Author: Franz Malten Buemann

Question: I feel like I’ve waited too long to get started with TikTok because I didn’t originally think it would be a good social network for marketing to customers, it seems that’s not the case any more and now I’m wondering is it too late for me to start from scratch on TikTok? If not, how do I get started?TikTok has already amassed over 100 billion active users, so it’s no surprise that businesses of all shapes and sizes have pivoted to include it in their marketing strategy. Research has found that TikTokers are 1.5x more likely to immediately buy something they’ve found through the app. So, creating a TikTok account if you run a business is definitely a good idea!You may feel like you’re out of your element when it comes to the platform, but all types of businesses can thrive on TikTok. Even The Washington Post —  a prestigious news outlet — has found great success via the platform. The Post recently made headlines when their TikTok hit 1 million subscribers.The account first launched in May 2019 and garnered over 280K followers within its first six months. Initially, video producer Dave Jorgensen, who goes by “Washington Post TikTok Guy” on Twitter, was the sole creator all of the TikTok’s, making roughly 10 videos a week. Jorgensen covered everything from the Trump administration to COVID-19 to health care via bitesized videos with the intent to, “deliver the news in a unique way and reach new audiences.” These TikTok’s packaged breaking stories in a more palatable format for younger generations.The medium became one of The Post’s fastest growing social media channels ever. The newspaper saw value in investing further time and money into the app in late 2021 and created new positions for their TikTok account. They now have an entire team dedicated to TikTok and have increased their output from ten videos a week to releasing over 4 videos in one day. The paper’s director of Editorial Video, Micah Gelman, said they’re expanding their TikTok, to, “… further grow, innovate and continue connecting with more people who may not regularly consume traditional news.”While The Post was already an established media giant before launching its TikTok, smaller businesses with no prior exposure have also greatly benefited from the app. Jeremy Kim, cofounder of Nectar, a small business selling hard seltzer, spoke to Business Insider about the role TikTok played in their marketing strategy.Originally, Kim was also worried that he was too late to TikTok but decided to post a story time video anyway, recounting how he and his partner started their business. To Kim’s surprise, the video received over 300K likes organically. Nectar’s online presence – coupled with on the ground efforts like pop up shops – eventually led to the seltzer company being acquired by BevMo. Their TikTok account now has over 50K followers and has amassed over a million likes. Nectar, proves there’s no “right time” to start on the app — truly anyone can succeed on TikTok.That a distinguished newspaper with an older reader demographic and a small mom and pop shop can both thrive on TikTok demonstrates the app is suitable for all kinds of businesses, no matter the product or service! And while you may think you’re late to join the party, there’s still time to create a thriving TikTok presence for your brand. The great thing about TikTok is the most effective content is generated organically, meaning creating your videos can be done internally and without a large budget. More often than not, videos can be made entirely on your phone!Here are some guidelines to consider when creating a TikTok for your small business: Set up your TikTok accountMake sure you create a free business account for your company — rather than a personal TikTok — to optimize your brand’s presence on the app. TikTok Business launched in 2020 as a way to provide large and small brands alike with marketing tools and metrics to increase their reach. Business accounts also have the option to run paid ads. Creating a business account is simple. Once you’ve answered a few questions about your brand, you’re good to start posting videos!A business account also provides additional perks as well like access to TikTok’s commercial music library also known as the CML, which hosts over 500 songs you can use in your videos royalty free.TikTok’s Business account is designed for small and large businesses alike. Figure out what type of content best connects with your audienceNow comes the fun part! Once you’ve set up your brand’s TikTok, you can dive straight into creating content. TikTok thrives off of creativity, so there’s no wrong or right answer when it comes to making videos. The most popular TikTok’s tend to be the most authentic and original.While it’s great to emulate certain brands, remember that every business is unique and what works for one company may not be the right direction for yours. There will be some trial and error as you figure out what content best suits your target audience, and that’s OK! As you start making videos, you’ll begin to understand which types of material is a good fit for your company.Here are some starting points when thinking about the different types of TikToks:Share a look behind the scenesAn easy way to come up with content is providing a behind the scenes sneak peak of your business! Not only does this provide customers with a better understanding of your brand, but it’s an entirely organic way to create TikToks. Instead of going through the extra step of creating new content, you can simply highlight the work you and your company are already doing!Nowhere Bakery, a vegan and gluten free bakery, regularly posts behind the scenes content giving viewers a glimpse into the kitchen where all of their cookies, brownies, and treats are made. This TikTok shows the team baking a variety of desserts. @nowherebakery a sneak behind the curtain of what goes down in the NWB kitchen. #veganbakery #glutenfreecookies #cisforcookie #cookielover ♬ “C” is for Cookie – Cookie Monster Behind the scenes content is also a great way to introduce your staff! Nowhere Bakery is an entirely women-owned and operated business, and they’re able to showcase their teammates, specifically their founder Saphira, through TikToks. Through behind the scenes videos, Saphira also delves into the mundanities of running a bakery like in this TikTok where she assembles dozens and dozens of cookie boxes. @nowherebakery Comment if you can relate 🙋🏼‍♀️ #fyp #entrepreneur #smallbusiness ♬ The Way I Live – Baby Boy da Prince These kinds of behind the scenes moments can help your audience form a stronger connection with your brand.Teach your customers a skillOperating your own business means you’re an expert in your field, so why not create how to videos related to your products or services?Jeremy Check runs a massively successful TikTok channel, ScheckEats where he posts quick and easy recipes featuring all kinds of