As if marketing data doesn’t give us enough of a headache, they had to go and announce GDPR. We’re not going to lie, it’s a massive minefield and we strongly recommend that you start looking into it.

We can’t change it, but in true Juicy fashion, we are looking at it as a positive opportunity to take a step back and tackle those data pain points we’ve all been facing…

We aren’t in control of our data!

According to a report created by Allocadia, half of marketers feel that they have no control over their data. 13% of the companies surveyed said they don’t even know where their data lives and they can’t run any reports.

Gone are the days of keeping your lists in an Excel spreadsheet. GDPR insists that data needs to be safe and sound in a secure platform, and it should be encrypted.

There’s no excuse not to when tools like MailChimp have a free option (up to 2,000 subscribers). Even better would be a full CRM system such as Hubspot, Infusionsoft or Salesforce which enable fantastic reporting abilities.

I don’t have the information I need!

It’s a good idea to have a data template that must be followed by all employees inputting new contacts. We have seen countless data entries that consist of an email address only which is criminal!

As an absolute minimum, you need their first and last name and email address. Remember with GDPR, you also need to be able to prove when and how a person opted-in to receive your marketing.

Over time, add as much information as you can to build out a profile. That way you can make informed decisions and strategically target certain contacts based on the data you have on them.

Just imagine the possibilities if you had the individuals purchase history, birthday, interests etc. Your marketing will start to become personalised and like your talking directly to the person.

How can we get new data?

There are so many ways to get new leads and data, so click below to access our free guide to Lead Generation; Online, Offline and All The Time.

Whatever you do, make sure you use data capture forms with clear opt-in messaging. Here’s an example of a compliant form:

So that wraps up our Pain Series! If you’re struggling with anything that we haven’t covered, feel free to get in touch and we will work with you to find a solution!

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