An Effective, Legal, and Tailored Customer Database for Your Upcoming Campaigns

Companies collect your data to build your profile within their systems, which is then used to promote their products and services in a way that targets your direct needs; these lists include all potential customers likely to purchase or subscribe to your products and services, containing their essential demographic information such as name, email address, mobile number, address, gender, income, and industry; they also consist of groups of people who consistently interact with your company and often share similar interests or challenges, supporting management decision-making and making your brand valuable to them. This value is what drives companies to show interest and pay substantial amounts for such data.

The Impact of Compliance and Data Quality on Sales

Following proper methods for collecting customer data and adhering to regulatory rules in data collection and messaging ensures the enhancement of communication data quality within an organization through:

• Eliminating harmful or random data that may threaten security or negatively affect communication efficiency
• Verifying contact information to reduce message bounce rates, undeliverable emails, and invalid phone numbers
• Improving mobile number verification, which enhances call center efficiency and expands reach to potential customers
• Reducing the likelihood of messages being marked as spam or the organization being blacklisted on systems or platforms
• Minimizing risks associated with poor digital reputation, which could lead to lost sales opportunities or wasted operational resources
• Ensuring continuous updating and unification of communication data across all channels and systems, improving campaign outcomes and enabling effective and secure communication experiences
• When you have verified data, you can confidently segment customer lists and personalize messages

How Do Companies in Saudi Arabia Collect Customer Phone Numbers Legally?

A seller’s strength heavily relies on the quality and diversity of their customer data, therefore, the stage of collecting customer data is crucial as it forms the foundation for all future sales and marketing steps
Here are diverse methods to acquire this data legally:

• Internet Research:
  Use search engines like Google to find companies and potential clients; local directories in Saudi Arabia can provide initial business lists, but data should be verified via direct contact or official company websites. Free database sites may also be used after confirming reliability
• Social Media:
  Platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram allow finding leads using advanced search tools or targeted ads which offers opportunities exist to gather data through content, comments, direct interactions, contests, or campaigns requiring phone numbers with clear usage purposes
• Field Visits:
  Visiting companies or stores and recording data via card scanning, manual note-taking, or distributing company brochures
• Purchasing Data:
  Buying ready-made databases from specialized companies while ensuring data quality and legality to avoid legal issues; this method is fast but may require verification
• Referral Mining:
  Acquiring new customers through recommendations from existing clients by activating referral programs
• Email Lists:
  Collecting email lists at conferences or marketing campaigns for newsletters or special offers, ensuring explicit permission to avoid spam classification
• Advertising:
  Targeted ads in newspapers, magazines, or online platforms (Google Ads, Facebook Ads) to reduce costs and increase lead quality
• Trade Shows:
  Participating in specialized exhibitions provides direct engagement opportunities and allows collecting customer data via forms or business cards
• Cold Calling:
  Direct calls to potential customers without prior contact, requiring well-trained staff and scripts for better success
• Influencer Networks:
  Leveraging influencers or experts to attract customers, adding credibility and accelerating trust
• Suppliers and Traders:
  Collaborating with suppliers or traders targeting the same customer segment for referrals or new leads
• Current and Former Customers:
  Utilizing existing clients for upselling, promotions, or re-engagement campaigns
• Market Monitoring Directories:
  Using specialized market tracking directories for precise identification of potential customers
• Partnerships:
  Collaborating with complementary businesses to exchange customer data and expand reach strategically
• E-commerce Platforms:
  Selling on Amazon, Noon, or Souq.com to reach wider audiences and acquire new customers
• Workshops and Seminars:
  Organizing free or paid educational sessions to build trust and gather potential leads
• Company Website:
  Using registration forms with opt-in options for promotional messages, QR codes, USSD codes, and integrated digital interactions across landing pages, checkout pages, and e-invoices
• Outdoor Advertising:
  
• Free Consultations:
  Offering free advice to attract potential clients while showcasing expertise
• Affiliate Programs:
  Engaging external partners to promote products for commissions, expanding reach quickly
• Content Marketing:
  Using any content that reaches the audience and encourages interaction while including company contact info, newsletters, electronic guides, informative emails, articles, brochures, and printed/electronic materials

Risks and Challenges Related to Customer Data Collection

While customer data opens new horizons for your company, it also carries risks. Properly addressing these concerns provides all the benefits of data collection while maintaining customer trust and regulatory compliance. Challenges include:

Privacy Concerns:

Customers are increasingly aware of how their data is used, requiring strong data protection and transparent policies; for instance, Apple enhanced consumer privacy through iOS 17 (2023) with Link Tracking Protection (LTP) and Email Privacy Protection (2021).