cuisines. Scheck started his account in 2020 and now has over two million TikTok followers. A student at Cornell University, Scheck tailors his content for other young adults by including posts like recreating Taco Bell’s Crunchwrap.What sets him a part from other foodie TikTokers, however, is his “how to” videos that are meant to teach college students basic cooking skills.Watch as Scheck walks his followers through the process of caramelizing onions: @scheckeats you can even go longer if you want more flavor!! #caramelizedonions #onions #cooking #caramelisedonion #onionsoup #frenchonionsoup #soup ♬ Coffee Shop – Late Night Luke Here, Scheck comes through with another college hack as he teaches his followers to make coffee at home, specifically cold brew — a lifeline for most students. @scheckeats you do NOT need any special equipment (I only showed the chemex as an option for straining, but you can do it with a coffee filter and a sieve just as well!) #coffee #icedcoffee #coldbrew #coldbrewconcentrate #latte #icedlatte ♬ Hey Lover – The Daughters Of Eve No matter what you offer as a business or creator, consider producing informational “how to” videos that can be both entertaining and edifying for your audience.Create a seriesBefore Nabela Nour became a sensation at @nabela, the author and entrepreneur had a YouTube channel with a relatively large following. But in a 2021 video, Nour addressed her absence from the platform and explained how she moved most of her content to TikTok. Specifically, Nour started a new TikTok series titled “Pockets of Peace.” The idea for the series was simple: showcase the positive moments throughout her day as a way to uplift viewers in wake of the pandemic.Despite varying greatly in content, each “Pockets of Peace” video exudes calming vibes and is coupled with relaxing music. The series turned into an internet sensation and Nour gained millions of followers on her emerging TikTok channel — 7 million to be exact — surpassing the number of subscribers she’d amassed on YouTube over several years.The TikTok’s displays Nour partaking in everyday activities like a date night with her husband, baking a cake, and refreshing her guest bedroom. @nabela reset our guest room with us 🏠🌿💕 #pocketsofpeace #couplethings #homeimprovement ♬ bread in french… – Sam Craft “Pockets of Peace” regularly showcased Nour’s home, especially her kitchen and decor, connecting back to her brand all along — specifically, her lifestyle and home brand Saara & Begum. Nour even included a sneak peak of her first product, a candle collection, in one of her TikToks before officially launching the item.Your videos don’t have to be as elaborately produced as Nour’s. As long as you can find a creative theme that fits within your brands identity, preparing a series can lead to great material for TikToks.Not sure how to kick off a series? Here are some prompts:Involve your team: Whether it’s your employee talking about their particular role, discussing new product launches, or even just introducing themselves, including your staff is an easy way to create content!Think about your mission and goal: How do you want your clients to feel when they use your products or services? Try to see if you can capture that essence in your videos. If you’re a candle company whose mission is to provide aroma therapy for customers, you could create videos diving into the healing properties of each scent. A Yoga Studio, on the other hand, might create a TikTok series around mindfulness, prompting users to engage in meditations.Ask your followers what they’d like to see: If you’re unsure of what content will be best for your series, you can always use interactive features on social media to get feedback from your customers.Stay consistentOnce you’ve landed on the content you want to create try to stay as consistent as possible when posting on TikTok. Frequent posts will increase engagement and help your brand become memorable to consumers. TikTok’s algorithm also favors accounts that produce a steady stream of content and have established themselves as experts within a certain niche, so make sure there’s a common theme amongst your videos.While it’s totally okay to have different kinds of posts on your feed, some content will likely resonate more with your viewers. As mentioned early, The Washington Post found most success with its sketch-based news videos while Nabela Nour’s audience flocked to her TikTok for its tranquil atmosphere. Once you figure out your niche, include the relevant hashtags to your TikToks.Posting consistently can be easier said than done, especially when you’re a small business owner wearing multiple hats. Here are some tips to help you develop a rhythm on your account:Make a social media calendarMaking a social media calendar can help you stay organized and on top of all of your posts! A calendar not only details how often you’ll post onto certain channels like TikTok, but it will also delineate the specific kind of content. Having a granular view of all of your posts will also help your social media feed become more cohesive.To get started, you can use Buffer’s social media calendar to have an easy and clear view of your content for the week and month!Batch create contentOnce you’ve figured out your TikTok schedule, it’s time to actually make the videos! As someone who might run a business, your plans are probably always up in the air as you have to tend to dozens of tasks as they arise. Instead of trying to find time to film TikTok’s everyday, it may be helpful to dedicate specific days or even weeks to batch creating content.You can block out certain days in your calendar for filming multiple TikToks at once and then book another day for editing the videos as well. After these sessions, you’ll have created content for several days, rather than just one.Have fun and experiment!Most importantly, remember TikTok as a platform is all about having fun! As you start out on your channel, be open to trying out a variety of videos and feel free to experiment with trending content.TikTok is known for viral trends — like the pet #blanketchallenge — and keeping up with these moments can optimize your brand’s exposure. Oftentimes, businesses can increase their reach by engaging with trending content.Just remember, jumping on the bandwagon isn’t always a good idea. Though capitalizing on certain fads may help your business stay relevant, your content should always connect back to your brand’s core values and provide insight to your customers. Hopefully this answered your question and showed that it’s never too late to start a TikTok account for your business! Though the app may seem a bit daunting at first, TikTok is a great marketing tool that can further your brand’s reach. Once your account is all set up, check out Buffer’s TikTok reminders where you can easily plan out your TikTok videos in one place.Have a question for us to answer in a future Ask Buffer series? Send us a tweet!

