Impact of GDPR - The Next big thing in Email Marketing World

The whole marketing world has undergone a digital transformation with the implementation of GDPR compliance. All the businesses have to obey EU regulation that strictly safeguards the EU citizen data. In the coming days, this will majorly impact the marketing team. Let us now understand what modifications must be made in the modern email marketing techniques. Most importantly, article 4 of GDPR implies that user consent for personal data usage is mandatory and must be given through clear affirmative action. Here are the next big changes marketers will have to accept and implement

1. Inbound Marketing & Lead generation: Inbound marketing is not at all a problem unless you have explicit consent from the user on how their data can be used. If you want to run email campaigns, you must have prior consent from each prospect. In other words, you are supposed to clearly mention the use of customer’s data before opt-in. As before, the emails cannot be sent or use cookies merely without seeking permission. As a result, even the sales and outbound marketing gets affected.
2. Management of Consent: The consumers can give consent initially but pull off after a few weeks. So a marketer must prepare a process in place for opting out whenever the consumer wishes to. In other words, your marketing team must find a way to manage the consumers' consent since it can never be a one time process.
3. Need of Trustworthy Database Providers: You need to pay extra attention to the source from where you buy the potential email list. All the email addresses, home addresses, and phone numbers included in the list must have user’s consent as per GDPR compliance. Very few list providers have modified their email databases as per the regulations. Don’t ever buy unless you find a trustworthy database provider.

From the above points, it's very clear that marketers do not have any other chance but to evolve. GDPR forces to make use of opt-in and highly segmented email lists which are based on user preferences. Adapting to such a change will reduce the number of profiles being accessed and in turn increases the quality of the profile.

Good Things About GDPR for your Business  

Do you agree that today’s consumers are saturated with abundant emails every day? In this extremely competitive market, GDPR plays a significant role in eliminating all the cluttering information. This leads to the establishment of a long-term relationship with genuine buyers. Now, buyers are clearly aware of how their personal data is being used by businesses than before. This sounds like a transparent and buyer oriented system! Consequently, it becomes easy for businesses to build loyalty and trust towards their brand. GDPR approved business databases form a positive face of today’s marketing world.

GDPR provides an upper hand to the buyers so that they can decide from whom to receive the information. In addition, the database can be segmented based on consumer’s genuine interests and acceptance. So, the storage time of data will be disclosed through the double opt-in process. This helps the buyers to reach potential businesses or sellers. It is now easy to send highly optimized and personalized emails that enable one to one communication.  

Benefits given to consumers through GDPR

• They are intended to receive all the information about why their personal data is being collected.
• Since there is a time duration to use the buyer’s data, they can decide about giving access with better clarity.
• They will have complete power to opt out, erase the data, etc at any given point of time.
• Every consumer is capable of withdrawing their consent and stop receiving the information from any particular business/brand.
• Keep them informed about any spam breaches related to their content and express concerns related to automated decision making. As a result, profiling of buyer data can be more authentically.

Upgrade Your Marketing Technology that supports GDPR  

Your marketing technology plays a primary role in GDPR compliance. Make sure you include marketing tools like content management system, customer relationship management (CRM), and marketing automation software. Once everything is set up and start working collaboratively, you are ready to follow-up GDPR. For instance, add the interface where the consumer can decide their communication preference and also change whenever they can. Let them choose what information they want to receive and get updated about. Also, it gives them the freedom to unsubscribe whenever they wish to. This enables the marketers to re-engage with unsubscribed consumers through alternative options. When your marketing team allows them to choose the frequency of receiving information, the probability of walking away decreases.       

Tips to Remember in order to retain customers in spite of GDPR

Here are a few basic tips to follow in order to retain your customer for a really long time. In spite of the GDPR compliance, these tips help you build strong brand loyalty and business relationships.

• Make sure you treat the person through email communication in the same way as you treat when face to face. Don’t just assume and keep bombarding the contact list with emails. Even though the consumer opt-in for receiving your emails, never try to send high-frequency marketing messages.
• Try to be transparent about why and how their personal data will be used. In case you share their data to any third parties, inform the buyers about the same in a plain and easy to understand language.
• As per the GDPR compliance, ensure to keep your data up-to-date and hygienic. None of the incomplete or duplicate data must occupy the space. By following this, the email open rates and click-through rates will also increase.  
• Provide a process to your buyers in order to delete their data whenever they want to as per the “right to be forgotten” in GDPR.    

Conclusion

As a final note, do remember that GDPR is consumer oriented. They have control of how the personal data has to be used by the businesses. So, GDPR is definitely not a bad news for marketers. Start working on authentic ways to build the bond of trust with consumers. Global B2B Contacts is one such database provider who is updated with GDPR and ready to serve businesses with verified email lists.