Do you ever get that creepy feeling that every move you make on the Internet is being watched?  Do you find that the ads that pop up alongside your e-mail and Facebook are strikingly familiar to things that are on your mind?  Creepy, right?  This “creepiness” is because marketers are able to collect social data online to create personalized ad experiences just for YOU!

How, as marketers, should audience data be gathered to create personalized ad experiences without seeming creepy?

This OMMA Social panel, “Invade My Privacy, Please: How to Use Social Targeting Without Being Creepy,” discusses how to gather social data and present it without invading people’s privacy, or seeming “creepy.” Use the insight from this panel to guide you as your generate social data for your brand.

Panel Moderator

• Raghu Kakarala, SVP Technology, Engauge

Panelists

• Chris Emme, VP, East Coast, RadiumOne
• John Montgomery, COO, GroupM Interaction
• David Rollo, Chief Strategy Officer, BLiNQ Media
• Carine Roman, VP, Operations, 33Across

Creating that creepy feeling

• Marketers are targeting consumers at the wrong time
• Is trigger by poor data collecting practices
• Tracking and targeting are war terms; this doesn’t help when seeking buy-in from consumers

Facebook is.. . creepy?

• FACT: Facebook can now use users’ data to serve them ads while they are on websites outside of the social network
• The world’s largest focus group helps inform marketing decisions
• Users should consider opting out of Facebook’s open privacy

 Ads on social platforms

• Ads are an intrusion in a social environment because people are not seeking brand engagement there
• Search environment ads are less intrusive: Is that because we’re simply more tolerant/trained to expect it?
• Retargeting is commonplace for ads
• Data is collected so marketers can monetize the web through ads and continue to provide a free service

Don’t creep

• The key (and dilemma) is finding a way to collect data without alienating  users
• Only 1 in 2,500 people opt out of data collection after reading privacy policies
• Why don’t we educate consumers on what they opt into?
• A privacy policy should be copy-written, not lawyered
• Have  copy-writers and community managers produce “non-creepy” practices and content
• Be strategic: Know when, where, and how to deliver ads

As consumers, the Internet is a vast and open plain where strangers have the ability to access your information.  Panelist John Montgomery warns users against being ignorant: Be aware of the volatility of online information sharing and carefully read privacy policies.

As marketers, use tact and appropriate online etiquette to prevent from being that “creepy” presence on the Internet.  Use copy-writers and community managers to establish privacy policies and share proper information with your consumers.  Further, be a friendly presence; let your audience know when, why, and how you are collecting their information.

Thanks for the Tweets @GroupMWorldwide, @Berly624, @ellenoppenheim, @JackWagner54, @mtuohy, @momma,  @SocMediaRebel, @jmc_nyc, @piperlynmac