Asking if email marketing or SMS marketing is more effective is like asking if lifting weights or cardio is better for fitness. It’s a valid question, but arguably the wrong question.
The question is not which is better but how you should use each and when to use them together. Similar to how weights and cardio serve different aspects of health and fitness, both email and SMS marketing can have a huge impact on marketing efforts but serve different purposes.
The real power of email and SMS marketing is when you apply each to the use cases they serve better than the other. When you try to cover all your bases with just one or the other, you inevitably miss out on opportunities to reach your audience in the most impactful way. By using both SMS and email marketing, you’re able to increase the impact of your marketing campaigns and your bottom line.
How should you use email marketing?
The impact of email marketing campaigns is long-standing. It is the number one preference of recipients of marketing messaging — accounting for 46% of users. And on average, the unique open rate for marketing emails is 22%. However, there are challenges to email marketing that require some strategy to overcome.
To say there is competition for your email audience’s attention would be an understatement. There are over 306 billion emails sent daily worldwide, and 82% of marketers use email as a marketing channel. So it’s really no surprise that 45% of marketers cite maintaining an engaged subscriber list as their number one challenge with their email marketing strategy. So how do you break through the noise and take a slice of the $8.5 billion in revenue made from email marketing? Use it when it counts, so your subscribers come to know the value of email from your organization.
1. Ask for permission
The basis of any good marketing is an engaged audience, which starts with users choosing to receive your messaging. It’s also important to provide subscriber email opt-in to comply with personal data use laws.
Source
 
