Have you heard about GDPR? If not, check out this article to find out what it means for you and your marketing. There’s a bit of a misconception that GDPR will only affect European companies, much like the CASL only affects Canadian companies. However, this isn’t the case. If you’re a company with potential European buyers and you want to expand your reach, GDPR is very important to you as well.
A traditional marketing practice included companies buying subscription lists of people who were interested in a similar product or solution. For example, contacting someone who subscribes to a hospitality technology publication about your new technology solution. This may not be possible anymore. So what are you to do?
First, I’m not a lawyer. I’m approaching GDPR from a marketing perspective. Always consult a legal professional for advice pertinent to your situation. And know you’re not alone.
At my recent attendance at ITB, the world’s largest travel trade show, everyone I spoke with stated they were worried about GDPR. It’s going to be the biggest hurdle to raising awareness of their product like never before.
This is why content marketing will become more important than ever. You’ll need to have more of a permission-marketing based system. A large content library will be key to your success.
Want to let potential buyers know about your product? You‘ll need to publish thought leadership pieces and content to get on their radar.
You’ll want to create more content driven pieces to improve the SEO on your site for your keywords. And you’ll want to talk more directly to people who are interested, which requires something valuable in exchange for their email.
How to Build Your List after GDPR
#1 Create Valuable Content
Now, more than ever, you’ll need to get found. This requires raising awareness of what you do. What does that mean? You’ll want to create content:
- Relevant to your readers
- Full of actionable advice
- On new and innovative topics
Most importantly, you content needs to be findable in search results, which means a greater emphasis on SEO.
#2 Collect an Email Address with Permission
Did you lose over half your list when you switched to GDPR? You’ll need to build it back up-and that’s not a bad thing. It’s a great idea to requalify your list on occasion anyway. Consider a campaign at least once every 12 months or so.
If there hasn’t been engagement with a subscriber after 12 months, they’ve most likely moved on. They decided not to buy, they bought elsewhere, or priorities switched.
That’s okay. It’s great even. Why spend resources and time on subscribers who aren’t interested in your product? Better to get better qualified prospects that will earn more in the long run.
Build your list of qualified prospects by offering something valuable your prospects can use now. It doesn’t have to be a comprehensive guide to a problem. A simple download that gives them a quick win is worth it for them to sign up.
#3 Ask a Question
Before they hand over their email address, ask your prospects about their needs. Not only will this allow you to segment and target your messaging, it also builds trust. You’re demonstrating you care about their particular concerns before gathering their personal information.
Now they’ve given you their email address and told you about their particular concerns. They’re ready to take another step.
#4 Ask for Further Contact
A common online marketing practice is to give away something of value when a person signs up for your email list. This is now a gray area with GDPR. To protect yourself, immediately ask if it’s okay to add someone to a newsletter when you send them their valuable download.
Demonstrate the reason why they’d benefit from further contact with you. Always give a reason and link it to a benefit for them. No one needs another newsletter. Tell them why they want to continue to hear from you.
GDPR will change the way companies market online-and it’s for the better. You’ll have more engaged lists of people who are interested in your product. They want to hear from you! Follow these simple steps to continue to build your list and help the people who can benefit from your solution.
Want another way to build your email list? Check out the download below on how to create blogs that convert. Bring more visitors to your site with valuable information where you can reach out to them directly.