Regulatory Compliance:

Companies must comply with Saudi regulations such as SDAIA, NCDC, and CST, which restrict how customer data is collected, stored, and used. Non-compliance may result in fines, legal actions, and reputational damage. Companies should liaise with legal and privacy teams for updates on local consumer data privacy laws.

Data Quality:

Inaccurate or incomplete contact details undermine communication reliability and affect marketing, support, and transaction efficiency; the real-time data verification is crucial at the point of collection to avoid high bounce rates, failed deliveries, and poor customer experiences, ultimately preventing customer loss.

Ethical Considerations:

Ethics should extend beyond legality, ensuring companies respect customer rights, preferences, and avoid manipulative practices, prioritizing ethical data use.

Data Volume:

Managing large datasets requires proper tools for CRM management, analysis, and application to avoid overload and maximize collected data utility.

Messaging Controls and Customer Database Usage

With Saudi Arabia’s rapid digital transformation, SMS has become a key marketing and communication tool, highlighting the need for clear rules to protect privacy, reduce spam, and ensure effective engagement

1. Register Sender Name:
Officially register sender name in the authority’s system and use only certified messaging service providers

2. Message Classification:
Messages must be classified correctly (service, promotional, awareness, personal) to ensure that each type is sent within its appropriate framework, while complying with relevant regulations, including prior user consent, timing of delivery, and message content. This helps avoid any violations that could negatively impact user experience or breach approved regulations

3. Customer List Cleaning:
To achieve the highest delivery rates, it is essential to adopt precise strategies for managing the customer database. This begins with regular and comprehensive reviews to ensure data quality, including continuously updating the database to remove inactive or duplicate numbers and correcting common errors such as invalid country codes or unsupported formats, also it is recommended to use automated verification tools that distinguish between active and inactive numbers, thereby contributing to higher efficiency

4. Obtaining Consent to Send Promotional Messages:
The Saudi Communications, Space, and Technology Authority (CST) has issued clear regulations to limit unwanted promotional messages and calls. These regulations require all companies and organizations not to send any promotional message without obtaining explicit user consent, known as Opt-in. Any message sent without such consent is considered intrusive, violates the regulations, and may expose the sender to penalties and legal accountability. Consent is usually obtained by filling out a subscription form on the website or by agreeing to receive messages during account registration, for example by selecting "I wish to receive offers" in the relevant form .

5. Including Unsubscribe Options:
Every email sent to your mailing list must include an unsubscribe option, allowing recipients to opt out at any time. This can be done by sending a specific keyword, clicking a link, or updating preferences via the website or app. The sender must stop sending messages within 24 hours of receiving an unsubscribe request and send a notification confirming that the request has been processed.

6. Adhering to Specified Sending Times:
It is prohibited to send SMS messages during certain hours, typically from 10:00 PM to 9:00 AM, to protect individuals’ privacy and avoid disturbances outside normal activity hours. Exceptions may apply in specific cases, such as during Ramadan, where allowed sending times are adjusted based on daily user behavior patterns, always in compliance with official regulatory instructions

7. Establish a Privacy Policy and Publish It on Your Website:
It is essential to have a privacy policy that explains how customer data is collected, used, and stored. Ensure the policy is published on your website and included whenever customers submit their data. Employees should also be trained to handle data securely in accordance with the policy..

8. Customer Data Protection:
Any company that collects customer data is exposed to the risk of security breaches. Take extra steps to protect your customers and their information. You must also communicate with your customers or prospects in the event of a breach, an update to your privacy policy, or any threat to their data; in this regard, the Authority has provided official channels for reporting unwanted messages or calls through the toll-free number 330330, the Authority’s mobile application, or its official website. Users can report any message they suspect or did not consent to receive, enabling the relevant authorities to investigate and take necessary actions, including suspending the sender ID or permanently deactivating the number..

9. Double Opt-In::
Double opt-in has become increasingly common, as it ensures customers are fully aware of the information they are providing to companies it can also lead to higher engagement rates within the email list

Building a strong customer database is now based on quality, compliance, and privacy protection rather than quantity