is a continuous process, and A/B testing can help you achieve that. Create multiple variations of your copy, analyze which ones resonate well with your target audience, and use those insights to enhance your content. It’s important to remember that the first draft may never be perfect. Therefore, keep refining your copy based on your test results.

To improve your writing, set up a few key performance indicators (KPIs) to focus on. These metrics will help you pinpoint the areas of your copy that require more attention. When creating new content, prioritize those areas and give them the attention they deserve.

Adapt to evolving market trends

Adapt to evolving market trends, to create content that continues to strike a chord with your target audience. Here are some quick tips to keep up with market trends:

Look at the competition: Keeping an eye on your competitors gives you valuable insights into emerging trends, strategies that work (and those that don’t), and potential gaps to fill in your niche. Analyze their content, marketing tactics, and customer reviews, then use this information to refine your copy and stay ahead in the game.

Do market research: Staying updated with the latest market research helps you understand emerging trends and the shifting needs of your target audience. By gathering and analyzing information on customer preferences, you can adjust your content accordingly and maintain a strong connection with your audience.

Set up trend alerts: Keep track of industry trends and news that could impact your target audience by setting up alerts and notifications. Set up alerts and notifications – you can use platforms like Google Trends to effortlessly follow relevant topics. Use the insights you gather to update your copy and address any new developments or concerns with your audience.

Summary

Mastering the art of copywriting is a valuable skill that can significantly impact the success of your digital marketing efforts. By truly understanding your target audience and using empathy to connect with them, you’ll be able to create compelling messages that inspire action. Remember, every aspect – from attention-grabbing headlines to persuasive CTAs – works in harmony, guiding your reader through a captivating journey.

Don’t forget to prioritize SEO optimization and maintaining a consistent brand voice to maximize the reach and impact of your content. Embrace AI-based tools as they can assist you in streamlining your content creation process, optimizing for search engines, and better connecting with your target audience. As you refine your copywriting skills, stay agile and adapt to evolving market trends. Keep experimenting, measuring, and learning from your results, and you’ll soon become a copywriting expert with the ability to convert your readers into loyal customers.

Why?

Because it’s often the first thing recipients see. And, if they check out the sender’s name first, they’ll then turn to the subject line to decide whether opening it will benefit them.

No matter how amazing your design, the level of personalization, or the fancy imagery you use, it won’t make a difference if you can’t get readers to open it in the first place.

Of course, that’s not to say creating first-class email content is a waste of time. That’s the stuff that gets the conversions and drives sales. But, to get the opens that lead to clicks, you need to work for it.

We’ve got simple tips to help you create the perfect email subject line. Follow these, and we guarantee you’ll have the best email subject lines in the business.

Personalize, personalize, personalize

If you want to increase your open rate, it’s important to personalize your subject lines. You can grab your reader’s attention by using data fields to pull in information about the customer, like name, location, or other relevant information. Additionally, targeting your message to the right audience is crucial. Personalization not only makes customers feel valued and understood, but it also provides useful content that can make their life easier. In an inbox full of generic messaging, personalization can set your email apart.

Use artificial intelligence (AI)

If you’re looking for a way to take any email subject line to the next level – say hello to WinstonAI. This innovative tool uses cutting-edge Microsoft Azure GPT3.5 technology to help you come up with the perfect subject line that will make your campaigns stand out from the crowd. Plus, WinstonAI can even analyze your past campaigns to learn your preferred tone, wording, and structure. This can help you free up time when you’re stuck figuring out what the perfect subject line is. 

Vary subject line length

Many email clients like Gmail, Yahoo, and more cut subject lines when they’re being viewed by web-based readers. Usually, the cut-off point for this is around the 55-character limit. Mobile inboxes, on the other hand, commonly cut off subject lines at about 30 characters.

To ensure that your subject lines are making an impact, be sure to check your campaign reporting. This will help you identify the device on which your customers are opening. Then, you can plan your subject lines around this suggested length.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you must strictly stick to these character limits. One of the best parts of working on subject lines is the ability to experiment. Don’t think about it as trial and error – think of it as trial and trial and trial until success.

Include a call to action

You want customers to complete an action. That’s why you’re emailing, so why not be clear about what you want? Positive action verbs are a good option as long as you’re careful not to come across as spammy. Think along the lines of “get yours,” “discover,” “save”, “join us”, and “book today.”

