THE MARKETO USER’S GDPR QUICK GUIDEHow Marketo Users Can Leverage Their

MAP to Achieve GDPR Compliance

The GDPR will have a massive impact on marketing, and not just for the obvious reasons. The GDPR will usher in an age where ‘data-driven’ ceases to be merely an overhyped buzzword and really and truly becomes a way of life.

Data management is becoming a bigger and bigger topic of interest in the B2B marketing space as the GDPR looms, and with good reason. The GDPR has forced marketers to put the issue of data quality and management front and centre.

Database quality can no longer fall victim to procrastination or neglect. GDPR compliance requires marketers to maintain an active, ongoing role in maintaining the quality of their data.

But GDPR compliance goes beyond simple data quality; it requires a complete recalibration of your marketing processes and systems. This, in particular, means harnessing the power of your marketing automation platform (MAP) to facilitate your compliance.

The GDPR is coming.Will you be ready?

LEVERAGING YOUR MARKETING AUTOMATION PLATFORM FOR GDPR COMPLIANCE

GDPR compliance cannot be achieved without a harmonious relationship amongst the powerful tools represented in your MarTech stack.

In particular, as you strive for compliance, a few key technologies become vital to your success. Matt Cheeseman at CleverTouch refers to these core technologies as the “marketing technology spine,” or the essential elements of your marketing technology stack that make your marketing efforts actionable.

When it comes to the GDPR, your MarTech spine will be your biggest asset as you move closer to compliance, with your MAP,customer relationship management (CRM) platform, and customer data platform (CDP) working together to implement the necessary changes that must happen in order to thrive in a post-GDPR world.

A harmonious relationship between your Marketo Instance, CRM, and CDP is essential for compliance. If all three are not constantly in sync to ensure all of your data is up to date and accurate (no matter where you are accessing it), you run a much larger risk of non-compliance.

In an ideal world, your MarTech stack would be fully integrated with seamless interaction amongst all of your core software components. But in this world, an integrated MarTech stack isn’t always achievable, as some marketing tools don’t always play well with others. It is, however, entirely possible to achieve synthesis between your MAP, CRM, and CDP at the very least.

And for Marketo users, this synchronisation will be essential to your eventual GDPR compliance.

Let’s take a look at how Marketo users can leverage the

strength of their MAP for easier GDPR compliance.

THE MARTECH SPINE

Marketo users are at an advantage when it comes to GDPR prep, as Marketo’s robust platform comes equipped with a wide variety of features that lend well to preparing for (and achieving) GDPR compliance.

Subscription Centre

A Subscription Centre, which is hosted directly in your Marketo instance, facilitates compliance by providing prospects and customers a way to selectively opt-in and choose the information and content they want to receive, as well as providing them with an option to unsubscribe at any time.

The GDPR requires explicit consent from prospects before they may receive your marketing communications; subscription management directly in your Marketo instance is key to maintaining and proving that you have valid consent from the prospects in your database.

Data Encryption

Marketo applies high-grade TLS encryption to all data-in-transit through the use of HTTPS connections for all Marketo instances. Marketo users also have the option to add encryption to data at-rest by storing the data on AES-256 encrypted hardware. Encryption at-rest keeps your data safe in the case of a data breach, as the encryption renders any stolen data illegible and unusable.

HOW YOUR MARKETO INSTANCE CAN HELP YOU ACHIEVE GDPR COMPLIANCE

Managing User Access and PermissionsThe GDPR demands that B2B marketers be more accountable when it comes to storing and processing customer data; part of that responsibility means regulating who has access to customer data and who can manage how it is processed.

Your organisation needs to put in place a clearly defined policy and process for granting roles and permissions to any system that allows access to customer data.

Marketo makes it easy to control access, with distinct user roles with varying levels ofpermission:

Admin: able to access all parts of Marketo, including the Admin section Standard User: able to access all parts of Marketo, minus the Admin section Marketing User: able to access all parts of Marketo with limited access to Admin section Web Designer: only able to access the Design Studio Analytics Users: only able to access the Analytics section

Marketo enables you to take a measured approach to data privacy to regulate who has access to personal data and resources, while also providing a clear audit trail of changes (and who has made said changes) to ensure all of your bases are covered.

Smart Lists

Marketo also features a “Smart List” function that will be essential to running opt-in campaigns and managing your users who have opted in to maintain GDPR standards. Smart Lists in Marketo are a built-in system that encourages data management efforts by automatically sorting contacts into the following lists:

These Smart Lists will assist you as you modify your email marketing strategy to be GDPR compliant.

In addition to the above, Marketo also supports GDPR compliance in two more key areas, which will be discussed in detail below.

