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Ben Goldstein

<p><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;"></span>Contentstack recently released our&nbsp;<a href="https://contentstack.com/resources/report/digital-2030" target="_blank">Digital 2030 report</a>, featuring 18 digital experience experts sharing their visions for the future of the industry.&nbsp;</p><p>We also asked a few of our participants to share additional advice on what digital teams should start doing right now to get ready for what’s to come. Read their answers below, and be sure to check out the full Digital 2030 report&nbsp;<a href="https://contentstack.com/resources/report/digital-2030" target="_blank">right here</a>.</p><hr/><h3><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandanat/" target="_blank">Amanda Natividad</a>, VP of Marketing @&nbsp;<a href="https://sparktoro.com/" target="_blank">SparkToro</a></h3><p>“Start designing content that delivers standalone value, even if the buyer never clicks. That means rethinking how you repurpose content — turning long-form pieces into feed-native insights, useful visuals, and platform-specific takes.&nbsp;</p><p>"It also means rethinking how you'll measure success especially in non-linear customer journeys. Digital teams should get deeply familiar with how their audiences consume information before they’re ready to buy, and invest in tools and workflows that prioritize visibility and trust over gated conversions.”</p><h3><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jainamistry/" target="_blank">Jaina Mistry</a>, Brand and Content Marketing Leader</h3><p>“It’s time to evolve from a team of specialists working in isolation to agile, interdisciplinary squads focused on audience outcomes. We need cross-functional teams that bring together brand, content, ops, product marketing and even community, all focused on crafting end-to-end buyer journeys.”</p><h3><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stoll/" target="_blank">Eric Stoll</a>, CEO @&nbsp;<a href="https://www.arke.com/" target="_blank">Arke</a></h3><ol><li>"Turn every product, service and policy into an openly-described API. Adopt schema.org GS1 Digital Link or similar standards</li><li>Ship an ‘AI-readiness spec’ next to your brand guide</li><li>If you're not already, move towards an API-first architecture for your entire customer experience</li><li>Upskill your team from page builders to ‘agent operators’</li><li>Begin exploring AI commerce flows”</li></ol><h3><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-connly-9617ba132" target="_blank">Julia Connly</a>, Manager, Digital Products @&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usopc.org/" target="_blank">U.S. Olympic &amp; Paralympic Committee</a></h3><p>“Teams should be on the lookout for unconventional ideas and be open to exploring concepts that are unfamiliar.”</p><h3><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/westendoerpf/" target="_blank">Andreas Westendörpf</a>, CTPO - Chief Technology and Product Officer @&nbsp;<a href="https://www.babbel.com/" target="_blank">Babbel GmbH</a></h3><p>“Rethink every process in an organization's value stream to be supported, improved or replaced by AI-based automation.”</p><h3><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/codyslingerland/" target="_blank">Cody Slingerland</a>, SaaS SEO Consultant, author of ‘<a href="https://www.codyslingerland.com/blog/future-of-saas-marketing/" target="_blank">What Will SaaS Digital Marketing Look Like in Five Years?</a>’</h3><p>"Gone are the days of 'easy' organic search traffic. I’ve seen traffic drop as much as 30%+ over the past year for one SaaS brand, impacted heavily by AI (this comes even with a refined keyword targeting strategy and producing exceptional content). Traditional digital marketing and SEO strategies won’t be enough. Brands need to:</p><ol><li><p>Focus on building an unbeatable brand that establishes trust through consistent design and messaging. Building a strong brand is timeless. Additionally, branding efforts through digital and traditional PR can help strengthen your domain authority and acquire more brand mentions in top-tier publications, both of which can be beneficial in showing up more in Google and AI search.</p></li><li>Avoid creating content targeting zero-click searches where AI provides direct answers. Realize that broader, “higher-level” topics will be more easily answered by AI. Refine your SEO strategy to prioritize high-intent searches, even if traffic is low.</li><li>Invest in community-building strategies as platforms like Reddit experience massive growth. Traffic to Reddit has exploded in the past few years. With the influx of AI-generated content, people will look to recommendations from real human beings.</li><li>Extract more value from existing traffic through conversion rate optimization and personalization at scale. Platforms like Webflow Optimize and Mutiny can help brands personalize content. You should be consistently running A/B tests on your most valuable pages (e.g., demo request page, signup page, pricing page, etc.)</li><li>Create content AI can't easily replicate, like expert-driven thought leadership, video storytelling, and data-driven original research.</li><li>Finally, develop a multi-channel strategy that doesn't rely solely on search traffic, including YouTube and other video platforms where AI has less impact.”</li></ol><h3><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/annacole/" target="_blank">Anna Cole</a>, E-Commerce Director @ <a href="https://www.bestbuyhealth.com/" target="_blank">Best Buy Health</a></h3><p>“Digital teams need to start building governance into their workflows now. That means developing brand guardrails, tone of voice systems, and ethical guidelines that AI can operate within. They should also invest in upskilling so they know how to train, audit, and tune AI tools to stay aligned with brand values. The future is not just about speed. It is about strategic control.”</p><h3><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielle-diliberti-73801140/" target="_blank">Danielle Diliberti</a>, CEO and Co-Founder @&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sommsation.com/" target="_blank">Sommsation</a></h3><p>“Pairing intelligent tools with real human expertise will be critical. AI can scale content and personalization, but without subject matter authority, the experience falls flat. Exercising these strategies as part of daily business operations over time will help prepare teams to meet the future.”</p><h3><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-austen-angell/" target="_blank">Charles Austen Angell</a>, CEO,&nbsp;<a href="https://epira.ai/" target="_blank">EPIRA.ai</a>&nbsp;+ Founder,&nbsp;<a href="https://modernedge.com/" target="_blank">Modern Edge Inc.</a></h3><p>“Digital teams in all organizations almost immediately need to diversify their set of inputs and begin developing their point of view, or the philosophical framework, to guide their development beyond technical considerations. The word ‘ethics’ in terms of AI is almost overused already, but the notion of blending technical expertise with human perspective with a bias towards human agency will be critical.&nbsp;</p><p>"I think continuing education will become more important in the social studies area, where a lot of technical teams lack an adaptive perspective and understanding of how and why humans interact the way they do. High performing technical teams often have a blind spot when it comes to alternate perspectives and that will be dangerous in a rapidly changing environment. This can come from having experts on the team but the entire team has to be much more open to understanding potential biases that affect not what their systems&nbsp;<em>can</em>&nbsp;do but address what their systems&nbsp;<em>should</em>&nbsp;do.”<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><em></em></span><em></em></p>

