First party data
First party data is a term that refers to the source of the available data. In the case of first party data, data is available "first hand." In other words, this is data generated through one's own systems. First-party data are data that companies collect directly from their audience, customers and prospects. So this can be name and address data or data about online behavior of website visitors collected using cookies.
The great advantage of collecting first-party data is that website visitors have consented to this first-hand data being collected and stored. After all, this is done by accepting cookies. So in this case, privacy objections play no role. In addition, the great advantage of collecting first party data is that it can be done free of charge.
The disadvantage of first-party data is that the information collected is, in a sense, limited. Information is collected only about current visitors to a Web site. An organization with a desire to reach new visitors or a new target audience will also have a strong interest in obtaining data by other means (through second- and third-party data).
Different forms of first-party data
Two different forms of first-party data can be distinguished:
- Declaration data. This is the data provided by the public itself through, for example, a website entry form and/or an interactive marketing campaign. Declaration data can include a person's name, address, e-mail address, country of origin and mobile number.
- Behavioral data. This can be data related to a visitor's actions on the website. This may be data generated using, for example, a Google Analytics pixel. Using a cookie placed in the user's browser, the website behavior of this person can be tracked. Based on this, the cookie is added to a certain first-party audience. This information in turn can be used in a digital marketing campaign.