All People: everyone in your databaseUnsubscribed People: unsubscribed from marketing-related correspondence; can be sent operational emailsMarketing Suspended: people who have temporarily suspended marketing-related correspondence & can only be sent operational emails for a specific period of timeBlacklist: these people will not receive any email at allBounced Email Address: people with undeliverable email addresses or that reject your emailPossible Duplicate: people that might be duplicated in the Marketo database

Closed-Loop System

The way your Marketo instance functions in harmony with the rest of your MarTech spine creates a closed-loop system that allows marketers to control and protect their customer data and easily comply with an individual’s interests with regard to their right to be contacted.

The nature of the GDPR places an emphasis on marketing’s understanding and ability to influence the recording, flow, architecture, and security of data and information, much in the same way that IT manages application architecture. Marketo’s ability to integrate with other core marketing tools makes this type of high-level data management more actionable.

DATA CLEANSING ANDENRICHMENT FOR THE GDPR

A fundamental element of GDPR compliance is ensuring that all of your contact data is accurate, up-to-date, and complete. It’s not just about securing consent to email your prospects; it’s about securing consent and maintaining accurate and up-to-date contact records in case a data subject enquires into the information you have stored about them or invokes their “Right to Be Forgotten.”

Outdated data, misinformation, duplicates, and data input errors used to be merely an inconvenience or a mild annoyance; but with the GDPR in place, these inaccuracies can result in non-compliance (and the gargantuan fines that accompany non-compliance).

The high-stakes nature of the GDPR makes it increasingly difficult for marketers to manage their data quality in-house on top of all of their other priorities; more and more marketers are looking to outsource their data cleansing and

enrichment to a third-party vendor who can consistently and seamlessly keep their contact records updated without the hassle and painstaking manual processes that going into in-house database management.

A data vendor like Synthio can be that integral third member of your MarTech ‘spine’, seamlessly integrating with both Marketo and your CRM to ensure all your contact data is correct and compliant, regardless of which system you are viewing your contact data in.

Synthio is able to provide real-time, always-on data cleansing & enrichment so you can focus your attention on more pressing matters... like running those crucial opt-in campaigns to secure consent from your prospects before May.

Securing consent from all of the contacts in your database seems like a daunting task because, well, it is a daunting task. And to get the best results (i.e. the largest number of opt-ins), you can’t progress to opt-in campaigns until your data is in order.

“I think I’ll find the organisers of that tradeshow from last year

& give them my new email,”said no new hire ever.

While you’re getting your database cleaned up, it’s also a good idea to secure as many net-new contacts that fit your ideal buyer profiles while you still can, as the GDPR will make it much more difficult (if not impossible) to gather net-new contacts without breaking GDPR regulations.

This means that if John Smith at ABC Company opts in to your messaging and then takes a new position at XYZ Company, you can still send him your marketing messaging… as long as you have his updated email address in your database.

The average person changes jobs 10-15 times during their career.

Partnering with data provider with email recovery capabilities ensures you can stay in touch with your opted-in contacts regardless of how many times they change jobs.

This is just one more reason why having a quality data vendor is such a crucial element to GDPR compliance, as they can perform email recovery so you can meet people where they are.

It’s also worth noting that consent is based on the individual, not the employee.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

As a Marketo user, you have an array of tools at your disposal as you prepare for the GDPR. An integrated MarTech stack and a commitment to pristine data quality equip you to execute marketing campaigns that are compliant and yield higher conversion rates. Firming up your MarTech spine enables you to streamline your data and ensure you’re always up to date.

Additionally, Marketo can support and enhance your GDPR strategy every step of the way, with a host of features to make compliance a more achievable goal.

Marketo can also support double opt-in consent campaigns which — while not required — provide an added layer of security for organisations looking to ensure their GDPR compliance. Double opt-in campaigns are also recommended for some countries like Germany, where double opt-ins are not explicitly required by law but are generally regarded as a B2B marketing best practice.

The GDPR requires you to demonstrate and document the steps you have taken to comply with GDPR regulations. Marketo empowers you to easily seek (and manage) consent directly within the platform.

Marketo makes it possible to link to your online privacy policy/statement on every form used throughout your marketing, which gives an easy way to provide all of that necessary ‘fine print’ to prospects and customers.

Marketo also allows marketers to add a consent field to every form so prospects can opt-in to all of your marketing communications, opt-in for a singular instance or set period of time (e.g. prospects can elect to receive only marketing emails pertaining to a specific series of events or group of content pieces), or opt-out entirely of your marketing.

Finally, Marketo makes it simple to document consent and ensure your database is up to compliance standards, with the ability to document consent, when and how said consent was gathered, and room to input any particular notes about the consenting data subject, including how you will be processing their data and the history of consent provided by the data subject.

CONSENT MANAGEMENT AND AUTOMATION

CONCLUSION

ABOUT SYNTHIOSynthio is a new kind of contact data platform with more

accurate, complete contact information. It’s how B2B sales and marketing teams get to the right people faster.

Outdated data, whitespace, misinformation, & technical hurdles can create a big gap between you & the people you’re trying to

reach — costing millions in wasted efforts and missed opportunities. That’s why global companies like Microsoft,

Gartner, & Oracle rely on us for their B2B data needs.