Building and exploiting your GDPR-compliant data

Building and exploiting your GDPR-compliant data is often one of the weak points of SMEs. Indeed, SMEs frequently do not have an updated database to create marketing campaigns. This is what we are going to look at in this post. The presentation originally comes from a webinar in Spanish by the Valencian Chamber of Commerce. I hope you will find its translation helpful.

In this blog post, we will go through the following agenda points:

• Key aspects
• GDPR
• How to build a database
• How to exploit a database with campaign examples
• Programmes: CRM, email, and automation.

1. Key Aspects

2. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

As you probably know, you can’t store data nor use data that is unnecessary for the purpose of your campaign. For example, if you are a children’s clothes shop, you will need to target parents who have children and their children’s ages. You should only ask for these two pieces of information, and nothing more.

If you would like to know a bit more about data privacy law rules in the EU, UK, and the USA, I recommend you to read this blog.

Privacy policy

You must communicate your privacy policy to your customers, which should be the answers to the questions below:

• Which information to collect about your clients and users
• Which people have access to the information
• Who is responsible for the data processing
• The period during which you are going to store data and the users’ possibility to exercise the ARCO rights (Access, Rectification, Cancellation, and Opposition).

A) Example of a promotion registration form

B) Plugin GDPR

3. How to build a database

A) IN-PERSON RAFFLE TO GET A DATA BITE

B) GOOGLE FORMS

You can use Google Forms to create questionnaires. Google Forms will create a link to the form, which can be used for webinars and newsletters.

C) easy promos

D) FACEBOOK PROSPECTS REGISTRATION FORM

The purpose of social media advertising is to generate revenue through selling your products and getting prospects to sign up for your newsletter. To entice them to do so, it is recommended to offer discounts and a have call-to-action button such as ‘sign up’.

 

E) WEB REGISTRATION FORMS

F) WhatsApp

4. How to exploit a database with campaign examples

All marketing campaigns must be measurable. For example, when it comes to email campaigns, you should check the opening rate of emails.

A) WhatsApp CAMPAIGNS

Mailing-list in WhatsApp: Only the contacts that have your phone number saved in their contacts will receive your broadcast messages.

B) SMS CAMPAIGNS

C) SOCIAL MEDIA AD CAMPAIGNS

C) EMAIL CAMPAIGNS

5. CRM PROGRAMMES –  AUTOMATION

The automation purpose is to retrieve purchases, lost shopping carts.

a) LOYALTY CARD

B) CRM -ERP

C) AUTOMATION PROCESS

D) AUTOMATION SOFTWARE

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Start-up: Learn How to Pitch your idea to investors

I attended on 12th June 2017 a presentation and workshop on how to pitch an idea for entrepreneurs. Not only have I learnt a great deal but also the host Adeo Ressi from Founder Institute made everyone feel comfortable by joking all the time!😂

The Founder Institute is a global idea-stage accelerator and startup launch program helping entrepreneurs ‘with the structure, training, mentor support, and global network needed to start an enduring company’: http://fi.co/users/1329971/edit

So, Adeo Ressi started his talk by stating the five most important rules to follow when pitching your idea to potential investors:

1. Show confidence. This is valid for any kind of enterprises you want to launch!
2. Don’t make excuses for not pitching your ideas!
3. Avoid superlatives/adjectives
4. Use data, in other terms, be factual. Back up your ideas by showing you know your audience needs (demographics, size, geolocation…)
5. End strong by stating clearly what your ask is! Why not leave with a slogan, for example.

He started with the basics, i.e the opening line you need to master for each of your pitch:

‘My company is [name], is developing [a defined offering], to help [a target audience] [solve a problem with the secret sauce].

It sounds easier than it is, so keep in mind these further tips when you are working on your opening line:

• Be prepared to bring up a defined offering to the table, keep it clear (articulate, especially your company name!) and short!
• You also need to specify your audience (age group, education level…) and what they truly want!
• Never lie but don’t tell the whole truth easier. Remember the point about confidence?😉

Then, Adeo went into more general tips on how to get a higher visibility and brand awareness. He advised all entrepreneurs to find a prominent lead by doing research to figure out who might need your deal and by exploiting your networking opportunities through the following sites:

• AngelList
• Linkedin
• CrunchBase.

Remember that your chosen lead must have time, money and expertise to help you out. You may need to repeat the pitching process up to 60 times to get one lead.

Now, let’s enter into the nitty-gritty of the pitching process:

1. Meet as many people as you can
2. Send invitations for coffee
3. Keep updated with news
4. Meet potential leads at online and offline events
5. Send invitations to longer meetings once you have broken the ice with one lead
6. Ask for funding
7. News update again.

Remember not to over-sell yourself and that the goal of each meeting is to get to the next meeting. You need to build relationship and trust.

Prepare a one-page agreement with those who have shown interest in investing. Remember, the real investor will be the one you come towards to and pitch your idea to, and not the other way around!

When approaching someone about to invest in your company, ask for a little less than you wanted and explicitly ask if they want to be your adviser and lead the round.

When pitching, think about what the focus of your offer/service/product is on:

1. A vision
2. Problems/Solutions
3. Traction/Interest (eg raise money for a business milestone that generates revenue).

Finally,  according to Adeo Rossi, the hardest business areas to pitch for, as investors are harder to convince to invest in due to the high risks are Travel, Music, Sports, Wine.😓 So, keep that in mind and find a complementary service that could add additional value!