AutoTrader not only has its subscribers opt-in to its email list but also allows them to tailor what they receive to their interests.
2. Maintain a regular cadence
An essential piece of building an engaged email list is to consistently deliver great content that subscribers come to expect and look for in their email inbox. And in addition to building an engaged subscriber list, a regular cadence also improves email deliverability.
We’ve done the research on it and found that the ideal email frequency is typically one email every two weeks. The key here is finding a balance between delivering consistently and not flooding your subscribers’ inboxes, so your emails get marked as spam.
Source
 
This email newsletter from Pitch is a great example of how organizations can use email to keep their audiences informed.
3. Promote long-form content
If you’re sharing detailed or extensive content, email is one of the best mediums to promote it.
This doesn’t mean you copy and paste an entire ebook into an email and hit send, though. Rather, introducing long-form content and linking out to a web page in an email is a better method. In this way, you’re able to keep the content digestible and intriguing if they don’t have the time at present to read it.
Email also provides a format in which you can promote relevant content to your subscribers that they can come back to and reference easily.
Source
 
This email from Inspire shares a blog roundup with its readers. The brief summary of each blog intrigues the reader to click and read the full post.
4. Share interactive experiences
One of the unique things about email is the ability to provide interactive experiences for the subscriber. We don’t mean interactive like auto-response messages or gifs. We mean interactive in the true sense, like roll-over reveals, embedded forms, expandable content, product previews, etc.
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The Google Store offers its email subscribers the opportunity to shop right from their email with interactive product exploration and purchase options.
How should you use SMS marketing?
While many (like literally every blog on SMS marketing) tout a 98% average open rate as the reason to use only SMS marketing campaigns, this doesn’t offer a complete picture. This stat isn’t hard to believe (despite the fact no one seems to have the original source for it). Who doesn’t open their text messages (if only to delete them immediately)? However, you have to think about the context in which people receive these messages to understand their true value.
According to Statista, only 25% of smartphone users prefer getting business communication via text. This isn’t to say SMS is not a preferred channel, though. SMS marketing messages are second only to email (which is the preference of 46% of users, as noted above).
And SMS messages do have a higher read rate than email at 42% (compared to a 32% read rate for emails). Which is all to say, it definitely has a place in your marketing efforts. However, the instances in which it applies are more specific — as indicated by the number of users that prefer it and the general sentiment surrounding it.
Source
 
The responses seen in the Mobile Ecosystem Forum survey results above paint a clear picture of when and how users want to receive text message marketing. Here are the takeaways on how you should use SMS marketing:
1. Ask for permission
Just like with email, getting subscriber opt-in is essential. Text messages are highly personal and what some would even consider invasive, so getting permission is crucial. Only sending messages to users who are opted-in is not just a best practice; it’s the law.
Source
 
Getting opt-in from your audience can be as simple as asking them to take the lead by texting a keyword to sign up. Seen here is an example from Refuel Fitness, which asks its members to simply text “refuel” to sign up for SMS messages. Once the member signs up, Refuel Fitness confirms their subscription and reiterates the value they can expect to receive.
2. On a limited basis
Again, getting a text message can feel invasive, especially if it’s overused. Put yourself in the consumer’s shoes: would you want to be constantly pinged by someone asking you to give them your money?
Don’t be like that crazy ex that won’t stop texting. Be intentional; make it count when you text them. Offer them a deal or VIP access so they feel special, not bombarded. In general, limit your text messages to once a week or less.
Source
 
