How to Collect First-Party Data (11 best strategies)

With the imminent phasing out of third-party cookies, businesses are turning to strategies to collect first-party data instead. 

In this article, I’ll walk you through strategies for collecting first-party data and also dive into why it’s important to marketers!

I’ll cover:

• The 11 top strategies for collecting first-party data
• How first-party data can help you improve your business
• What steps to take next.

Let’s get started!

11 Best Strategies for Collecting First-Party Data

First up, I’ll just give you a quick breakdown of what first-party data actually is! In a nutshell, it’s data collected directly from customers without going through a third party. 

There are a few different methods of collecting this data, which I’ll get into more detail about below:

1. Website visitors
2. Surveys and polls
3. Email and SMS
4. Lead generation forms
5. Customer feedback
6. CRM systems
7. Data tracking software and tools
8. Mobile apps
9. Social media
10. Customer service interactions
11. Direct mail

1. Website visitors

When people visit your website, they leave behind a footprint. This footprint can be analyzed using analytics platforms (like Google Analytics), which can capture data about the user’s behavior. 

This can include how long the users spent on the site in general, which pages they visited, and how they got to the site.

This enables improved content targeting.

2. Surveys and polls

Surveys and polls are increasingly popular as a way to gather data on website users. Users fill out surveys or polls to give you direct feedback. 

Surveys can be linked to their interests and preferences, in order to incentivize engagement.

For example, Sephora lets customers fill out quizzes and buying guides that help them figure out which products would suit them while simultaneously sharing valuable data.

3. Email and SMS

Email and SMS marketing lets you collect data on open rates, click-throughs, and more. It’s a great tool for advertising promotions and tracking advertising techniques.

4. Lead generation forms

These forms offer the customer direct benefits like offers, newsletters, or discount codes in exchange for information.

This lets businesses target users for upcoming marketing campaigns.

5. Customer feedback

Use customer reviews, comments, or other feedback to get insights into areas of improvement and look at which products are working and which aren’t.

6. CRM systems

Customer Relationship Management software (CRM) can store data from your customers, including purchases and interactions.

You can track customer trends and personalize your advertising.

7. Data tracking software and tools

Similar to CRM software, data tracking software and tools can track user interactions and give you insights into customer behavior.

8. Mobile apps

You can use your company’s app to gather data directly, which lets you personalize their experience and improve their satisfaction rates.

9. Social media

Tracking social media interactions can help you gather valuable data via platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

You can see how users interact with content and use it to inform how you post on social media in the future!

10. Customer service interactions

Keeping a record and analyzing your customer service interactions provides valuable data – take a close look at the questions customers ask, their preferences, and opportunities for improvement.

11. Direct mail

I know it sounds old school, but directly sending mail to customer’s addresses is a valuable technique!

You interact with customers that you may not usually have access to, and can encourage them to fill out forms in exchange for promotional materials such as coupons or discounts.

Why is first-party data important to marketers?

First-party data is essential for giving marketers insight into the preferences and behaviors of their customers, leading to improved marketing. 

Direct engagement provides incredibly accurate, detailed insights into what customers actually want, which is ideal for crafting personalized campaigns that resonate with your audience. 

Like it or not, regulations around third-party cookies are tightening – making first-party data an increasingly cost-effective and trustworthy choice!

It not only reduces reliance on third-party sources, but also creates trust among your customers.

This is because they’ll know their information is not being collected and sold by third parties. 

First-party data is also more reliable and provides information based on customers’ actions.

How to Use First-Party Data

But how to use first-party data? I know you’re thinking about it! Here’s a quick breakdown of how you can use it!

• Build brand awareness: Use the data to tailor your advertising strategies to build brand awareness. Ensure that your advertising resonates with your target audience by analyzing the data you’ve collected.
• Re-engage lapsed customers: Find out which previous customers are currently inactive, and use personalized offers to regain their interest.
• Drive more qualified leads: Analyze the data of your loyal customers to find similar customers. Use the existing customers to help you craft targeted advertising campaigns.
• Add more value to your customers: Increase customer loyalty by offering discounts and targeted promotions.
• Personalization: Use surveys and other user interactions to deliver personalized content and product recommendations, which can improve conversation rates.

Next Steps

Congratulations on making it to the end of my guide on first-party data! 

Hopefully, you now have a good grasp of how it works and have some ideas on how to harness its potential.

I’ve laid out the basics; you now have the foundation of what you need to make changes to your marketing strategy. 

As you move forward, make sure you’re constantly refining your strategies and keeping up with trends. 

Data is dynamic and ever-changing, so make sure you’re staying current. Privacy is only getting more important to consumers, so making it a priority is crucial. 

Thanks for reading this far, and good luck on your journey towards leveraging first-party data and harnessing its potential for your business!

FAQs

Related reading:

• What is zero-party data?
• What is attribution modeling?
• Top marketing attribution softwares