Why email marketing needs data controls

Your brand is likely misusing first-party data and violating customer trust. It's not your intention, but it's probably happening. Here are some common issues I've seen: 1.) Scattering customer data in too many locations - email vendors/CRMs - data warehouses - spreadsheets (eek) 2.) Ignoring permission ...or defaulting to "allow everything" 3.) Not rolling off/expiring data no longer necessary - long-gone churned customers - legacy systems - inactive contact lists 4.) Lack of transparency in how the customer data will be used ...vague or complex privacy/consent policies 5.) Giving too many employees access to sensitive/data ...not everyone needs access to PII/PHI info 6.) Low-security storage - employees accessing cust data on personal devices - lack of roles/permissions - lack of logging 7.) Sharing passwords - bypassing MFA/2FA w/ shared logins - passwords in shared Google Docs - sent via email (ugh) Get caught, and you could face: - significant fines (we're talking millions) - a damaged reputation - loss of customer trust But you can fix this. Here's what to do: - Ask customers what data they're okay sharing - Keep customer data in one secure place (CDP/warehouse) - Only collect what you need (data minimization) - Set clear rules for handling data (who/what) - Offer something in return for data (value trade) - Only let employees access what they need for their job - Use strong protection for all sensitive info - Give each person their own login Your customers will trust you more. Your legal team will be happy. ...and bonus, your marketing will work better. What other data mistakes have you seen? Drop a comment. #dataprivacy #security #consent #dataminimization

Most brands send emails without thinking twice about who’s actually opening them. And when engagement starts slipping, they assume it’s the creative, the timing, or the subject line. But the real problem? They’re sending to the wrong people in the first place. We worked with a brand that was sending to its entire list without any filtering. Engagement dropped, deliverability suffered, and inbox placement started slipping. The best email marketers don’t just send, they prioritize. With the right audience ID tools, brands can match demographic and psychographic attributes to their existing data, allowing them to: - Segment more effectively. - Focus on high-intent customers. - Reduce wasted sends that hurt deliverability. - Better targeting doesn’t just improve conversion rates. It protects inbox placement. Because fewer bad sends = a stronger sender reputation. The question is: Do you actually know who you’re emailing? Or are you guessing?

When speaking with clients, I hear more and more about a fog between compliance "side" of businesses and the marketing "side." But there really should not be any sides at all. Here are three reasons why privacy compliance issues can also be marketing issues (one technical, two brand…) 1. MANY CONSUMERS ARE TURNED OFF BY AGGRESSIVE DATA GATHERING. About 1/3 of survey respondents say they want control over their data. This means the ability to consent to data collection and delete it. 2. WEBSITE PIXEL AND COOKIE ERRORS THAT IMPERIL COMPLIANCE ALSO IMPERIL MARKETING. Tags or cookies may misfire and share data from opted-out users. They also may misfire and suppress appropriately collected data from opted-in users. The door swings both ways. 3. PRIVACY-RELATED GLITCHES CAN JEOPARDIZE ADVERTISING. Ad tech partners may miscode and mislabel opt-in users as opt-out. One Boltive client saw a 30% revenue increase after we helped correct this oversight. #Privacycompliance is an enabler of marketing. Privacy guardrails create room to maneuver. Marketers try new things and avoid legal liabilities of pushing too far. In this case, as in many others in life, discipline equals freedom. #dataprotection #dataprivacy

Your email marketing might be broken... and it's not what you think 📧 I was reviewing a very large startup's email strategy recently when something became painfully clear: They were obsessing over subject lines and send times while their entire email foundation was crumbling. Sound familiar? Most businesses treat email marketing like a slot machine - keep pulling the lever and hope for the best. But here's the thing: The SYSTEM matters more than the individual campaigns. Your email performance isn't random. It's the direct result of five critical factors that most marketers completely overlook: 1️⃣ Email architecture - Is your technical foundation solid or full of cracks? 2️⃣ List hygiene - Those "subscribers" from 2018 who never open? They're actively hurting your deliverability. 3️⃣ Acquisition quality - How you BUILD your list matters more than its size. 4️⃣ Journey design - Random blasts ≠ strategic journeys that convert. 5️⃣ Performance tracking - If you can't access your bounce logs and campaign stats, you're flying blind. The real problem? Most businesses jump straight to optimizing content without fixing these foundational issues first. It's like repainting a house with a crumbling foundation. So what's the fix? Start with a complete email system audit. Fix the architecture. Clean your list. Improve acquisition. Map your journeys. And for heaven's sake, get access to your performance data! Only THEN should you worry about that clever subject line. Because the truth is: The best email content in the world won't save a broken email system. Fix the foundation first. Then optimize. Your open rates (and revenue) will thank you.