If you’re worried about coming across as a spam sender (we’ll be covering how best to avoid this later), then try making key benefits or propositions the CTA in your email subject line. If the key benefit of shopping with you comes from your offer of free shipping, push this in your subject line. If you’re offering student discounts, shout about it to drive opens.

Essentially, you should be thinking, “What will drive my readers to convert?” Whatever the answer, try running with it in your email subject line.

Be relevant

Relevancy is key. Whether it’s your email copy or your subject lines, shoppers will only answer your emails if it’s going to benefit them.

Don’t be vague or mysterious. Intriguing subject lines might generate good open rates, but your end goal is click-throughs and conversions. And you’re not going to get those if your email isn’t related to your subject line. In the long run, this could actually be detrimental to your brand. By misleading them, you could erode their fragile trust in you.

So, keep your subject lines related to your key message. It’ll increase the quality of opens and consequently improve your click-through rate.

Tell, don’t sell

Steer clear adding unnecessary descriptive adjectives to your subject lines. Words like ‘amazing’, ‘unbeatable’, and ‘stunning’ actually do very little to convince recipients to open.

Our Global benchmark report revealed that false urgency in subject lines don’t perform well. Words that were once considered to inspire action are driving inaction. Especially in retailer sectors, words like ‘exclusive’, ‘days’, ‘ends’, ‘save’, ‘extra’, and ‘last’ were the worst performing. 

Keep it simple and tell readers what they can expect from your email. There’s no need to make grand promises and oversell what is simply a new product launch, event, or mid-season sale.

Once again, this will improve the quality of your opens. When it’s clear to the reader what’s inside you’re giving them more reason to convert.

Avoid spam words

It’s every email marketer’s nightmare to have their hard word flagged as spam.

After all the work that goes into creating a fully optimized email marketing campaign, you don’t want to be the one in five that gets caught by the spam filter.

Spam filters are constantly checking for specific triggers that indicate an email might be spam:

• Specific word choice
• Messages in ALL CAPS
• Emails without an unsubscribe button
• Links to unknown or questionable websites
• Colorful, hard to read, and different sized fonts

Typically spam filters look for suspicious words or phrases associated with scams, schemes, free gifts, and more.

What to avoid:

• Spam words that make exaggerated claims and promises, e.g. #1, 100% satisfied, earn money, free consultation, and satisfaction guaranteed.
• Words that create unnecessary urgency and pressure, e.g. act now, apply now, get started now, please read, while supplies last, and more.
• Spammy words or words that imply shady or unethical behavior, e.g. cancel at any time, no hidden charges, meet singles, etc.
• Words that are considered jargon or typically used in legal documents, e.g. as seen on, bonus, certified, cheap, join millions, this message contains, quote, and more.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t EVER use these words in your emails. It just means to use these words and phrases responsibly.

The best performing subject lines have included words like ‘reasons’, ‘introducing’, ‘discover’, and ‘recent’. This indicates that customers are looking for content that inspires, such as ‘introducing our new range. They want brands to do more than simply push a product, they want you to sell it.

Write your subject line last

To ensure your email subject line is clear, relevant, and engaging enough to convert, you should be writing it last.

After you’ve finalized the design and written your email copy, you’ll know the exact message you’re trying to communicate. With that in mind, deciding what to include in your email subject line will be much easier.

Test your subject lines

No matter what tactic you try or the results you get, you need to test your subject lines. What works one day might not work a couple of days later. Or what increases opens for one segment may have absolutely no effect on another. That’s why you should be constantly split testing your email campaigns.

Summary

By experimenting with these subject line tips and analyzing your audience’s response, you can identify what resonates best with them. Remember to keep it concise, intriguing, and relevant to the content of your email. With practice and persistence, you’ll be able to consistently craft subject lines that grab your audience’s attention and improve the success of your email marketing campaigns.

Understanding why readers unsubscribe

While marketing list depreciation is expected, you want to keep minimal. To properly optimize customers’ email marketing experiences, you need to understand why people unsubscribe in the first place.

Surveying customers at the point of unsubscription is the only way to gather real insight into their actions. This will give you a clear idea of what elements of the customer experience you need to prioritize improving.

