As customers demand increasingly personalized experiences, there’s nothing more disappointing than receiving bland, generic marketing messages. When a brand doesn’t remember them – especially one of their favorite brands – there’s nothing more disappointing.
Let’s face it, brands have tons of data and, as marketers, you’re always looking for more. You need data to connect with customers. Even on the most basic level, you need to have at least an email address or phone number to talk to them. This is where online marketing trumps offline every time.
Online marketers have all the tools they need to create memorable micro-moments for customers. With every interaction, you learn something new about your users. As you accumulate information, you need to be incorporating it into your marketing to create the kind of customer experience that drives sales and generates revenue.
Why is customer data important?
Customer data isn’t just important, it’s a core component of marketing. But it’s also becoming the most controversial.
Privacy regulations such as the EU’s General Data Protection homeowner database Regulation (GDPR) and the Californian Consumer Protection Act (CCPA) combined with Apple’s iOS 14.5+ software updates and Google’s proposed changes to cookie tracking have led to a new wave of consumer consciousness.
These regulatory changes have increased customers’ awareness of the data brands hold on them. Mix in news stories about mass data breaches and people are rightly becoming more protective of their personal data.
No longer are they happy to hand over their data blindly. They want to know what data organizations are collecting, why they want it, and how they’re using it.
In addition to all this, they now know the value of their data. They know what brands can do, they know that brands can deliver personalized, tailored content and so expect it in exchange. Brands that collect data and don’t put it to clear and obvious use risk losing the trust of those they’re trying to convert.
So, to create those all-important revenue-generating campaigns, you need to be demonstrating a commitment to privacy regulations and an understanding that you only collect customer data you need.