From third-party cookies to zero-party data: The new rules of email engagement
A few days ago, Jane was browsing for new sunglasses. Before she knew it, every site she visited was showing her relevant ads.
It wasn’t magic. Just algorithms working with behavioral data.
But data collection is no longer something we can do in the background. With rising privacy concerns, businesses must now lean on zero-party data.
And what better channel to invest in privacy-first communication than email? A channel where users opt in to get personalized customer experiences.
I’ll walk you through the new rules of data collection, how well-established brands are adapting, and what you can do to stay ahead.
Table of Contents
- Why Marketers Are Prioritizing Zero-Party Data
- How to Collect Zero-Party Data
- Things to Consider During Zero-Party Data Collection
Why Marketers Are Prioritizing Zero-Party Data
Apple‘s Mail Privacy Protection and GDPR have accelerated the shift to zero-party data. The same goes for Google’s update, although it’s been postponed.
Privacy laws aside, there are more reasons why you should turn to zero-party data.
Accessing High-quality Data
Research shows that 25% of marketers mention poor-quality data as a main reason why they fall short of customer expectations. But your audience chooses to share zero-party data. This means you get more reliable insights than any data collected passively.
Building Trust
With phishing attempts on the rise, users worry about where their sensitive information ends up. As a result, business executives find it challenging to establish trust:
With zero-party data, customers know exactly what they’re sharing. And according to Salesforce, 71% of them are more likely to do so if a brand clearly explains how they’ll use the information.
Creating More Personalized (Cross-channel) Experiences
Accurate data means you can deliver meaningful experiences on every channel. For example, a user takes a quiz on a cosmetics site to find their perfect lipstick. At the end, they opt in to receive email and SMS updates. Now the brand can personalize every touchpoint, from emails with blush recommendations to texts with discounts on lip liners.
Boosting Email Deliverability and Interactions
If your emails live up to subscribers’ expectations, they’re more likely to interact and less likely to unsubscribe or mark emails as spam. And this is how you keep email deliverability and sender reputation intact.
How to Collect Zero-Party Data
Below are the most effective ways to gather zero-party data from your audience, along with successful use cases for each.
1. Signup Forms
Tailor your signup form to collect more than a name and email address.
For example, Sephora uses back-in-stock alerts to learn about customers’ preferred communication channels:
Another approach is to include an email preference field and ask users:
- How often they’d like to receive emails
- What kind of content they prefer
- What products/services they’re …read more
Source:: HubSpot Blog
Author: Aaron
