Understanding the Complexities of Data Privacy | Bill Porter from Privaini

Ernesto Quezada: Welcome to Pathmonk Presents, the place where business owners and marketers share their insights on digital growth. In every episode, we discuss real strategies, why they worked, and also why they didn’t. Get insights from real experiences and save yourself a whole lot of time and money. Let’s get to it right now!

Before we get started with today’s episode, let’s have a quick look at what Pathmonk is all about. If you are winning leads, demos, or sales through your website, then Pathmonk might be interesting for you. Pathmonk is an extension to your website. It watches each visitor as they’re moving through your page and builds up their interest in your product or service in real-time to deliver a great uplift in conversion from your website.

Usually, the buying journey can be divided into stages: awareness, consideration, and decision-making. Pathmonk figures out in which stage a given visitor is by watching every action they do on the website and provides them with micro experiences such as notifications, case studies, and introduction videos, helping them move to the next stage in the buying journey towards a conversion.

Welcome to today’s episode. Let’s talk about today’s guest. We have Bill Porter from Priviani, Head of Marketing. How are you doing today, Bill?

Bill Porter: Doing well. How are you?

Ernesto: I’m doing great. It’s great to have you on. We were discussing a little bit about what Priviani is all about and I’m sure our listeners are going to be tuned in because this is something to look forward to in 2024. In your own words, Bill, can you tell us a little bit more?

Bill: Yeah, I think so. Priviani has been around since about 2021. We are really the table stakes for data privacy and insights into someone’s data privacy posture. Think of it as you know, let’s take your company, for example. Let’s say Pathmonk has a set of customers, you have a customer-facing website, and you collect data, right? What our tool does for Priviani is it allows you to see actionable insights in real-time about what sort of issues you’re running into, either in specific regions like Germany, or even down to California. It gives insights into what your privacy posture is and how you can make adjustments to stay with current regulations or get ahead of upcoming policy changes to make sure your notices are correct and things along those lines.

Ernesto: That’s super important. People’s information in today’s world is crucial. There’s a lot going on with privacy laws. For instance, the recent bill about TikTok being banned in the US. Definitely, everyone is concerned about privacy. It’s good to hear about your focus. So, what would you say is the key problem that Priviani solves for clients?

Bill: The problem we’re trying to solve starts with who is purchasing and why they’re purchasing. Typically, this is a person in a company that is a smaller team with relatively limited resources, but they have to keep up with hundreds of regulations around the world. They need a tool that will do a lot of this through AI and automation, helping them stay up to date programmatically with ongoing policy changes. There are many regulations, such as GDPR and CCPA, and now even new regulations focused on AI and data privacy.

Ernesto: Definitely. With regulations all over the world, is your ideal ICP someone who works globally, or is it more focused on the USA or UK? What would an ideal ICP look like for you guys?

Bill: It’s really agnostic. It could be any company focused on a specific region or operating internationally. Most of our clients deal with multiple states in the US or are international or looking to expand. It’s important for them to understand privacy laws before entering new markets.

Ernesto: That’s important. How would a company usually find out about Priviani? Is there a top client acquisition channel for you guys?

Bill: We’re primarily focused on content SEO at the moment. We also rely on network effects because the data privacy community is pretty tight-knit. We lean heavily into benefits, value propositions, and referrals.

Ernesto: Awesome. For our listeners, you can check them out at priviani.com. What role does the website play for client acquisition at the moment, Bill?

Bill: The website is currently our largest brochure. It helps potential customers understand what the product does, where we fit into the ecosystem, and the problems we solve. It’s a large information-gathering source for our customers or potential customers to learn more about us.

Ernesto: Great to hear. Are there any tips or methods you would recommend to our listeners for website lead generation?

Bill: It’s important to focus on the buyer journey and how they progress through getting more information. We have a blog with a good amount of content, and it’s crucial to categorize and provide relevant information for those actively looking to purchase. High-quality content with beautiful imagery is essential for success.

Ernesto: Excellent advice. Let’s switch gears a bit and talk about you. As the Head of Marketing at Priviani, what are some key tasks you focus on in your day-to-day work?

Bill: Because we’re a relatively small team, the biggest value is talking to customers and prospects, understanding their current landscape of data privacy, and decision-making. Listening to buyers and potential buyers helps us understand what features to add, what messaging to push, and what content to implement or adjust.

Ernesto: Sounds like you have a full plate. Next up is our rapid-fire question round. Are you ready for them?

Bill: Let’s do it, bring it on.

Ernesto: First off, what is the last book that you read?

Bill: I read a book called “Containing Big Tech” by Tom Kemp, one of our advisors. It details a lot of the history and reasons behind current data privacy practices. Outside of business, I read “Boys In The Boat,” which was fascinating and is now a movie.

Ernesto: Awesome. Next, what is one single thing that Priviani is focused on the most at the moment?

Bill: In terms of marketing, we’re focused on organic growth. We want to ensure our current customers get all the value from the platform and help them become champions for us, advocating in their networks.

Ernesto: If there were no boundaries in technology, what would be the one thing you want to have fixed for your role as a marketer today?

Bill: The ability to scale the combination of visual and content sides of things. I’m excited to see what happens in the next iterations of AI tools for content and imagery creation.

Ernesto: If there is one repetitive task that you could automate, what would that be?

Bill: Condensing conversations into actionable items across the marketing sphere. Automating the note-taking process into actionable tasks would be great.

Ernesto: Lastly, what is one piece of advice you would give yourself if you were to restart your journey as a marketer today?

Bill: Continue to trust your gut. Data is essential, but understanding the market and your customers is crucial. Stay true to your customer base and go with your instincts where it makes sense.

Ernesto: Great advice. We’re coming to the end of the show, but I want to give you the last word. If someone forgets everything about the interview today, what is the one thing they should remember about Priviani?

Bill: If you are collecting consumer data, there should be something like Priviani to help you stay in regulation. Many companies are out of compliance with some regulations. Tools like ours can help monitor and ensure compliance.

Ernesto: Thank you so much, Bill, for sharing with us. To our listeners, check them out at priviani.com. Thank you for tuning in, and I’m looking forward to our next episode at Pathmonk Presents. Thanks a lot, Bill.

Bill: Thank you.