Your GDPR friendly marketing toolkit…
Did you know that it has been one year since GDPR came into force? There have been consent notices coming from all angles, but I think we can all agree that data protection is a good thing.
Although data protection is great for the consumer, it has made certain marketing activities for businesses more difficult to carry out. For example, your email list may have shrunk a little after cleansing your contacts.
But we can’t rely on email alone. You have to use a marketing mix to give your business the best chance of being seen or heard. So if you’re still stuck on what you can and can’t do with your marketing following the GDPR legislation, read on for some advice about how to re-introduce your marketing to the world!
Search Engine Optimisation
Why do you have a website in the first place? What was the original goal? To make more sales? To get more appointments booked? So more people hear about you? Everyone wants something a little different, however everyone wants more website traffic to achieve said goals.
More website traffic comes from organic search than any other source. This means that when someone is using a search engine to find information that’s relevant to your product, service, or website; you need to make sure you’re up there with your competitors. You could be missing out on potential business. And that’s where SEO comes in. You can find out more about how SEO works here.
Did you know…
- 4 in 5 people use search engines to find local information
- More website traffic comes from organic search than any other source
- 94% of business to business buyers research online for purchase decisions
Events
We have previously mentioned in some of our blogs about how important it is to get out and actually speak to people. It’s known that people do business with people, which is why networking groups are so popular and are proven to work.
Think about which events your potential customers may be attending, whether this be a festival, a trade fair, a business convention. Think about the audience specific to that event and work out a way to drum up some business. Maybe you could run a workshop? The opportunities are endless.
Did you know…
- Events help create the most business to business leads
- 84% of event attendees say that they have a more positive opinion about the company, brand, product or service being promoted after the event!
- 79% of marketers generate sales using event marketing
Direct Mail
Isn’t it nice when you get a nice bit of post through the door? It makes you feel something, both physically and emotionally. Direct mail is a great way to add a personal touch to your marketing mix, and the psychology behind it provokes responses from your audience.
You may not think so, but you don’t need explicit consent to send a mailer, letter, brochure etc. as long as you make it clear how they can stop getting future mailings. You do however need to ensure that the content is relevant as sending direct mail is mainly only allowed under the ‘legitimate interests’ of your business.
Did you know…
- 87% of people said they were influenced to make an online purchase as a result of receiving direct mail
- 44% agreed that they were more likely to remember something they had read in print rather than on screen (only 12% disagreed)
- 4 out of 5 people say they’ve connected with a business after getting direct mail
Emails
Yes, you can still send emails to people. But there are some rules that you should follow. You can’t just use an email address that you found on a business card you picked up at an event anymore, and you can’t use an email address that someone may have used to get a coupon code.
You need to keep your database clean and GDPR friendly, so make sure that everyone on your list has explicitly opted in to receive your emails. You can also follow the rules of legitimate interest too, where an existing customer who has bought or enquired about a product or service from you. This falls under the PECR rules which counts as a soft opt in.
Did you know…
- The average open rate for a welcome email is 82%
- 81% of SMBs still rely on email as their primary customer acquisition channel
- 49% of people said they’d like to receive promotional emails from their favourite brands
Social Media
It has been talk of the town that social media is being considered a waste of time, however you should make sure you’re using the right platform before you come to this conclusion. What works for one business may not work for another. You can read more about the different platforms here.
Consistent social media activity and engagements are key to building your brand awareness to your customers, helping them to recognise you & your values more. It’s a fact that a potential customer might browse your social media before dealing with you. It is important to create posts that are on brand and relevant to your business. These posts can be information or offers that your audience may find useful and shows that you are a credible option for them.
Did you know…
- 49% of consumers depend on social influencers for recommendations
- 94% of B2B marketers use Linkedin to distribute content
- 54% of social browsers use social media to research products
Need a little help with your marketing mix?
We can take a look at what you are currently doing and let you know how to improve and plan ahead!
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