Hibbett Sports uses SMS messages to notify its customers of timely sales and big discounts. The company is not just texting random updates or notifying customers of every small company update.
3. Make it personal
Because of the intimate feeling of receiving a text, it’s a great opportunity to build relationships with your audience. This could include asking them questions about their personal experience with your product or asking them what they would like to see next. Essentially, SMS marketing gives you the opportunity to get product ideas “straight from the horse’s mouth.”
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Asking customers for feedback not only gives your company valuable insights but also makes your users feel heard and prioritized in your product development.
4. Share time-sensitive offers and updates
One of the greatest advantages of using SMS marketing is that the recipients immediately get notifications. You don’t have to wait for them to wade through their inboxes a few days later to discover the sale that’s already over. When there is something timely or exclusive, like VIP early access, that is the ideal time to use SMS marketing.
Source
 
KKW Beauty uses SMS to share restocks with its VIP group, so they have a better chance of snagging the product before it runs out again.
5. Send brief updates
When it comes to text messaging, brevity is key. Typically, 160 or fewer characters is the sweet spot, so you can keep copy within a single message. Think about the last time you received a virtual book from someone via SMS text. You probably either didn’t read it or wished they would have just sent an email. Honor that instinct in your SMS marketing.
Source
 
Nu Med Spa gets right to the point in its text confirmations. The company only includes the most pertinent information for its customers and includes a phone number for further questions.
Better together
Email and SMS marketing both have unique strengths in different use cases. The best marketing strategies include both, and the best marketing platforms allow you to implement them in sync.
For example, you might send an email with long-form content promoting an event a month before and then follow it up the week of with a reminder text. The key is to set up both through the same marketing tool so you can use automation triggers to maximize the strengths of each.

The post Email Marketing vs. SMS Marketing: You’re Asking the Wrong Question appeared first on Campaign Monitor.

 

 

A recent survey from CommerceNext shows 39% of retailers and brands are apprehensive about the new privacy, post-cookie environment. The survey also studies their strategies for navigating through it. A staggering portion of eCommerce seems to be unaware of the role zero-party data can – and will – play in this new, privacy-oriented reality. Why is eCommerce, apparently, on its way to starve the golden goose?

In this article, we take a closer look at the attitudes of marketers towards the changes, the strategies they plan to employ and the problems they expect to encounter. We also analyze the possible causes of zero-party data blindness and address the doubts the industry may feel about them. Finally, we will explain why zero-party data not only complements first-party data, but is actually the only viable answer to the privacy-first trend. 

 

Conclusions from the survey – what eCommerce apparently doesn’t know?

 

“This brief report summarizes how retailers are feeling about and prioritizing their marketing tactics and measurement tools within a first-party data only environment.” – we read on page 4 of the survey report. While we understand the context, the phrase “first-party data only environment”, describing this privacy-first reality, cannot be further from the truth.

Third-party and first-party data do not exhaust the catalog of dataset types essential for eCommerce. To organize the knowledge necessary to navigate through the rest of this article, let’s remind ourselves of the basic definitions.

 

First-party data

First-party data is first-hand information collected through cookies and other tracking technologies by companies from their recipients.

 

Third-party data

The data that has been accumulated by many sources across the Internet, gathered by a data company with no direct connection to the consumer, and sold to an eCommerce entity in clusters.

 

Zero-party data

It is the information explicitly given by the customer, which is proactively and voluntarily shared. Unlike the first- and third-party data, zero-party data refers to all kinds of information requested by brands and provided directly by customers. 

