Digital Marketing needs Big Data. What does that mean for you? This article highlights how digital marketing needs you to survive, and what you can get in return.

What is Big Data?

To make it simple, big data is the collection and analysis of datasets that are built up of many smaller data points. Because there is so much data available, most of the time these individual data points aren’t valuable to a digital marketing firm. However, the marketers that take these datasets and find value in them help make better decisions for the business. What kind of decisions get made with the help of big data?

1. AI tools use big data to predict trends
2. Big data reduces cost by detecting risk in real-time
3. Collects information about customer behavior

Big data is undoubtedly helpful but it comes at a big cost: your privacy. The rise in surveillance capitalism means that in addition to relevant ads across the internet and on your social media feeds, your personal information is taken and sold to advertisers.

The Social Media Tug-of-War

Remember when you actually used Facebook to connect with friends? Social media started as a way to bring people together and build communities around shared interests, but today it couldn’t be further from that.

“to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together”

Facebook Mission Statement

Scott Galloway, a marketing professor at New York University, wrote about the damaging effects of social media on young people. From cyberbullying to negative interpersonal relationships, apps like TikTok and Instagram are achieving the opposite of their intended goals by making people feel more isolated than ever.

The social media tug-of-war is about people fighting for power against companies taking their data. Data is very valuable but the people giving away their information have no access to the money. Winners see profits and losers see advertisements. Here’s what you can do to claim back the power.

Take the Power Back: Digital Marketing in the Future

There’s a way to take back the power and get paid for your data. The future of digital marketing needs you to do exactly the same things you’ve been doing to survive, so you might as well get money for it.

1. Use the Brave Browser

Brave is a new search engine that doesn’t track anything you do online, save personal data, and blocks pop-up ads. However, with the explicit informed consent of users, which the GDPR requires anyway, users can opt-in and agree to see generalized advertisements in exchange for cash. Now the winners are on both sides.

2. Protect your Digital Twin

Digital marketing firms use your twin to create customer personas, but apps like Digi.me and Universal Basic Data Income pay you just for existing and allowing them to use your data. Not only that, but they have to ensure your anonymity, meaning there is no way to trace it back to you.

In the digital world, we can all be winners!