Email is a crucial tool in modern communication. It helps us stay connected with our colleagues, friends, and family. It is also an indispensable part of digital marketing and sales. That is why understanding email profiling and how to make the most of it is crucial. In this article, we'll dive into what email profiling is, how it works, and why it matters. face of the moon was in shadow
Consider the following example. You register for a new web application, such as an e-commerce application. You browse the latest apparel collection, select a few eye-catching pieces, and then exit the app without purchasing anything. You now open another web application and discover that the products you saw in the e-commerce app are available there, most likely at a discount.
What is the source of this? Advertisers used cookies to track you and display ads based on your interests. But why are we talking about cookies? Understanding tracker cookies is essential for email profiling.
A cookie banner appears when you visit any website, prompting you to select your cookie preferences. The web server generates small data blocks known as cookies when you visit a website. The codes are stored on your device, and the browser sends them to the website every time you visit it in order for it to recognize you. A cookie provided by a website is unique to that site, so it cannot be tampered with or used to track you by other websites.
Cookies, like everything else, were created to assist brands in connecting with visitors to their websites and applications. Without cookies, you would have to log into that e-commerce application every time, and no tailored recommendations would be available. Cookies can track and remember much more than just your identity. They have the ability to track your entire web application journey, including which pages you visit, how long you spend on each page, which products you click on, which ones you like, and more. On the other hand, many people welcome the tracking of their online activities. According to a Google and Ipsos study on consumer preferences regarding online privacy, 91% of internet users aged 16 to 74 are more likely to shop with brands that provide relevant offers and recommendations.
So, what's the big deal about cookies stealing people's personal information? First, we need to understand them better, such as the distinction between first-party and third-party cookies. Cookies sent to your browser by the website you are visiting are known as first-party cookies. For example, the first time you visit etsy.com, Etsy will set its own cookies to track your visit, which will save your "searched items" for you. People value first-party cookies because they allow you to pick up where you left off on a website.
Third-party cookies, on the other hand, are used by advertisers to track and even steal your data without your knowledge or consent. There are websites with multiple ad spaces that display advertisements from various services. For example, reading certain news articles exposes you to nearly 100 cookies. Simply visiting these websites allows advertisers to track your movements and retarget you with advertisements when you visit other websites. Third-party cookies are particularly concerning because you have no way of knowing who is tracking you. It is possible to be duped into clicking on an ad that contains malicious links with a tempting offer.
As a result, significant efforts have been made in recent years to eliminate third-party cookies. The EU declared cookie banners illegal because they did not comply with GDPR data collection. Safari, Firefox, and Chrome have changed their cookie policies, claiming to phase out third-party cookies. Because many advertisers' primary targeting tool is about to disappear, they've turned to email profiling, a new privacy-compliant, browser-supported method of gathering your data.
What's email profiling?
What's email profiling?
The process of creating a detailed profile of a person based on their email usage patterns is known as email profiling. This profile contains information such as the recipient's job title, location, and interests, among other things. The goal is to gain insight into a person's behavior and preferences and then use that information to create targeted and personalized communications.
How does Email Profiling work?
How does Email Profiling work?
Email profiling analyzes data from a variety of sources, including email metadata, email content, and recipient engagement. The information is then processed and used to create a detailed profile of the recipient. This profile is used to generate more effective targeted and personalized emails.
Why does Email Profiling matter?
Why does Email Profiling matter?
From an enterprise perspective
From an enterprise perspective
Email profiling is important because it assists businesses and organizations in developing more effective and efficient communications. Organizations can create targeted and personalized emails that are more likely to be effective by understanding the recipient's behavior and preferences. This results in higher engagement, higher open rates, and, ultimately, a higher ROI. Email profiling has a number of advantages, including:
- Increased engagement: Organizations can increase recipient engagement and make their communications more effective by sending targeted and personalized emails.
- Increased open rates: Personalized emails are more likely to be opened and read, resulting in increased open rates and ROI.
- Better ROI: Organizations can improve their ROI and make the most of their email marketing efforts by developing more effective communications.