3 top tips to reduce unsubscribes

1. Personalize

In the modern world of marketing, personalization is essential to reducing unsubscribes. Whether you’re a B2B, B2C, or non-profit brand, customers expect uniquely personal experiences from brands. Failing to meet this expectation will drive disappointed and unengaged customers to unsubscribe.

Personalization can take many forms. From using first names and dynamic content to segmentation, all personalization tactics have a positive impact on the reader’s experience. By tailoring your message to align with individual preferences, subscribers are more likely to engage with your email and maintain a long-term relationship with your brand.

To ensure your content is relevant to your readers, create actionable segments. Nobody wants to read irrelevant content, and if your content doesn’t apply to them, they’ll ignore your marketing efforts. By targeting specific groups based on factors like gender, company size, or location, you can ensure that your content is tailored to the individual reader.

Dynamic content blocks such as product recommendations also go a long way in personalizing your email marketing. Especially using AI-powered product recommendations, every email will be automatically populated with content unique to the reader based on their previous behavior.

Nothing demonstrates how well you know your readers more than a personalized email. It speaks directly to their interests and behaviors, making your email one they’ll want to open. The more you deliver relevant content, the more value customers will get from the relationship. Unsubscribe rates will fall significantly when you deliver one-to-one marketing.

2. Re-engage

There are many tools in a marketer’s arsenal that can help you identify disengaged customers. From eRFM to lead scoring, you should keep a close eye on your customers’ behavior to prevent losing them.

An automated re-engagement program is a perfect way to bring customers back before they leave you forever. Using insights gathered from your RFM persona tracking or lead scoring, you can trigger this program as soon as a customer lapses.

Well-timed “we miss you” emails, teamed with an incentive can drive a shopper back to your website. You can also use this program to drive subscribers to update their marketing preferences or complete a survey. By asking for feedback or encouraging a review of their marketing preferences, you’re demonstrating your commitment to the customer. It’s a clear demonstration that you care about their experience and are willing to change to fulfill their needs.

This will go a long way to keeping readers happy. All too often customers are bombarded with marketing emails, so giving them control of their relationship with you will set you high above the competition. And no one will unsubscribe from a brand that clearly cares about its customers.

3. Familiarize

Don’t wait until you’re on the cusp of losing a customer to remind them why your brand is the one. Newsletters – real ones, not just sales emails masquerading as newsletters – are essential for establishing strong relationships with your readers.

You should think about what kind of content will add the most value to your readers’ experience. Educational articles about how to get the most out of your products and services are an automatic win. They prove that you care about their overall experience, not just sales.

Your brand’s story is also important. To establish a strong bond between the customer and your brand, you need to show them the people behind the brand. The more human you are to the reader, the stronger the relationship will be. By demonstrating your brand values around economic, environmental, and social issues, the reader sees that you are passionate about the same issues as them.

Summary

For an effective email marketing strategy, it’s important to reduce unsubscribes. You can achieve this by implementing these three quick and efficient methods. By taking a tailored approach that aligns with your audience’s expectations and desires, you can foster long-lasting relationships and drive success in your email marketing campaigns. Don’t let unsubscribes undermine your efforts; take action today and keep your email list thriving!

What is GDPR?

GDPR is a data protection law introduced by the European Union (EU) to safeguard EU citizens’ privacy and personal data. 

Implemented on 25 May 2018, GDPR is a data protection law that ensures individuals have increased control over their personal information. The regulation has also hammered home the importance of transparency in how businesses collect, use, and store user data.

To comply with GDPR, organizations must get permission before using personal and customer data. This can be done by including a consent clause in the terms and conditions during the sign-up process. We’ve seen some hefty fines handed out for GDPR non-compliance and lack of transparency.

Key developments since GDPR

Here are some of the key developments in data protection since GDPR was implemented: 

Increase in data privacy expectations and awareness

GDPR has raised consumer awareness about data privacy and personal data rights. Consumers now demand transparency, accountability, and ethical data practices from organizations, expecting them to handle their personal information responsibly. 

Consumers are no longer willing to compromise their privacy and are more likely to support businesses that align with their values and prioritize data protection. Failure to prioritize data privacy can harm a company’s reputation and reduce consumer trust.

