Page 413 - Social Media Marketing for Dummies

However, between these different types of data collection and usage methods, a
lot can go wrong. And that’s why understanding data best practices and knowing
the most important data and privacy laws of today are critical.

Harnessing Data & Privacy Best Practices

One of the greatest strengths of social media marketing is that you have access to
much more personalized data about your potential customers. This allows you to
identify them with laser-focused precision, target them when they’re most likely
to respond to your marketing messages, and also adjust the communication so
that it resonates based on how they are behaving in that moment of time. Without
a doubt, for many this is the holy grail of marketing — reaching customers at the
right time, in the right place, and in the right format based on how exactly they’re
behaving and knowing what they’ll most likely respond to.

But at the same time, this is a double-edged sword. Without realizing it, you may
find yourself learning so much about your customers that you’re not just convinc-
ing them to make a purchasing decision but instead are unintentionally manipu-
lating how they think.

To really understand what data you can play with and how exactly you should use
it, here are some key best practices to follow:

» Write easily understandable terms of service and privacy policies. Most
privacy policies are designed for and by lawyers. While that worked for a long
time, it isn’t the right thing to do. You run the risk of upsetting your users by
not properly informing them how you will use their data if it is in language
they cannot understand. A good litmus test to use is to ask yourself whether a
layman can understand your terms of service.
» Educate customers on how you will use their information. It’s one thing to
be collecting the data, but another is in how you use it. Explain to your
customers how you’re going to use the data and how you’re also going to
protect their privacy at the same time. Your customers need to understand
how you use their data not only on your website but across your entire
business.

» Establish a global data policy first. If you run a business across countries,
create a stringent global data policy. Then augment those rules based on local
laws that may result in specific country nuances that would typically be tied to
where and how the data is stored. It’s one way to guarantee you will be more
careful with your customer data.

CHAPTER 28 Data and Privacy 397