 

Now imagine, you run a brick-and-mortar store. Would you just observe the behavior of the customers( take notes on what they are looking at, etc.) with no attempt to make direct contact (first-party data strategy)? Or maybe you would go to the mall’s security and ask for the video records to track the traffic patterns of the customers around the building to generate the best offer you can make for them (third-party data strategy)? No, such actions would move you away from the customer, the best action to undertake is to simply ask “How can I be of help?”.

The reason for the prevalence of first-party and third-party data use in eCommerce was never their superiority over direct contact. It was the lack of technological possibility to collect, manage, and action zero-party data.  

In the meantime, the advancement in technology in recent years is enormous. Things you didn’t even consider a few years back are now not only perfectly possible but, for various reasons, have become a necessity. First, no third-party, as well as first-party data, can really fulfill these requirements:

63% of consumers expect businesses to know their unique needs and expectations. (Salesforce Research)83% of consumers are willing to share their data to create a more personalized experience. (Accenture)79% of customers are willing to share relevant information about themselves in exchange for contextualized interactions in which they’re immediately known and understood. (Salesforce)74% of consumers say “living profiles” with more detailed personal preferences would be useful if they were used to curate personalized experiences, products, and offers. (Accenture)80% of consumers are more likely to purchase a brand that provides personalized experiences. (Epsilon)

Another is, of course, a shift towards the privacy-first focus of the customers, regulators, and Big Tech. 92% of customers appreciate companies giving them control over what information is collected about them. (Salesforce). The regulators comply as does Big Tech. What is the eCommerce answer?

 

How do retailers feel about the new, privacy-first landscape?

 

Legal Regulations and Big Tech follow-up kills third-party cookies

 

More and more, we are seeing new data privacy regulations. California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) gives consumers more control over the personal information that businesses collect about them. The CCPA regulations explain how to implement the law. It gives the consumer i.eg. the “Right to be forgotten” or the right to opt-out of the sale of their personal information. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives EU citizens new control over their data as well as their interactions with companies. And these are only the most important regulations. HIPAA, ECPA, COPPA are other examples. 

Big Tech complied and started putting in place its own privacy measures. First, Safari killed the tracking cookie. Then, the iOS14.5 update limited the use of device IDs. Soon, Chrome will be eliminating the 3rd party cookies. All of these changes are chipping away at how the retail and eCommerce industry has done marketing for years.   

 

How do marketers feel about it?

 

The participants of the CommerceNext survey feel that they have more to lose than to gain from the rise of the privacy-first environment. Most of the answers reflect a “negative” to “neutral” attitude towards the changes. It is worth mentioning that the participants of the survey were divided into Digital First Retailers (started online and are digital natives) and Incumbent Retailers (started with stores, catalogs, or as wholesale brands). The first group is, naturally, more worried. 

46% of Digital First Retailers are negative towards the changes with only 34% of Incumbent Retailers being negative.32% of Digital First Retailers described their attitude as neutral, with 50% of neutral Incumbent Retailers respectively.

The legitimate challenges include reduced precision of targeting, fewer data points for accurate measurement and tracking. These concerns are expressed equally by both groups of participants

68% are worried about addressing lower efficiency in paid advertising58% fear lower targeting precision in digital advertising49% worry about having fewer data points in digital marketing performance management

To sum up, the marketers fear for the future performance of their current tool stack. They are not considering any new possibilities with the paradigm shift. At the moment, the only solution in their minds seems to be first-party data. 

 

How will marketers react to a privacy-first world?

 

The big turn towards first-party data

 

As the survey authors point out: “With the loss of third-party data, retailers are investing in strategies that will help them collect and leverage data they already have access to (first-party data). and measure that data more effectively to monetize the right acquisition and retention tactics”.

Retailers plan to use first-party data for:

retention, 48%marketing, 44%on-site personalization, 39%incentivize users to log in 38%

We conclude that the marketers focus on data they already have and already are familiar with.

 

Why the blindspot? Analyzing the lack of zero-party data driven strategies for privacy-first landscape.

