Next month sees the arrival of a date that has likely been marked in your calendar for some time. After months of speculation on the new GDPR regulations, the full reality will finally hit on 25 May.
As D-Day approaches to get your data in line with GDPR and delete your out-of-date customer information, we face an unknown future. You can no longer rely on sending a one size fits all sales message in the hopes that someone will bite. You’ll have to find other ways to build your brand and reach your target audience.
While it is frustrating to have to delete customer details, much of the panic around this is unwarranted. Yes, your database will inevitably shrink and people will leave. But while this may sound alarming, the truth is that if someone hasn’t engaged with you for a while, chances are they weren’t going to buy anything from you anyway. These things happen. Get over it. Move on.
What you should be worrying about instead is how to organically grow your database back to the level it once was. But this time, fill it with people who will actually engage and potentially buy from you.
Sounds easy enough, right? But how do you go about making this happen?
The answer lies in creating relevant, quality content. Among the minefield of potential GDPR breaches, content is a safe, compliant way to reach your audience. It helps brands to position how they want to be perceived. It’s your chance to show that you’re experts in your field, and can deliver targeted content that interests and adds value to your audience. Today, the truth is, you need to build your brand through content.
We’ve recently seen more and more evidence of brands who understand the value of content. Take Lynx, who recently revealed its plans to stop prioritising investment in the traditional TV ads that made it a household name, in favour of upping its content marketing budget. Why would a company that has found astronomical success through mass advertising decide instead to target a smaller audience through content?
As Rik Strubel, Lynx Global Vice President for Advertising, puts it, reaching as many people as possible “is not the measure any more”. The way in which brands get through to their audiences is changing. What’s the use in a having a huge reach if you’re not saying anything of substance?
While in-your-face advertising and excessive marketing emails can end up irritating customers and even putting them off your brand, carefully crafted content is a subtle way to share your message without hounding people. What’s more, according to Demand Metric, content marketing generates over three times as many leads as outbound marketing, and yet costs 62% less.
While mass advertising and spam emails might once upon a time have had a more immediate impact on sales, content plays the long game. Rather than hard selling, it takes the time to create a valuable, long-term brand that consumers can trust and, when the times comes to buy, it’s this brand that they will choose.
The figures speak for themselves – Aberdeen Group found that conversion rates are six times higher for companies and brands that use content marketing than those that don’t.
According to Curata, 63% of marketers create their content according to buyer persona, and for good reason. By knowing your audience and what will attract them, you show that you’re not just spamming them with useless, generic content. At GoldSand Digital we help our clients achieve the highest results by using bespoke, localised content to appeal directly to customers’ interests and needs.
The fact is that GDPR is changing the landscape of digital customer communications, so marketers must look outside traditional, mass market sales messages. Ultimately, investing time and resource into your content marketing strategy will give you the advantage over those who are still struggling without their outdated database.
Slow and steady wins the race, and when the hare has run out of steam, content will help you make sure you’re the tortoise up ahead.
To find out how GoldSand Digital can help you transform your content marketing strategy, get in touch at info@goldsanddigital.com, or on 020 7287 9233.