Though consumers' increasing reluctance to share their data may seem like an obstacle to effective digital marketing, advocating for privacy and transparency can actually lead to major gains in consumer trust and loyalty.
In an interview with Marketing Land, Duane Schulz, a principal consultant at Schulz Advisors and former chief marketing technologist at Xerox, discussed how organizations can build trust by shifting to a user-first model of marketing.
He described four steps to achieving that privacy-focused strategy:
1. Establish core values: Propose a set of companywide beliefs and principles that ensure the entire organization understands the consumer experience far outranks the company's financial performance.
2. Consider a real-world approach: Model digital experiences after physical ones, fostering organic engagement rather than forcing a sale based on stealthily gathered consumer data.
3. Prioritize trust and consent: Monitor the actual processes of all data-gathering tools — those developed in-house and commissioned from third-party vendors — to ensure they abide by the organization's privacy policies.
4. Remember that content is king: "Content creates more value than digital interactions. Great content allows you to earn the data, instead of earning the data through trickery," Mr. Schulz said.