To thrive in today’s data-driven landscape, companies must have a privacy-driven approach and be responsible marketers. This means meeting regulatory responsibilities and putting the customer at the center of everything you do. By managing these expectations, businesses can build lasting customer relationships and gain a competitive edge. 

Data collection and cookies death

GDPR has impacted the digital ecosystem and data collection, especially with the decline of cookie-based tracking. Cookies are small text files that store information about browsing habits and preferences. They can be useful for remembering login details or personalizing online experiences. Now, websites must inform visitors about cookies and seek permission before placing them on devices.

Due to the growing demand for privacy protection, leading companies like Google are responding by phasing out third-party cookies. Essentially the shift in consumer attitudes thanks to GDPR makes old-school cookie-based tracking methods a thing of the past.

National data protection authorities (DPA)

GDPR has brought about notable changes in data protection enforcement in the EU. All EU members have a national data protection authority (DPA). They enforce compliance and handle data breach notifications.

Notably, DPAs have not shied away from imposing substantial fines and penalties on organizations found violating GDPR. These enforcement actions serve as a strong deterrent and send a clear message that non-compliance with data protection regulations will not be tolerated. 

In addition to enforcement efforts, DPAs have also taken a proactive approach by offering guidance and support to organizations. This includes the publication of guidelines, frequently asked questions, and best practice recommendations to assist businesses with GDPR compliance.

Data breach reporting

GDPR has changed the game for data breach reporting. With a strict 72-hour time frame organizations must act swiftly. Organizations are responsible for communicating breaches to their customers if personal data has been compromised. 

Several big companies, such as British Airways, Boots, and the BBC, have suffered cyber security attacks that led to employee personal data exposure. AT&T also experienced a breach in March, affecting 9 million customers. The breach compromised customers’ first names, wireless account numbers, phone numbers, and email addresses.

It has become evident through recent data breaches that companies must clearly outline the nature of the breach. They must address it, and offer advice on safeguarding against future risks.

California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

While reflecting on GDPR, we cannot ignore its undeniable impact on data privacy laws around the world. The CCPA is an example of GDPR’s impact, which took effect on January 1, 2023. The law grants Californian consumers new rights and control over their personal information. The law draws considerable inspiration from GDPR and echoes similar principles aimed at safeguarding user privacy. Even though the law primarily affects businesses in California, it has broader implications across America and around the world.

Brexit

Brexit has significant impacts on data privacy and protection. Post-Brexit, businesses have faced uncertainties and challenges in complying with UK GDPR regulations. The UK GDPR regulations are basically the UK’s version of the European Union’s GDPR but with some differentiations made after Brexit. They’re all about how personal data should be handled, stored, and kept safe in the UK. These rules exist to protect people’s privacy and give them more control over their own personal information. If companies transfer data between the EU and the UK they must comply with both EU GDPR and UK GDPR regulations.

GDPR today—where are we now?

Since its inception, GDPR has reshaped the way organizations handle personal data, impacted businesses, and changed how marketers work.

Social media

In today’s digital age, data privacy and security online are more important than ever. Mishandling sensitive information can have severe consequences, as demonstrated by Meta’s recent GDPR breach. The tech giant received the biggest ever fine of €1.2 billion from Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) which enforces personal data protection standards. This was for transferring EU users’ data to the United States without proper consent and security measures.

GDPR fines are relevant to each case.

• For severe GDPR violations, an organization may face a fine of up 20 million euros or, in the case of an undertaking, up to 4 % of its total global turnover of the preceding fiscal year, whichever is higher. 
• For less severe violations, an organization an organization may face a fine of up to 10 million euros, or, in the case of an undertaking, up to 2% of its entire global turnover of the preceding fiscal year, whichever is higher.

The incident serves as a strong reminder that organizations must prioritize data privacy and transparency to comply with GDPR regulations. This ongoing effort by regulatory bodies to protect individuals’ privacy rights in the tech industry highlights the critical need for companies to commit to responsible data-handling practices. Companies should prioritize trust and loyalty.

Meta is not the only social media platform under scrutiny for Data Protection Act (DPA) compliance. Following TikTok’s recent Congress hearing, the company is facing investigations in France, Australia, and other countries for sharing sensitive data about US citizens. In the digital world, data protection is important as even social media platforms are bound by privacy regulations. So, its significance cannot be underestimated.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

AI technology has created unique GDPR compliance challenges. AI organizations must ensure that they have a legal basis for processing personal data and the necessary safeguards are in place. GDPR requires transparency, meaning AI systems must explain automated decisions clearly.

