Strategies for gathering zero-party data in customer marketing

Author
Lauren Saalmuller
Content Marketing Lead

Table of contents

• What is zero-party data?
• Why is zero-party data important to customer marketers?
• How to collect zero-party data

What is zero-party data?

Zero-party data is any customer data that your customer knowingly and voluntarily chooses to share directly with you. It’s not something that you collect in the background or that you purchase from a data broker. It’s something that a customer opts to share.

Examples of zero-party data include a customer’s:

• Name (first, last)
• Contact information (phone, email)
• Location
• Date of birth / age
• Gender
• Budget / income
• Job title
• Interests / likes
• Etc.

Zero-party data is also sometimes known as explicit data; because the customer is telling you something directly, there’s no need to make assumptions about what the data might mean.

Why is zero-party data important to customer marketers?

In the past, customer data strategies relied heavily on cookies and other forms of third-party data. A zero-party data strategy offers businesses a means of understanding their customers without having to rely on partners.
Some of the other benefits that zero-party data provides include:

• It’s easier to trust: Customers are more likely to share accurate information because they choose to do so.
• It’s explicit: There’s no need for assumptions, leading to clearer insights.
• It’s more likely to be accurate: Managed internally, this data is often more dependable.

How to collect zero-party data

1. Make it an exchange

Offer customers value in exchange for their data, such as better product recommendations or discounts.

2. Get creative

Consider multiple ways to solicit information:

• Polls and surveys
• Interactive quizzes
• Beta testing opportunities

3. Pair it with first-party data

Use zero-party data alongside first-party data for a fuller customer profile.

4. Don’t abuse it

Maintain trust by protecting and valuing customer data, avoiding overreach in data usage.

How a CDP enables your zero-party data strategy

Combine zero-party data with first-, second-, and third-party data using a Customer Data Platform (CDP) to generate comprehensive insights on customer behavior.

Ready to start collecting and leveraging zero-party customer data? Take a look at our CDP Buyer’s Guide to learn more.