Marketing post-GDPR

Five reasons to be optimistic about marketing in a post-GDPR world.

By Elliot Paynter, Ignition CBS.

GDPR helps you to build trust

The new data laws have brought greater transparency to how organisations process and use email data.

Transparency builds trust, which will strengthen your brand and your relationships in your market. Demonstrating that you are compliant with the new rules shows that you are accountable and respectful of how you handle people’s personal data.

A smaller database isn’t a bad thing

Don’t worry if your marketing lists have shrunk, this was inevitable as people exercised their rights for greater privacy. Besides, the move from quantity to quality data will help you to ensure your emails are always well targeted and received.

Having a smaller database makes it easier to segment your audience and deliver personalised content. Remember, the contacts on your GDPR compliant database are there because they are interested in what you have to say.

You don’t have to re-permission everyone

According to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), organisations are not automatically required to refresh all existing consents obtained under the previous Data Protection Act, as long as they also meet the new GDPR standard.

You can also email current customers under the basis of legitimate interest.

There are other ways to connect

Some big brands deleted their entire email databases ahead of GDPR and suggested that their customers follow them on social channels instead.

While this approach is drastic, it highlights that email marketing is not the only way to engage with your customers and prospects. If your business has relied on email marketing in the past, perhaps GDPR has given you the excuse to branch out and try something new, which leads me nicely onto…

You don’t need consent for postal marketing

Quoting from the ICO website: “You won’t need consent for postal marketing but you will need consent for some calls and for texts and emails under PECR.” While email is quicker and cheaper, people recognise that mail takes more effort. According to recent statistics, 56% of consumers consider print marketing to be the most trustworthy type of marketing and 57% say they are more likely to remember a message they receive by traditional mail.