Spill the Beans: Using Zero Party Data in Your Marketing

Hey everyone,

To continue the discussion around how to balance being personalized vs. being creepy, this week we dove deep on zero-party data. Zach and Gabe discuss the different flavors of data, how to use each, and how to get even better insight about your customers and prospects.

So, what's the gist?

Marketers have a bunch of data tools at their disposal, and they can be categorized into three main buckets:

• First-party data: This is the good stuff you collect directly from your customers. Think website visits, purchases, all that jazz. Tools like Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel are your go-tos here.

• Second-party data: This is info someone else gathered and is now selling. Imagine a company selling financial products has data on their customers' income and marital status. A marketing company could buy that data to target high-income folks with specific ads.

• Third-party data: This is info collected from all over the internet, like public records and websites. It won’t be as accurate as first-party data, but is still very useful for persona based campaigns.

But here's the kicker: There's a new kind of data on the block called zero-party data. This is info customers intentionally share with you, like through surveys, quizzes, or loyalty programs. Basically, they're telling you exactly what they like and want.

Why is zero-party data the golden ticket?

Because it's straight from the source, folks! No guessing, no hoping, just pure customer truth. This means you can personalize the heck out of your marketing – targeted ads, personalized emails, you name it.

The bottom line?

Data privacy is important, but it doesn't have to be a buzzkill for marketers. By using data responsibly and focusing on zero-party data, you can build strong relationships with your customers and get them exactly what they want. Let us know how you are gathering data about your customers in the comments.