From a consumer point of view
From a consumer point of view
Giving your information to a well-known website or application may not be dangerous at all. However, every now and then, we are swayed by a tempting coupon or a juicy article and end up registering on dozens of websites. We don't know if the websites are legitimate or if they are secretly stealing our information and selling it to third parties.
What can you do to avoid being profiled?
What can you do to avoid being profiled?
Unfortunately, there is no simple solution in which you simply disable a setting to avoid email profiling. There are a few ways to avoid being profiled, but keep these in mind whenever you visit any website.
When browsing websites on the web or on mobile devices, use reputable ad blockers.
If you use a password manager, make sure it has a password and does not use autofill.
Avoid entering your email address or other personal information on every website you visit.
Use disposable email addresses when registering on websites for a limited time. If you don't want to be tracked, you can use Zoho Mail to create email aliases to use when signing up for websites.
If you are concerned about missing emails from any website you visit, you can set up a catch-all email address to ensure that emails sent to your domain are not missed.
One of the best ways to prevent your data from being tracked by this emerging profiling method is to use a disposable email address.
When one door closes, another one opens, as the saying goes. In this case, as more regulations and advanced technologies are introduced to protect your privacy, new data-stealing techniques such as email profiling emerge. As users, we must have a thorough understanding of how our private data can be compromised and how to take proactive preventive measures to secure it.
Privacy is a fundamental right that should not be jeopardized in the name of innovation. As a result, in honor of Data Privacy Week (Jan 22-28), we encourage you to educate yourself on how to better protect your data.
Who is your email hosting provider?
Who is your email hosting provider?
Email hosting is an essential component of modern-day communication and business operations. With the right email hosting solution, you can have a full-fledged email system that offers not just basic email functionality but also advanced features to make your work more efficient and productive.
One of the key features of a good email hosting solution is an integrated calendar, which allows you to manage your appointments, meetings, and events in a single app. This eliminates the need to switch between different applications to manage your schedule, making it easier and more convenient to stay on top of your commitments.
In addition to the calendar, email hosting solutions should also come with a contacts pack, providing you with a centralized location to store and manage your contacts. With customizable swipe actions, you can quickly navigate through your email inbox and quickly respond to messages without having to open them.
Another key aspect of a good email hosting solution is the ability to accept invites and engage in productive conversations. This includes handy filter options to filter emails and related messages, making it easier for you to keep track of important discussions and conversations.
Moreover, a good email hosting solution should also allow you to work offline, so you can continue to access and respond to emails even if you don't have an internet connection. And, with auto-suggestions, you can quickly complete your email messages and save time in the process.
Lastly, the conversation view is a critical component of a good email hosting solution. This feature groups related messages together, allowing you to see the entire conversation thread in a single view, making it easier to follow the flow of the conversation.
In conclusion, a good email hosting solution should offer a comprehensive set of features, including an integrated calendar, a contacts pack, customizable swipe actions, productive conversations, handy filter options, full-fledged email functionality, the ability to work offline, auto suggestions, and a conversation view. These features will help you manage your email communications more efficiently and effectively, making it easier for you to stay organized and on top of your work.
Is Zoho Mail a good alternative?
Is Zoho Mail a good alternative?
Zoho Mail is dedicated to keeping your information safe and secure. We will never sell your information to a third party or use data mining to deliver targeted advertisements to you. The information we collect is used solely to improve your Zoho Mail experience and our service. We are open and honest about the data we collect, and we keep you updated on any data collection practices. Furthermore, Zoho Mail supports multiple accounts, allowing you to manage multiple email accounts in a single app and keep track of all your emails and related messages. Zoho Mail is designed to help you stay productive and have productive conversations by providing customizable swipe actions, useful filter options, and a full-fledged email experience. With features such as an integrated calendar, contacts packed, and auto-suggestions, you can accept invites, filter emails, and work offline all from a single app.
We're curious and excited to learn about the steps you've taken to protect your privacy. Do you follow any of these recommendations for your business email or personal email service provider only? Please let us know in the comments!