GDPR is the acronym for General Data Protection Regulation. It’s a move on from the Data Protection Act, which now gives more control to the customer in regards to their data. It is a directive that stretches across Europe, and which we will continue to have to adhere to even after Brexit.
What it means is that companies and organisations now need to be much more vigilant in terms of how they collect and use data, in particular for marketing. No longer will we be able to blast out emails to everyone on your database, customers & prospects, based on the fact that they simply haven’t opted out to communications.
It means making sure we have permission to market to our customers. Only those who have agreed to being marketed to, via channels (email, direct mail etc) they have agreed to, will be able to be contacted.
The ultimate blow is that it will mean a reduction in the number of people we can mail, email, contact through telephone, fax even social media.
AAAAH – panic!! This is a terrible thing!
Or is it?
Quality not quantity will now be the focus, and that actually can only be a GOOD thing for your business.
If someone has actively signed up to hear from you, that means their interested in what you’ve got to say or sell. They will be much more engaged, more likely to buy, more likely to share what you have to say or sell.
You’ll be able to prioritise your marketing spend too. No longer blanket mailing to a wide base, but focusing on those who are engaged with your brand, on customers who are most likely to respond to your communications, through the channels they want to hear from you on.
So for some, it may feel like the end of the world, but actually it can only be a positive thing.
Make sure you understand the implications of GDPR. Come along to one of my ‘GDPR Made Easy’ courses.