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Expert advice: What should digital teams do to prepare for 2030?

<p>TESTING-------TESTING-------TESTING-------TESTING-------TESTING-------TESTING-------<strong><br bold="[object Object]"/>Highlights</strong></p><p>You’ll learn about the best practices for ethical and secure data collection.</p><ul><li><strong>Define clear goals</strong>: Focus on collecting relevant data based on specific business needs</li><li><strong>Obtain informed consent</strong>: Use clear language to ensure informed user approval</li><li><strong>Ensure transparency</strong>: Be upfront about data collection methods and usage</li><li><strong>Prioritize security</strong>: Use encryption, limit access and adhere to privacy regulations</li></ul><p>Take your company data collection to the next level with ethical, transparent and secure processes.</p><hr/><p>&nbsp;Businesses that aim to understand customer behavior, improve their products and services and drive growth need data. Geoffrey Moore, a management consultant and author, said. “<em><strong>Without big data analytics, companies are blind and deaf, wandering out onto the web like deer on a freeway</strong></em>.”</p><p>However, how they collect data matters. It has to be an efficient and ethical process, and they must set up systems to ensure privacy and security laws are upheld. But how can they go about that?</p><p><iframe title="Being data driven makes you money" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LbBoXKmB3-Q?si=dza_Yvq8ROLAc6Tb" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p><h2>The foundations of ethical data collection</h2><p>People who give up their data must know how it is being used. Hence, brands must be ethical and transparent about how they collect and use data. They must obtain informed consent and collect only what is necessary.</p><h3>What is ethical data collection?&nbsp;</h3><p>Ethical data collection is the use of transparent, lawful and fair practices to collect data. It is about collecting data the right way. So, businesses must seek consent, be transparent and not use underhanded tactics to get data.</p><p>Conversations around data are sensitive, considering past instances of unethical behavior by large organizations. For instance, in the 2010s, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/17/cambridge-analytica-facebook-influence-us-election">Cambridge Analytica collected data from over 50 million Facebook users</a> for political adverts without informed consent. The scandal was one of many cases of data privacy breaches.</p><h3>Key ethical principles&nbsp;</h3><p>There are a few principles that you must adhere to for proper and ethical data collection. Here are some pointers:</p><ul><li><strong>Consent</strong>: People who give up their data must know what it is for and must consent</li><li><strong>Transparency</strong>: Disclose how data will be collected, stored and used&nbsp;</li><li><strong>Bias minimization</strong>: Design systems that support neutral data collection and analysis, avoiding skewed or discriminatory outcomes</li></ul><p>{{nativeAd:15}}</p><h3>Legal frameworks guiding ethical collection&nbsp;</h3><p>When discussing legal frameworks for data collection, GDPR and CCPA are two regulations that come to mind.&nbsp;</p><p>The GDPR applies to organizations that process the data of people within the European Union (EU), regardless of their location. CCPA is mandatory for US-based organizations. These frameworks touch on several areas, such as:&nbsp;</p><ul><li>Giving customers access to the data collected about them</li><li>Offering opt-out options for data sharing</li><li>Using encryption and upholding security measures to prevent unauthorized access</li></ul><p>Failure to comply with these frameworks can result in huge fines, loss of customer trust and significant reputational damage.&nbsp;</p><h2>Best practices for company data collection</h2><p>As you prepare to collect <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/blog/cdp/customer-data-marketing-strategies-to-drive-personalization-and-engagement" target="_blank">data for marketing</a> and to drive business decisions, ensure you take the right steps to get sustainable results. Here are the best practices to follow.</p><h3>Define clear objectives for data collection&nbsp;</h3><p>Businesses must be clear on why they need to collect data, as different types of data serve different purposes. For instance, to run personalized marketing campaigns, you would collect purchase history data rather than customer emails. Having clear objectives ensures you focus on collecting the right kind of data.</p><h3>Obtain consent from customers</h3><p>Users have a choice regarding what happens to their data, and businesses must respect that. Be upfront about what the data is to be used for. Avoid deceptive interfaces that trick users into agreeing to terms. For instance, highlight key terms instead of burying them in lengthy documents. Also, use simple language in consent forms.