4 Important GDPR Questions Digital Marketers Need To Know

There are huge chunks of data that is being processed every day by various brands that have collected some form of data from people who have bought something from them. This also includes prospective customers who may have indicated interest to buy something from the brand as well as those who by interacting with the brand, have given some form of data – however big or small. It could be as little as downloading and using a free mobile app. In this case the brand behind that app already has some information about the user which can be used to either improve their products or services or to market something to them in the future.

The whole Facebook data privacy scandal that took center stage in the mainstream media made many countries worried about the autonomy of this data gathering giant.
They were very concerned about how it affects their citizens – hence the need for a review of data protection regulation across all developed countries in the world.

What is GDPR?

The EU General Data Protection Regulation is also known as GDPR and is more focused on how various organizations process data that they collect from their customers (and prospective customers), manually or in digital form. Organizations that fail to align with the new laws will pay huge fines (about twenty million pounds).

Digitally stored data are mostly used by brands to market their products or services online so that they can get more returns on their marketing investment. However, using data for the purpose of marketing only without complying to the rules implies that the brand will also face the same penalty. Irrespective of whether you are using an in-house digital marketer or you employ an external person or brand, they must be aware of these laws and how it applies to any digital marketing campaign using stored data about their customers.

The new GDPR policy aims to rid irrelevant marketing as well as data secrecy., creating an atmosphere where the user in control of who he or she wants to store their personal data and the kind of things that would be pushed (marketed) to them.

If you would like to gain a deeper understanding of how GDPR affects your business, It would be wise to seek advice from a digital marketing agency. As digital marketers, these are some of the important GDPR questions you need to be asking.

1. Which specific data does GDPR affect?

The personal data of users is a priority for GDPR. Details like their email address, IP address, photos and so on. As a digital marketer, you have to reach out to all users that you have previously stored their data and get obtain new consent as to whether you can use their personal data collected. And you must be specific about what you are using the personal data for. In addition to that, you need to state how their personal details were collected and give them the option to opt out if they no longer wish to give that permission. Then for those that want to, give them the option to opt in again. This is to ensure that both parties are very clear on this.

2. What is the impact of the new GDPR in B2B or B2C digital marketing?

Obviously, this would affect a lot of things as regard how products or services are directly marketed to organizations or individuals. This is as most digital marketing platforms usually require personal information in order to give a more personalized experience to encourage more people to make purchases. However, this is not a dead end for digital marketers.

The alternative to this is to get consent. Even if you had their consent to use their personal data before the new GDPR policies developed, you still need to get their consent again. You must detail why it is essential for you to obtain their consent and inform them about why you are collecting the data. You should also update them on the personal data that you have about them and what it’s being used for. In the case where you do not have their personal data, then you’re safe.

If you are using a third-party tool to store and process this data, you also need to confirm if they are applying the new GDPR policy to their products too. The bottom line is that any data stored with user’s personal details must be backed up with evidence of user consent to store / use these personal details. In cases where the third-party tools are not aligning with the new GDPR policies, brands should consider using another tool that already aligns to that policy. Otherwise the company would still be at risk of being fined by GDPR.

3. How explicit and simple is privacy policy?

This is something that digital marketers should definitely be aware of. A new and updated privacy policy must be shared with all users, and it should be as explicit as possible detailing what personal data they have and what it would be used for. The privacy policy must comply with GDPR policy. Certain details should be evident such as the contact details of the data protection officer that the user can reach out to and whether or not you will be sharing the data with a third party tool. You should state the name of the third party tool as well as how long you intend to retain personal data stored. You should insert links that allows them to have access to their stored personal data to either delete or edit their details.

4. What is the nature of consumer profiling that will be done?

Managing the data of customers is one of the biggest issues that digital marketers face. However, some marketers take advantage of these data to intrude the personal lives of people in a bid to market something to them, whether or not they have interests in it.

Before engaging in any kind of sensitive profiling, digital marketers must ensure that, whether they are using third parties or collecting (and managing) the data directly, they always have to get the consent of these users before going on. Both the user the brand must clearly understand the legal implications involved and must agree to it before the company goes ahead with such sensitive profiling.