Data privacy and marketing
Privacy is and has been a crucial aspect of existence. In the age of the internet and with everything being digitised, data privacy has become increasingly important.
With every button that you click or every website that you visit, more and more information is shared and stored online.
Data privacy talks about the kind of information that should be shared, and how much of it is okay. It also takes into account the way it should be managed based on how important it is.
For businesses and markets, it’s the data that helps them operate. From research on what their customers would like, to interacting with consumers and giving them personalised offers. This helps in improving the customer’s shopping experience while making the business grow.
However, storing and sharing of data comes with a challenge: cybersecurity.
These digital interactions involve the sharing of information which might be sensitive.
Through some recent data breach scandals, it’s well known that if the data falls into the wrong hands, it puts everyone at risk. The organisation and its consumers.
Which gives rise to the question: As a marketer, how do I ensure that my organisation is not at risk?
To ensure that there’s no breach of privacy while keeping the business up and running, here are some things that marketers should do:
Make your online marketing campaigns compliant with existing privacy laws. Make sure you’re on the right track by not risking the security of your consumers.
Create a page which has your security policy, all your data security tools, and certifications.
Inform your customers about how and where their data will be used, so they can make informed decisions.
Complying when a customer requests that their data not be used by your organisation.
Structure your data needs. More often than not, you end up saving all the data that’s not required. Define your data needs, save what’s important for your business, and delete the rest.
By doing this, you’re not only making it easier for yourself but also reducing the risk of being held accountable if something goes wrong or if there’s a policy change.
Digital marketing is nothing without data. Data policies and regulations don’t necessarily inhibit marketers. Just make sure your data is handled safely, review it regularly to check if it’s meeting the guidelines in place and keep the process transparent.