When companies use AI, they must conduct data protection impact assessments (DPIAs) and put in place proper security measures to safeguard personal data from unauthorized access or breaches. The ultimate goal is to strike a balance between AI’s potential and GDPR privacy rights protection.

GDPR impact on marketers

GDPR has impacted marketing through the rise of preference centers. Preference centers allow subscribers to manage their communication preferences, giving them more control over how marketers use their data. Preference centers allow marketers to demonstrate the value to customers of sharing their data, as it results in a more tailored and improved user experience. 

Using customer data in a way that appeals to the customer helps out brands too. It’s no longer about abiding by the law, but also delivering the best experience. GDPR highlighted that the customer data is first and foremost the customers and it’s to be treated with respect. This has in turn enhanced how we as marketers utilize it.

The rollout of Apple’s mail privacy protection (MPP) in 2021 added another layer of consumer protection. MPP works by having a bot open all emails as soon as they arrive in the recipient’s inbox. This helps maintain privacy by hiding IP addresses and preventing open rates from tracking other online activity or determining the recipient’s location.

As open rates are now unreliable, we recommend shifting your reliance on opens, to instead work with clicks, which is something we’ve enabled in our platform with your eRFM model. 

Brands rely less on data and more on building trust and nurturing relationships with customers through improved data practices. In light of data privacy regulations, marketers need to adapt to this shift in approach and find smarter ways to engage their audiences. 

To survive and thrive in this new world of data collection, you must adopt GDPR-friendly strategies like:

Prioritize zero and first-party data

Direct your attention towards gathering actionable insights from user engagement on your platforms. One way to do this is by collecting zero-party data from your website users by requesting their marketing preferences at the initial point of contact. This will enhance the customer experience as they can select what they want to view or avoid. Or you can leverage first-party data to eliminate third-party cookies and ensure compliance with GDPR standards. Both will save you money and time as you won’t have to invest in email marketing campaigns that don’t interest your customers.

Reinforcing contextual targeting

To promote privacy, focus on showing relevant ads or personalized product recommendations to your customers. This way, you can ensure your content matches your users’ browsing behaviors. This helps to build trust with customers, as they know their data is being used responsibly. It also helps to build customer loyalty, as customers are more likely to stay with a company that respects their privacy.

Using consent insight systems

Integrating a consent insight collection tool into your workflow helps you effortlessly manage and track customer consent and preferences. This approach can help you protect your customers’ personal data which is an important part of maintaining GDPR compliance. You can also implement opt-in and opt-out features on your channels. This will allow users to have complete control over their data and how it’s used.

How Dotdigital can help you with GDPR

Our goal is to help you meet your marketing goals, and deliver an exceptional customer experience while complying with GDPR. As a data processor, we have taken steps to ensure compliance with Article 28 of GDPR. At Dotdigital, we prioritize the security of both your data and ours, which is why we consistently review and update our GDPR measures. We’ve put the necessary measures in place to keep your data safe and secure. We can help you be a responsible marketer by:

Technology that meets your needs

At Dotdigital, we understand the importance of your data and how it is managed. As a business accredited with ISO 27001, you can trust us to handle your data securely. We prioritize data protection and have a range of tools in place to make it convenient for you to do the same. Our Data Watchdog is a distinctive feature that monitors any suspicious or hazardous data. With our strict compliance, you can work efficiently with peace of mind.

Contractual commitments

Our partnerships are backed by contractual commitments that encompass strong security standards, comprehensive support, and timely notifications, all aligned with GDPR requirements. You can trust that we prioritize your data’s security and privacy.

Sharing our experience

We gather insights from reputable sources, including data protection authorities and other trusted organizations. By sharing this knowledge, we empower you with the latest information to navigate the GDPR landscape.

Partner with Dotdigital to ensure your data protection practices align with GDPR regulations. This will give you peace of mind and enable you to focus on your business goals. To understand GDPR better, we recommend reading through our FAQ section.

Today, machine learning and artificial intelligence have joined forces with data science to help us see into the future with predictive analytics. Marketers can use insights to boost revenue, generate sales, and prevent shopper churn.

