Five Ways to Use Consented Data to Elevate Your Marketing Campaigns      

Not all data is created equal. As data-driven marketing strategies become the norm, many organizations are focused on creating not just bigger, but better quality, data sets. This is where consented data holds the key. 

What is consented data? 

In contrast to third-party data, consented data refers to any information that’s collected with express permission from the data owner.  

Taking the definition literally, consented data can almost apply to any first-party data since GDPR requires websites to ask for consent to collect and use third-party cookies. However, it’s hard to see this as true consented data considering the user’s lack of control and frequent trickery applied to get people’s permission. Many website users are unaware that information such as purchase history and website behavior is collected and stored at all. 

True consented data is overt and transparent. The company collecting the data is open and honest about which personal information they are collecting and how they will use it to benefit the user. Consent is built into the data strategy as an advantage and differentiator, not as an afterthought to cover legal requirements. This fresh mindset can herald big changes in the way that data is used to elevate marketing campaigns and build more reliable and relevant data sets. 

The benefits of consented data 

Any data-driven marketing campaign will perform poorly if the data itself is unreliable. No complex modeling or AI-driven analytics engine in the world can overcome poor-quality data. Truly consented data – that is, information freely given by the customer in exchange for improving their experience – is just about the best quality data around. Building your data-driven marketing strategy around this relevant, reliable data will vastly improve its effectiveness. 

The other key benefit is a better reputation. Brands that are open and honest with their data collection strategy, including how and when they will use that data, build greater trust among consumers. Studies show that trust unlocks deeper, more resilient relationships between a brand and its customers. These customers reward trusted brands with higher loyalty, engagement, and advocacy, increasing their lifetime value. 

So it doesn’t seem a stretch to say that trust equals growth – and a large element of this begins with consented data. 

Five ways to elevate your marketing campaigns with consented data 

Create mutually beneficial value exchanges 

Customers now know the value of their data. For audiences to permit brands to use their personal information, they must see the benefit of doing so. Are they going to get a better experience if they share their data? What will they get in return for taking the time to fill out that survey? Brands that can communicate this value exchange clearly and concisely, and how it will benefit the customer, will be rewarded with greater amounts of high-quality data. 

Allow customers to control their marketing preferences 

Successful communications is all about getting the right message in front of the right people at the right time on the right platform. But how do find this out at scale? Ask your customers. Allowing your customers to control and dictate their marketing preferences, interests, and future intent lets them take a more active role in their relationship with a brand. If customers are receiving communications at a time, pace, and place that suits them, they will pay more attention to it. 

Build feedback loops into your customer journey 

Customers should always have the opportunity to provide more data to improve their experience with a brand. After each touchpoint, create feedback loops that present mutually beneficial value exchanges to further personalize individual customer journeys. The better the personalization, the more likely the customer will trust the brand. The more trust, the more likely they will share more personal information. And so, the virtuous cycle continues.  

Make your data privacy strategy and communications easy to read and understand 

Customers can sense when a brand is trying to hide something. Complex legal jargon that is not intended to be read or understood can lower trust in a brand. And trust is crucial for sustainable growth. Studies show that being open and honest about what information is collected and why doesn’t deter people from sharing their data. Ultimately, customers want more personalized experiences that require personal information. And if marketers are still nervous about telling their customers what they do with their data, should they really be doing it? 

Build better predictive models 

As previously mentioned, consented data really is the peak of data quality. So when it comes to drawing insights, actions, and predictive models from your data, don’t treat it all equally. Consented data sets will not be as large as others but AI and machine learning are now able to work with smaller data sizes to achieve effective results. An audience orchestration engine, such as AMP+, will be able to prioritize consented data in forecasting and predictive modeling to improve accuracy and ROI. 

The round-up: increase customer lifetime value with consented data  

Data-driven marketing relies on high-quality data to be truly effective. The route to collecting that high-quality data begins with consent. Building your marketing strategy around consented data will elevate the effectiveness of the results and boost average customer lifetime value in the process. 

Would you like to learn more? Contact US to discuss how we can help elevate your campaigns.