All your data is worthless

From next May, all the prospect email databases you’ve been using could become illegal. It’s likely that your customer database may too.

By Elliot Paynter at Ignition CBS.

Why? Because 25th May 2018 will see the enforcement of a new data law – The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – that requires everyone in your database(s) to have specifically opted in to receive communication from your business.

If you can’t prove your contacts have opted in, you can’t contact them. This is serious.

Providing the opportunity to “opt out” no longer counts as valid consent. Your customers have to be opted in too. You could be fined 4 per cent of your annual turnover. And the law will be enforced. This is not going to go away. You need to act now.

Five steps to take now.

Awareness: ensure key people and decision makers in your business are aware the law is changing. Consent: start the opt-in process with your existing data. Best practice: B2C double opt in processes are now essential for B2B. Define your opt-in statements: these should be clear and simple, leaving no room for doubt. Data Protection Officer: designate someone to take responsibility for data compliance. To help you understand the rules and what you need to do to comply, we’re running a special GDPR Seminar on March 2nd from 10am to 11.30am. Places are free but likely to fill up fast. Click here to book