Normally at the end of the month, we do a wrap up of the past few weeks of blogs, this month however we’re changing it up a bit.
The biggest news to hit online marketers in a LONG time is the General Data Protection Regulation (aka GDPR); in fact on May 25 (the deadline to be compliant) I was in the airport and miscellaneous strangers were wishing each other a happy GDPR day. What a way to bond!
And its impact isn’t unnoticed, many of us saw our inboxes flooded with notices asking us to re-opt-in or confirming privacy policies. Some believed that the impact would be confined to the EU, however, the GDPR affects both those in the EU, AND any website, mailing list, or membership site with subscribers from the EU. This means that even North American companies, doing international business can be fined if EU subscribers have not consented to be on their online mailing list. Whether you’re an established business or just starting out, a little research can save you mounds of headache down the line.
Here are some highlights you should be aware of:
- Sites need SSL certificates (the difference between http:// and https://)
- EVERY website needs to have a privacy policy
- There needs to be a way for subscribers or clients to have their data removed.
- The subscriber must also be able to request their data
- Clear consent MUST be given if they sign up for a free download (such as a lead magnet) that they also CONSENT to be added to the general mailing list; or a lead magnet with focused/related email nurturing sequence can offer an option to sign up for newsletter later.
- You should review your current email list for subscribers from EU countries and ask for consent from those subscribers as to whether they would like to remain on your list, which is also a good time to resend your privacy policy.
The good news? Most mailing list providers have been working on this for months and will have features built in on how to filter lists and obtain EU residents information in order to obtain their consent, as well as adding checkboxes to opt-in forms for future lists. On May 17, 2018, WordPress released version 4.9.6 with several enhancements to ensure that the core software is GDPR compliant. Be sure you are running the latest version of WordPress to utilize the new features.Other great resources to check out:
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/30/gdpr-everything-you-need-to-know.html
And a seriously fantastic infographic here: https://smallbiztrends.com/2018/05/gdpr-overview-small-business.html
Still looking for more information? We’re here to help. Just email or post your questions on our blog, or Facebook (we may even feature your question in an upcoming Facebook Live video!).
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