First Party Data

What is first party data?

First party data is the information companies collect directly from their customers and own outright without intermediaries or third parties. Brands collect it by interacting with customers across multiple channels including website, social media, email, and more. Examples of first party data include purchase history, pages visited, age, location, interests, and more.

Unlike zero party data that customers deliberately share with brands directly through polls, account creations, and more, first party insights are collected by observing customers’ brand interactions and purchases. However, overlaps can often be found between the two.

First party data encompasses a wide range of valuable insights, such as:

Demographic information: Understanding the age, gender, location, and other critical characteristics of your audience.
Behaviors and actions: Tracking the interactions and activities of your audience on your website, app, or with your products.
Customer relationship management (CRM) data: Storing information related to customer relationships, including purchase history, communication history, and feedback.
Subscription-based emails or products: Monitoring subscriptions and the use of products or services tied to your brand.
Customer purchase history: Understanding what your customers have bought in the past and what they may be interested in.

Why is first party data important?

When brands collect first party data, they are gathering insights straight from the source, from the people who matter most to the business—their customers. There are no intermediaries, no third parties in the mix, and no distortion of the data. It’s a one-on-one conversation between your business and your audience, making the information gleaned from this interaction invaluable. Here are 4 reasons why:

1. Nurturing an audience

First party data is like the key to unlocking a treasure chest of opportunities. With this information in your arsenal, you can finely tune your marketing strategies, tailoring them to the specific needs, preferences, and behaviors of your audience. It’s like speaking the language of your customers, ensuring that your messages resonate and strike a chord. Unlike third party data that is collected by providers that have no relationship with the end customers and is often also used by competitors, first party data is proprietary knowledge brands have about their customers that can be used to create unique and meaningful customer experiences.

2. Informed decision-making

One of the most powerful aspects of first party data is its role in informed decision-making. Your business can utilize this data to make strategic moves based on real insights rather than educated guesses. Whether you’re considering product improvements, refining your business processes, or launching a new campaign, first party data provides the foundation upon which you can build your decisions.

3. The decline of third party cookies

Amid rising privacy concerns and regulations, third party cookies are being phased out. As the world moves toward a cookieless future, marketers are losing what had been a key ad targeting capability and have had to rethink how they market to customers across digital channels. With no third party cookies, data collected directly from customers is even more valuable to marketers.

4. Quantifiable results

According to BCG, retailers can monetize insights gained from loyalty programs, personalization, and more by offering simple dashboards based on the first party data collected. It’s not necessarily the data itself that is valuable, but the actions brands take to improve and optimize the customer experience that drive ROI.

How to use first party data in marketing

A customer data platform (CDP) serves as the central hub where businesses can gather and analyze valuable customer data, enabling marketers, sales representatives, and customer success managers to gain profound insights into their audiences. But, when it comes to the types of data gathered, it all begins with first party.

Retargeting through advertisements:
- First party data is used to track user behaviors, like product views and cart abandonment.
- This data enables the delivery of highly relevant ads to remind potential customers of their interests.
- Increases the likelihood of conversion as it’s like a gentle nudge to seal the deal.

Nurturing and building relationships:
- First party data helps understand customer preferences, habits, and engagement patterns.
- Enables the creation of personalized customer experiences, fostering trust and loyalty.
- Allows for tailored email campaigns, exclusive offers, and content that aligns with past interactions.

Brand growth:
- Owning marketing contacts allows brands to consistently connect with customers without having to deal with changing algorithms or other setbacks third parties may put in place. This leads to more meaningful marketing and customer relationships.
- First party insights also help brands create new products and services that appeal to their customer base.
- Marketing using first party data tends to be cost effective, allowing for brand growth at a lower cost.
- Brands can use first party data to re-engage with lost customers and give the most loyal customers a VIP experience.

Defining your ideal customer:
- Analyzing first party insights helps create a profile of the ideal or best-fit customer.
- Used to reach new audiences with characteristics resembling your existing loyal customers.
- Streamline customer acquisition and boosts conversion rates for prospects.

First party data marketing best practices

To maximize the potential of first party data marketing, consider these essential best practices:

1. Data quality and accuracy

The effectiveness of first party data relies heavily on its quality and accuracy. Ensure that the data you collect is up to date, complete, and free from errors. Regularly audit and clean your data to remove duplicates and irrelevant information.

2. Transparency and consent

Respect user privacy and comply with data protection regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA. Be transparent about the data you collect and how it will be used. Obtain explicit consent from users for data collection and usage and allow them to opt-out if they wish.

3. Data security

Protect your data with robust security measures. Implement encryption, access controls, and regular security audits to safeguard sensitive customer information. A data breach can have severe consequences for both your customers and your business.

4. Data integration

To gain a holistic view of your customers, integrate data from various sources within your organization. This may include website data, CRM data, social media interactions, and more. The more comprehensive your dataset, the better you can tailor your marketing strategies.

5. Personalization

Leverage first party data to create highly personalized marketing campaigns. Use insights about customer preferences, behaviors, and past interactions to deliver content and offers that resonate with each individual. Personalization increases engagement and conversion rates.

6. Customer segmentation

Segment your audience based on different criteria, such as demographics, purchase history, or online behavior. This allows you to target specific groups with tailored messaging, optimizing the relevance of your campaigns.

7. A/B testing

Experiment with different marketing strategies and messages. A/B testing helps you refine your approaches by analyzing which tactics perform best with your audience. First party data provides the insights needed to make data-driven decisions.

8. Marketing attribution

Use first party data to track and attribute marketing efforts to conversions and sales. This allows you to determine which channels and campaigns are delivering the best return on investment (ROI) and allocate resources accordingly.

9. Cross-channel marketing

First party data is most valuable when it’s utilized across multiple marketing channels. Whether it’s email, social media, or your website, ensure consistency in the messages and offers you deliver to maintain a cohesive customer experience.

10. Continuous analysis

Regularly analyze data to identify trends and changes in customer behavior. This ongoing analysis helps you adapt your marketing strategies in real-time and stay ahead of evolving customer preferences.

11. Compliance and ethics

Stay updated on data privacy laws and regulations, and ensure your marketing practices align with them. Ethical data usage builds trust with customers and mitigates legal risks.

Experimental Design

First-Party Data Marketing