 

eCommerce may not know, how to collect and utilize zero-party data

 

This is perfectly fine. Since the introduction of eCommerce, companies have struggled with the problem of anonymity. It was simply impossible to approach each customer visiting the website and ask “How can I be of help”. Most companies were forced to collect first-party data, to gain implicit knowledge about how attractive their offers were and deduct the customers’ preferences from their behavior. Larger ones could even afford to buy access to third-party datasets. 

Although direct contact was always the best source of customer information, no one thought it was possible online. The future seemed to be ever-evolving tracking and AI-backed algorithms. One-to-one commerce didn’t look like it was coming back.

In these circumstances, it is hard to wonder why everybody in eCommerce is focused on sharpening current tools and methods, rather than actively looking for ways to change the paradigm. Marketers are always looking for new improved editions of tools they have been using for years. Anything to gain an edge over their competition. 

And to be fair – until just now they were right. There were no tools allowing for seamless collection, management, and actionizing zero-party data. Earlier this year saw the release of SALESmanago’s Customer Preference Center as a direct response to this gap.  It is the first zero-party data-oriented Customer Data Platform on the market. For some time, it will remain the only such tool on the market. While it will still support the use of third and first-party data, third-party data will not be around much longer. In fact, first-party data will end up being a supplement to the main player, zero-party data. This is because it is the best source for customer information.

 

eCommerce still has a problem with data management

 

The CommerceNext survey reveals one more thing about eCommerce. Many companies, particularly Incumbent Retailers type, still have a problem with data management. 

In the survey, we read: “Digital-first retailers, who presumably have solid customer data management tools in place (single view of the customer, etc.) are focused on challenges relating to prioritizing use cases and the data activation needed to execute against these use cases (51%). While incumbent retailers are equally focused on use cases and activation (50%), they first have to tackle their biggest challenge around customer data management (64%). This truly reflects the infancy stage we are still in when it comes to the discipline of first-party data activation.”

This helps us understand why marketers are not thinking about zero-party data  or even CDP. It is not because they don’t like the tools. It is because the tools are not even on their radar.

This lack of awareness might have been okay in the past.  However, in the modern world, it may prove to be fatal, especially for Incumbent Retailers. We predict Digital First companies are able to operate more freely in an online environment and are more up to date with technology. They will be the first to jump on the zero-party data train. It might  even broaden the gap between them and the more conservative, classic retail-based competition.

 

Why is zero-party data the only constructive way to go in the privacy-first world?

 

As we pointed out in the first chapter, collecting and actionizing zero-party data closely resembles an actual conversation with the customers. Whereas gathering third-party and even, to a degree, first-party data requires, well … something like watching surveillance tapes.

Data Privacy regulations are restricting the indirect methods of customer information gathering. It is a trend clearly seen by everybody in the industry. The writing on the wall is correctly read by Big Tech as seen from its reaction.

In stark contrast, we cannot imagine a world where regulators will prohibit communications between commerce and customers. This would mean prohibiting any conversation at all. 

Zero-party data driven strategies to solve data privacy issues once and for all. It also signals the revival of personal, one-to-one commerce. The surveys and studies cited in chapter one indicate that this is exactly what the customers want.

 

How zero-party data based relationships can grow over the years to prolong CLV of your customers?

 

Zero-party data is a powerful tool for relationship building. The authors of CommerceNext were asking about the biggest challenge of the privacy-first world. Aaron Magness, CMO at Thistle, said it is keeping interested customers engaged without having to retarget them. This means winning them over from their first interaction with the brand. “The changes going on in the Facebook and Apple ecosystems make it more challenging and a higher lift for marketers to be relevant to the right people at the right time. We need to ask ourselves ‘How do you tell your brand story on that first visit?’ How do we get more information and more relevancy so that when a customer does come to your site, they understand immediately and don’t need to be reminded through retargeting.” 

Well, you don’t have to worry about targeting, if the customer shares data voluntarily when incentivized with better-personalized offers. As the multitude of surveys cited at the beginning of this article suggest, the customers want to and will do it.

