Three Easy Steps to a Declared Data Strategy

Building a declared data strategy can seem intimidating at first. What is declared data? How do I collect it? What can I do with it once I have it? All valid questions, but the answers are a lot easier than you think. You might even say it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3…

All it really takes are three simple steps:

1) Determine the attributes you want to collect

What do you wish you knew about your consumers? I’m sure there are at least a few things that come to mind. The key to getting started is reflecting on and mapping out what you’d love to know about your customers.

You can collect as many attributes as you see fit, but be sure to prioritize the data you actually need. No one should be collecting data just because they can.

Instead, choose declared data attributes that will facilitate a more seamless, personalized experience for the consumer. It’s doubtful that you need to know 150 attributes about someone, and trying to collect too many attributes may hinder your ability to activate the data (more on that in step 3)!

The attributes that will actually push your business forward and foster a positive relationship with the consumer will look different depending on the services and products your business provides.

• Travel brand? Try asking if your consumers are traveling alone, with a family, or maybe a spouse. Or maybe when they plan to travel: immediately, in a few months, or next year?
• How about eComm and retail? Collecting attributes regarding style preferences or daily work attire could do a lot for your brand and the messaging you send.
• Not a travel or eComm brand? Check out our Declared Data Playbook to see what declared data attributes real brands are collecting and activating for personalization.

At the end of the day, the best declared data attributes are whatever you think will drive your personalization efforts and strengthen your relationship with your customers (which we can also help you determine, we have a little experience).

2) Build a content calendar to collect those attributes

You’ve got your list, now it’s time to collect that data.

Plan out the content that you’re going to use to capture declared data. It’s important to ensure that you’re giving yourself opportunities to get the data you want.

Whether you think a lookbook, quiz, or other type of interactive content would be the best fit, plan a few digital conversations to begin collecting the declared data attributes you identified.

This content doesn’t have to act independently – it can be launched alongside other marketing initiatives your team has planned, like a special promotion, holiday event or product release, as part of a separate campaign, or as an always-on effort on your website.

Pro Tip: Be sure to consider the mobile mindset when you plan your content calendar. The mobile mindset has transformed consumer expectations regardless of the device they are using. In order to capture attention on mobile (or desktop), experiences must be relevant, personal, instructional, and concise. These types of experiences see higher engagement, which means more declared data attributes collected!

3) Activating your declared data

There’s no use in collecting data if it’s not going to strengthen your brand’s relationship with the consumer. This is a two-way relationship after all; the consumer should never leave a touchpoint with your brand feeling like it didn’t benefit them.

What can declared data activation look like?

Acquisition teams can build custom and lookalike audiences, or personalize retargeting communication based on declared data. Now that Facebook has kicked out third-party vendors, you can use declared data as a replacement.

• Using custom audiences, powered by declared data, Boden launched a Jebbit-powered mini lookbook allowing customers to explore their new clothing and indicate their preferences after perusing it. Boden saw 10X return on ad spend, a 33% increase in cart size and 50% increase in conversions, which in this case means purchases.

Email marketers can use declared data to personalize any aspect of an email, and even send personalized trigger emails after the completion of an experience by a consumer. (See other ways eMarketers specifically are using data here)

• By capturing declared data on traveler preferences, Regent Seven Seas Cruises executed a personalized email campaign in which they personalized the email subject line, copy and offer. They saw 2X increase in open rates, 9X increase in email click-through rates and 2.5X increase in lead capture.

Marketers can use declared data to continue to validate other important attributes. By personalizing future communications and experiences, your customers will actively give you those data points themselves.

• Visit Massachusetts uses Jebbit to capture declared data on their existing database. They enrich each profile with the reason for travel, their travel plans, their lodging preferences, their interests, and more. They are also continuously validating this data that they collect.

The only limit to declared data activation is your imagination. Check out our Declared Data Playbook for more ideas on how to collect and activate declared data.