</p><h3>Be transparent&nbsp;</h3><p>Modern businesses should clarify in plain language how they collect and use data. By doing so, those who decide to give up their data would know how it is being used. This enhances trust. For instance, Netflix reminds its users of how it uses their preferences to recommend better content.&nbsp;</p><h3>Ensure data integrity&nbsp;</h3><p>The impact of inaccurate or outdated data can be disastrous for any business. Hence, you should set up regular audits to check data quality. For instance, one way would be to verify customer records via email or phone number confirmations. This ensures they are relevant and up-to-date.</p><h3>Build a culture of data ethics&nbsp;</h3><p>From leadership to all business processes, commit to doing right. Conduct regular training to help employees understand data privacy and their role in ensuring compliance. For instance, Google frequently updates its internal teams on global standards to remain compliant and ethical.</p><h3>Minimize the risk of a potential data breach&nbsp;</h3><p>Sensitive customer data, if leaked, can lead to lawsuits, breach of trust, financial losses and other negative consequences. Hence, businesses should:</p><ul><li>Encrypt data during both storage and transfer processes&nbsp;</li><li>Invest in real-time intrusion detection tools</li><li>Deploy secure storage protocols for sensitive data</li><li>Opt for platforms like Contentstack with proven enterprise-grade security</li></ul><p>Also, businesses should train their employees on how to recognize potential breaches and security attacks. This will help minimize vulnerabilities that can result from human error.</p><h2>Efficient methods for gathering data</h2><p>Now that you know the best practices for company data collection, what methods do you employ to gather the actual data? We discuss some below.&nbsp;</p><ul><li><strong>Real-time data collection</strong>: This is a method to collect data as people interact with a brand via an app, the web or other touchpoints. Tools like a <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/platforms/real-time-cdp">CDP</a>, CRM and Google Analytics would suffice for this. Businesses in e-commerce or logistics benefit the most from this method.</li><li><strong>Website and app analytics tools</strong>: This method allows you to track user interactions such as navigation patterns, clicks, shares, etc. This gives insights into user behavior and engagement patterns.</li><li><strong>Social media monitoring</strong>: This method allows you to analyze posts, comments, shares and hashtags to identify trends. This enables you to measure sentiment, audience preferences and real-time insights into customer behavior.</li><li><strong>Data scraping</strong>: This method allows you to extract data from websites and store it in a structured format like a spreadsheet. It is more technical than other methods and requires code to access URLs and retrieve and parse HTML content.&nbsp;</li><li><strong>Privacy by design (PbD)</strong>: This concept incorporates ethical data considerations into a company’s systems from the ground up. That way, brands design tools with built-in privacy features, enabling them to comply with ethical standards while improving customer confidence.</li></ul><p>{{nativeAd:16}}</p><h2>Tools for secure and efficient data collection&nbsp;</h2><p>Selecting the right tools is critical to secure and efficient data gathering. Here are tools to consider based on three main functionalities.</p><ul><li><strong>Automated analytics platforms</strong>: Platforms like <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/platforms/real-time-cdp">Contentstack’s real-time CDP</a> offer seamless integration with multiple data sources.&nbsp;</li><li><strong>Data privacy management tools</strong>: OneTrust ensures GDPR compliance and other legal requirements.&nbsp;</li><li><strong>Encryption and anonymization software</strong>: Tools like VeraCrypt offer end-to-end encryption capabilities.</li></ul><h2>Learn more</h2><p>Modern enterprises rely on vast amounts of data for innovation and business decision-making. Hence, the company data collection process must be ethical, transparent and secure. This will ensure you retain customer trust, comply with relevant laws and make better decisions.</p><p>Now is the right time to rethink your entire data management strategy. Take things to the next level with a <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/platforms/real-time-cdp">customer data platform (CDP)</a>. Take advantage of its analytics, segment your audience and orchestrate customer journeys in real-time. <a href="https://www.contentstack.com/request-demo">Talk to us</a> today to see how it works.</p>

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<p>TESTING-------Discover the best practices for ethical, secure and efficient company data collection. Ensure data security and regulatory compliance, informed consent and transparency to build trust and make informed decisions.</p>

Ben Goldstein

Posts by Ben Goldstein