Throughout their lifecycle, a customer’s relationship with a brand changes. Initially, they may be reluctant to share their story, so the first data requests should be low-key and reasonable, preferentially accompanied by a tangible incentive. In other words, don’t force it! Adapting to the client’s pace is crucial here.

As the relationship develops, they will begin to trust brands and decide how intimate the interactions should be. When the relationship elicits more engagement, the greater the chance of gaining valuable personal information to better tailor the communication.

And you don’t have to worry about presenting your brand’s whole story in a snapshot. As in the case of the customer data, the information about your brand will reveal itself to the customers in this process. A zero-party data approach to the customers may become part of your brand’s story. A story of a brand, building its success on personal relationships and deep knowledge of customers’ needs, developed in a dialog. 

 

A lot of the data you enter into your Google Sheets tables may be repetitive, like tracking whether an influencer you’ve reached out to for a partnership has agreed to working with you or not.
It can get tedious to go in and type each yes or no as time goes on, which is where a critical tool, the drop-down list, becomes your best friend.
In this post, we’ll go over how to add a drop-down list to your own Google Sheets data set to help save time.

How to Add a Drop-down List in Google Sheets
As mentioned above, a drop-down list can help you easily change elements of a cell when the content is repetitive.
The example data set for this walkthrough (as shown in the image below) is tracking the progress of marketing campaigns on different channels and the stage they’re in; not yet started, in progress, or completed. I want to create a drop-down menu so I can easily go in and change the status of the campaign as time goes on.

Before going through the steps, it might be helpful to see what a drop-down menu looks like so you can contextually understand each instruction. The gif below shows a final drop-down menu and how it applies to the sample data set.

Let’s go over how to add a drop-down list to your Sheet.
1. In the toolbar header, click Data.
2. In the drop-down menu, as shown in the image below, select Data validation.

3. In the Data validation dialog box, enter the range of cells you want to have a drop-down menu in Cell range. For this example, I’m entering B2:B10 for cells 2-10 in column B.

4. The next step is to enter the data range that you want to be included in the drop-down menu. Select List of items, and add in your menu values. For this example, this is where I would input Not yet started, In progress, and Complete.
Once you’ve entered your values, click save.

5. Each of your cells should now have a clickable down arrow, as shown in the image below.

For the example table, I can click on each down arrow and change the status of my campaigns as time goes on.

How to Edit a Drop-down List in Google Sheets
If you need to make changes to your drop-down menu, the process is rather simple.
1. In the toolbar header, click Data and then Data validation.
2. In the Data validation dialogue box, simply input the changes you want to make. For example,

If you want to change the items in your drop-down menu, navigate to Criteria, and make your desired changes.
If you want to change the column the drop-down menu is in, change the cell numbers in Cell range.
If you want to delete your drop-down menu altogether, select the column the menu is currently in and click Remove validation.

Always click save after making all changes.
Color Code a Drop-down List in Google Sheets
Color coding is helpful when it comes to interpreting results at a glance. You can do this with your drop-down list by creating conditional formatting rules, and below we’ll explain how.
1. Select the cells your drop-down menu is in and click Format.
2. Select Conditional formatting from the dialogue box, as shown in the image below.

3. In the Conditional formatting rules sidebar on the right-hand side of your screen, navigate to the Format rules section.

4. In the Format cells if menu, select Text contains…

5. Enter the first element in your drop-down list that you want color-coded. In the image below, I’ve entered Completed as my value and set the color to Green.

6. To set a color for each of your list items, select + Add another rule and repeat step 5 for each value. For my chart, I’ve set In progress to Blue, and Not started to gray.

7. After you set each of your rules, changing the drop-down menu item to a different value will automatically change it to the correct color. For example, if I change Not yet started to In progress, it turns from gray to blue.

Once you’ve created your drop-down menu and color-coded it for easy interpretation, you can continue to track the progress of your different marketing activities and save time while doing so.

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