As the social media and influencer marketing industry continue to mature, global markets are demanding more restrictions around data privacy and compliance. That’s why it’s essential for every marketer to ensure that any social data they gather is coming from a reliable source with API access. If not, the marketer (& any clients) could be in big trouble.
Before we get into how you can ensure the data you’re using is compliant and protected, it’s important to note that it’s impossible to make good marketing decisions if the data you’re getting is inaccurate or “scraped”. Any data that comes from a platform without direct API access to a social media platform is “scraped” illegally. That means you’re building campaigns around inaccurate information and essentially killing your ROI before you even start.
So now that we’ve established the importance of working with a platform or partner with direct API access, we can talk about best practices for data collection and analysis.
It’s no secret that accurate and thorough data collection and analysis practices are essential to online marketing success. Without collecting and analysing data, we wouldn’t be able to deliver a positive user experience, connecting viewers with content that’s most relevant to their likes and needs, and in turn, helping brands increase the effectiveness of their campaigns and drive ROI.
But the way in which that all-important data is collected is once again at the centre of an industry-wide debate. So what can users do to protect their privacy? And how can brands handle data collection and analysis responsibly without compromising the efficacy of their campaigns?
The Importance (& ethics) of API approval
Perhaps the most basic ethical decision a company can make is choosing to invest in a data collection method that includes API approval from all major platforms. Our technology provider, Tagger, along with a few other influencer marketing platforms, gains ethical access to users’ social media data through applying for, and being granted, API approval.
Platforms that scrape unapproved data from social platforms present a multitude of problems. First, this practice is simply unethical, as it means an entity is “scraping” unapproved data off of social platforms without asking for permission. The key word there is: “unapproved”. If a user has not approved the sharing of their personal data, then in plain terms, that data is being stolen and used for profit.
Another negative aspect of scraping data is that the results simply aren’t accurate. Again, if brands are making decisions on where to spend their marketing dollars, they should be doing so with accurate information for the best possible ROI. Using scraped data to plan a campaign is like building a house on a quicksand; it’s just wasting money on something with no foundation.
How users can protect themselves
Users should be most concerned about their data privacy when they use their social accounts to log in to third-party apps or websites. The app and or website should be very clear what data they have access to and how they are using that data to benefit the user.
One way to protect your data is to regularly check what third-party platforms or apps have access to your social media profile. Delete any apps that you don’t recognise to ensure your data isn’t being shared without your approval.
Protecting user data after harvesting
Once a brand, platform, or company has access to user information, they have a moral responsibility to protect that data. All brands should make it a point to ensure they implement the best-in-class data security and protection protocol possible.
The goal of these measures is to ensure the safety of user data is never compromised. Taking extra steps to protect user data also builds all-important consumer trust in this age of digital marketing.
The bottom line:
You need to ensure you’re set up for success with data privacy, protection, and access because social media and influencer marketing isn’t going anywhere.
With the increase in spending in the industry, brands, platforms, and companies have to be more diligent than ever to make sure the data they’re collecting is correct and harvested in an ethical manner.
As long as clear boundaries are drawn between brands, influencers, and their audiences, data can be utilised without taking advantage of people’s privacy.
How we’re helping marketers stay protected
Our technology provider, Tagger, is the only platform to offer enterprise clients the highest standards of security. Tagger’s commitment to privacy & data protection gives our clients full control of their campaigns while offering them the best-in-class security protocols. Tagger are SOC-2 certified, GDPR & CCPA complaint, and offer our users multi-level permissions & access.
To learn more about how we ensure our clients are protected, schedule a demo today.
This article was originally featured on TaggerMedia.com on March 29, 2021.