Any company using marketing automation strategies must dedicate a page on its website to the protection of personal data in order to comply with the GDPR and out of a duty of transparency toward its users. Since marketing relies on this collection of sensitive data, visitors must be informed about its processing and their rights. Often, the GDPR and Data page is located in the footer of a website, but a menu category can also be dedicated to it. The main thing is that this topic is addressed and visible to all visitors to your site.
Understand the principles of the GDPR relating to marketing automation
Assess and document the data collected by your website
Implement a clear and explicit consent policy
Strengthen data security on your website
Staff training and GDPR awareness
Understand the principles of the GDPR relating to marketing automation
A. What is the GDPR and why is it important for marketing automation?
The GDPR, or General Data Protection Regulation, is a European Union regulation that came into force in May 2018. Its objective is to protect the privacy and personal data of individuals within the EU. For marketing automation, the GDPR is crucial because it imposes strict rules regarding the collection, processing, and use of users’ personal data.
Companies must obtain clear and informed consent from users before collecting their data and must guarantee its security by implementing appropriate protective measures. The GDPR strengthens consumer trust and encourages companies to adopt responsible marketing practices that comply with data privacy legislation.
B. The key GDPR principles related to marketing automation
If you use Webmecanik Automation or any other solution for your marketing automation campaigns, there are four major principles to remember in order to comply with the GDPR:
- Explicit and specific consent: at the end of your forms, opt-in boxes cannot be pre-checked. Users must clearly know what they are agreeing to when they submit their personal data.
- The right to be forgotten and data deletion: you can set up a form where prospects can request the deletion of their data at any time. Feel free to communicate with them to let them know that this form dedicated to security exists and that they can contact you at any time to learn more about the processing of their information.
- Transparency in data collection and processing: same principle: if internal processes or GDPR legislation change, it is recommended to communicate with your customer base to inform them and demonstrate greater transparency.
- Data security and confidentiality: implementing robust measures is essential to prevent any data leak: two-factor authentication, encryption, access management, passwords that must be renewed regularly…
And to learn even more about the links between marketing automation and the GDPR, download our white paper now.
Assess and document the data collected by your website
A. Conduct an audit of the data collected by your forms and cookies
To optimize your website for personal data protection, it is advisable first and foremost to carry out a comprehensive audit covering the data you have, the forms you publish, and the state of your cookies. With GDPR laws, it is advisable to review your forms and update them if boxes are pre-checked or if consent requests have not been included.
B. Identify sensitive and non-sensitive data
After this audit, it is good practice to identify which sensitive and non-sensitive data you have in your possession and, of course, to strengthen security for the most sensitive data.
Here are some types of data classified as sensitive:
- ?Geographic data: GPS location, IP address, etc.
- ?Demographic data: sex, age, date of birth, marital status, family situation, etc.
- ?Service usage data: purchase history, website or application usage habits, etc.
- ? Communication data: call recordings, email or chat correspondence, etc.
- ?Financial data: banking information, credit/debit card numbers, transaction history, etc.
- ?Health data: medical information, medical history, information about allergies or health conditions, etc.
Key takeaway: all collected data must remain confidential, even if it is old. Make sure it is up to date and kept secure to avoid any leaks.
C. Keep a record of data processing carried out through marketing automation
The team in charge of marketing automation campaigns generally collects behavioral data on prospects: email open rates, number of clicks, number of video views or downloads… This data must also not be disclosed. The best approach is to group it in a separate register (for example, in indicator tracking tables), held by a few employees and certainly not shared outside the company.
Implement a clear and explicit consent policy
On your website, the personal data protection policy must be clearly stated. How? Through GDPR-compliant consent forms.
A. Develop GDPR-compliant consent forms
The fields must be written in understandable language (no jargon), the boxes must not be pre-checked, and they must clearly indicate the consent request.
For example:
- “I would like to receive the newsletter and marketing communications from [Company Name].” is clearer than: “I would like to join the mailing list for receiving newsletters.”
Thus, the user gives explicit consent to receive your newsletter, and is clearly informed that they will receive marketing communications from your company.
Do not forget to include a link to your privacy policy to provide more information on how you process the personal data of newsletter subscribers.
B. Link consent to specific marketing automation objectives
Each objective should be the subject of a separate option for greater clarity. Users should not feel like they are checking boxes at random, but rather understand the objective of the company requesting their personal data.
C. Offer consent options
The more options you offer, the more the user will be able to perceive your company’s transparency policy. This effect will provide some reassurance, which is always valuable for building a great customer relationship!
Strengthen data security on your website
First of all, check that you have properly implemented security measures to protect the collected data. For example:
- Encryption of the data exchanged between the user’s browser and your server. This ensures that sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords, and personal data, is secured during transit.
- Strong authentication: two-factor authentication (2FA) strengthens the security of user accounts. In addition to the password, a second authentication factor, such as a unique code sent to a mobile device, is required to access the account.
- Regular updates and firewall: make sure that your website and applications use the latest security updates to eliminate known vulnerabilities. Also install a firewall to monitor and filter incoming traffic, thereby protecting your site against malicious attacks and intrusion attempts.
Finally, make sure these security tools are updated regularly to avoid any risk of data leakage.
Offer data deletion options
Users must know that they can request the deletion of their data. As a company, you must make it easy for users to withdraw consent and delete their data. It is recommended to clearly explain the withdrawal procedure in your privacy policy, and to open a dialogue with your customers on this subject.
Setting up an email address is a good way to demonstrate your company’s transparency on this subject and reassure them.
Staff training and GDPR awareness
Internally as well! Within your company, you must raise awareness among the staff involved in marketing automation about GDPR requirements and the handling of personal data. Any employee who has access to your customers must be informed of the legislation. Also remember to regularly monitor the CNIL website and organize training sessions to stay up to date on best practices.