What is predictive analytics?

Predictive analytics is powered by machine learning models that analyze past behavior to identify patterns that predict what’s next. In other words, you can predict the future from today’s data.

According to a Venture Beat report, an impressive 44% of companies are embracing the power of data-driven insights by integrating predictive analytics into their marketing strategy. 

This growing trend highlights the widespread recognition of predictive analytics as a game-changing tool for businesses. Insights into the future are key to helping brands stay at the forefront of customers’ minds. This is done by identifying opportunities ahead of time and mitigating risks before they happen. 

Dotdigital offers four predictive insights: next order date, customer lifetime value (CLV), number of purchases, and churn probability.

Spot opportunities a mile away with Dotdigital

The best thing about seeing into the future is that you have the upper hand. Imagine a world where you could get intel on your customers before they even knew it themselves. Well, you don’t need to imagine it.

More revenue when you need it most

More revenue is always good. But seeing where and when it will come from is even better. Marketers can create campaigns that push people over the sales line with predicted next-order dates. 

Let’s say it’s been 21 days since a customer last placed an order, and they’re predicted to place another one in seven days. Here’s what you could do within the next week to increase the likelihood of them making a purchase:

• Send them personalized product recommendations
• Offer them a discount code
• Notify them of any active sales you’re running

Better yet, create a segment of customers who meet similar criteria to maximize campaign ROI. That way, anyone orders in the next seven days could be nudged to the end of the purchase funnel. 

Delight your most valuable customers

It’s likely you already know who your biggest spenders are, but that only looks retrospectively. Predicted CLV lets you see the overall value a customer could add to your business. That means you know exactly who to reward, expanding the longevity and value of your most engaged contacts. What are some ways to reward brand champions at scale?

• Remind them to join your loyalty program
• Give them exclusive or early access to sales or products
• Offer them VIP deals to expand their purchasing power with your brand

Foresee, expect, and avoid the risk

In the fast-paced marketing world, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. With predictive analytics, you will see potential risks and make data-driven decisions. 

Keep customers shopping with you over competitors

No one likes losing a customer. When churn happens, it‘s often too late to do anything about it, especially if you’re looking at customer data retrospectively. If you can foresee churn, it’s easier to craft experiences that re-engage because you have a key tool on your side: time.

Don’t spend too much or too little on a lost cause

The most effective retention campaigns take a lot of time and resources to create; in fact, they can be very expensive. When you have access to churn predictions, you know where to spend your energy. For example, why spend a week crafting a retention campaign for customers with a 95% churn probability? If they’re already uninterested, the last thing you want to do is push them away with another email.

Target those with a lower probability

Equally, those with the highest predicted churn rates will likely need a much harder sale to get re-engaged—for example, a hefty discount. To avoid reducing your profit margins, it’s best to only send this message to customers with a high probability of churning.

Hyperpersonalize to avoid brand erosion

We can all admit how easy it is to become fatigued by boring emails that don’t offer much value, particularly when they’re not personalized. The last thing you want to do is send an SMS campaign aiming to increase loyalty to a customer whose churn probability is high. You also don’t want to advertise a premium offer to someone with a low predicted CLV. It’s crucial to make sure that your messaging resonates with your audience to safeguard your brand. Otherwise, it may come across as insincere.

Easier customer profiling

If you want to know more about your customers, you can do it at a glance with the Dotdigital predictive diagram in the single customer view. Not only can you access all contact data in one easy location, but you can spot similarities seamlessly. Let’s say you discover that your customers with the highest predicted churn rates have not opened an email in over two months. 

You can then determine a customer profile that shows a correlation between engagement and churn. Better still, Dotdigital lets you generate a lookalike segment, which kickstarts your re-engagement campaign in just one click. With Dotdigital, profiling your customers for re-engagement or offering promotions is a few clicks away. This can help prevent customer churn and keep them interested in your brand through different channels.

Step into the future

Predictive analytics has revolutionized marketing. Marketers can now seize the opportunity and navigate risks before they arise. In the age of technological advancements, the potential of predictive marketing will only expand. This will reinforce the need to embrace a future-ready approach for a competitive edge. In today’s world, making data-driven decisions is crucial for success, and predictive analytics is leading the way in this transformation toward a bright future.