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Business data is valuable in more ways than one. In the realm of B2C, the understanding of data protection and GDPR is improving but these laws also apply to B2B data too. As a company, you need to be aware of these challenges; especially if you are purchasing business data to market your company. How do you obtain and use this valuable information for marketing, but stay on the right side of the many laws and regulations governing it?

Buying B2B business data for any purpose could potentially land you in a heap of trouble that could cost you thousands in fines and loss of reputation. Working with a marketing company that specialises in acquiring and using B2B data is, therefore, a far better path to take.

Appreciating the complex natures of laws and regulations relating to acquiring, using, storing and archiving business and customer data, a specialist company can safely navigate these for you.

Any organisation that processes and holds such data must be registered with the Information Commissioners Office.

What are the rules for direct B2B business data marketing?

Direct email marketing needs to meet a set of stringent rules. But what are they?

• You can email employees of corporate bodies (limited companies, public limited companies, government departments and limited liability partnerships) without prior consent
• Employees of corporate bodies and businesses must be given the option to opt out or unsubscribe from mailing lists
• Partnership and sole traders will need to opt in as they are consumers. But unsolicited direct marketing emails are allowed if when the company collecting their address informed them it would be used in this way. There also needs to be an opt out/unsubscribe option clearly visible.

But like all marketing efforts, business mailing lists are only useful if the B2B email list is ‘zoned’. In other words, the email being sent to contacts contains information and offers that is useful and of interest to them.

Are data protection rules holding back your marketing campaigns?

A scattered approach to business email marketing will not yield the results that you want but this isn’t the main concern for many businesses: it is the rules of GDPR and data protection rules that leave them concerned as to whether they are breaking the law or not.

Business data is commercially sensitive information, as too is the growing pool of information you’ll hold on a company such as employee names and email addresses, roles and responsibilities and so on.

Navigating these rules and regulations with a specialist company with in-depth knowledge of how to manage and correctly use business and marketing data is key to success.

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Email marketing is not limited to promoting products and services, it is also a cost-effective way of maintaining customer relations, gaining new customers and making your business remain memorable to your target audience. There is a wide range of opportunities and benefits that come from successful email marketing. However, today’s inboxes are crowded, noisy and extremely competitive places so is it a worthwhile step for your business?

Here we look at 5 reasons why you should consider making the investment into email marketing

Build customer loyalty

Anyone with an email address has the option to receive communications from a business. A sign up form, displayed on a brands website, has the ability to gain data from each customer. This will teach the business who their audience is; their ages, locations, occupations etc.

Once you have a demographic understanding of your customer base you can then tailor future actions which will be accurate. In turn this will retain loyal customers’ interest as well as increasing the likelihood of gaining subscribers.

Email marketing for promotion and sales

Email marketing is an extremely effective way for an online retailer to inform consumers of any upcoming online promotions, sales and discounts. You could provide a countdown to keep customers waiting (and talking about your looming sale) with compelling campaigns that will boost your company’s sales at a comparatively low cost. Providing updates before the sale begins will create a sense of urgency within consumers that will result in higher clicks for your company.

Email results are easy to track

Perhaps the most important benefit of email marketing is that performance is easy to measure and track. Your business will gain an insight into the performance of the campaign which will show clearly how customers are engaging with your communications. You will be able to see what level of interest your varying products are receiving and see what adjustments need to be made.

Reaching mobile customers

A recent survey revealed that there are 3.5 billion smartphone users around the world in 2020, which is almost 45% of the population. Email marketing is an easy way to reach mobile customers without having to invest in new software or technology.

We are becoming programmed to react to our phones notifications, while we often scroll through our computers inbox at our leisure, there is more urgency when we are directly notified of an email on our phones. Mobile customers are more likely to click onto your company email, share the email or delve further into it than they would at a desktop computer.

Email marketing drives ROI

Email subscribers are more likely to click on your email link than any social media followers or fans. The revenue opportunities through email marketing are hugely beneficial as consumers are much more responsive to things directly sent to them, than adverts they stumble across elsewhere.

Here at AD Marketing we have more than 30 years experience in this sector and are always on hand to provide support or advice should you need it. We can help to plan your marketing campaign or even execute the campaign on your behalf. Simply get in touch today to see how our business can help yours

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How your company can leverage International Business Data

Have you ever found yourself wanting to expand your business proposition or service reach to a global market, but had no idea where to start or in which direction to turn? So often we are being told that social media and online platforms are the way to go, and yet it seems that unless you have a starting point from which to jump, the ability to reach that coveted global marketplace is not only challenging but near impossible.

That’s where international data and localised knowledge comes into play

Operating on a B2B scale, we are one of the leading suppliers of international business contact information across a range of different sectors – all GDPR compliant, localised and effective, and all supplied by relevancy according to your target audience needs. So, what are the benefits of international data lists, and why can’t you just go online and find some email addresses and contact names yourself?

Benefits of global business information

International business leads are much more than just names and email lists. Crucially, the most effective data captures are those which identify the niche areas which make a company relevant for a particular campaign or marketing drive and ensure that communication only goes out to those most likely to show interest. This all comes together in what we call lead generation – with analytics targeting only those consumers most likely to convert into customers so that the campaign receives a high conversion rate and becomes a business success. Of course, what this means is identifying what those niche brackets may be, so that you know which kind of international contacts you need. This is where international and localised data lists can actually be beneficial to helping you establish that niche – using a generic data list to first capture the kinds of people that are interacting, responding, and even buying from you. From there you can determine where they fit with your business proposition, and thus find your niche in that local market.

Using global data in your company marketing

Once you have identified your niche and found yourself the right international list of contacts, the real benefits kick in. For one thing, the more structure you have to your data list, the more organised your comms will be and the more you will be able to track response rate and interest. Even those organisations and contacts who are not interested in your offering will, from then on, be aware of your company and your brand – and that kind of recognition is critical in the ruthless world of business. Data lists also enable you to streamline the time spend on customer outreach, eradicating the need for crucial local market research on a global scale and instead allowing your team to focus on more important operational aspects of driving your business forward. Finally, to the benefit we all look for as business owners – a higher conversion rate and more industry recognition. Going global is not something to be undertaken lightly, however with our high quality and effective international business leads and contacts, we can take you some way towards conquering a global audience.

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