🤯 Unlocking the Power of 2nd-Party Data

Hey there, list owner!

You’ve probably heard a lot about 1st-party data (the data you collect directly from your website or landing page) and 3rd-party data (data bought from external sources).

But did you know there’s another game-changer in email marketing that often gets overlooked?

I’m talking about 2nd-party data.

Let’s dive in!

What is 2nd-party Data?

2nd-party data is someone else’s 1st party data that you gain access to via a trusted partnership.

Unlike 3rd party data, which is aggregated (by data brokers) and sold broadly, 2nd-party data comes directly from a reliable, transparent source—often a company with a similar target audience.

2nd-party data can be shared with partners providing the privacy policies listed on the partner’s website, app, or service clearly states it.

Here are the 3 main types of 2nd-party Data

1. Co-registration (co-reg)

Co-reg is a strategy where users opt into multiple email lists at once, usually through a partner website or a lead generation form.

This happens when a user signs up for something—like a newsletter, free resource, or giveaway—and is given the option to subscribe to additional brands at the same time.

Typically, co-reg partners collect and share email leads through a pre-checked opt-in box, ensuring that only users who actively agree receive emails.

In my opinion, this is one of the least effective ways to acquire engaged subscribers as many times the emails aren’t guaranteed to be subscribers who engage, and many don’t remember signing up via the co-reg option anyway.

That being said it’s still a viable source to acquire subscribers and companies like Beehiiv make it easy to implement via their Web Boost Recommendations widget.

However, it’s important to work with reputable partners to ensure high-quality, engaged leads to maintain strong deliverability.

2. Audience Sharing

Some are very skeptical of this strategy, but if done properly it can be one of the most effective ways to accelerate growth of highly engaged subscribers to an email list.

For starters, as stated at the beginning of this newsletter, it is 100% compliant based on the CAN-SPAM Act.

Since CAN-SPAM allows you to email people without explicit consent, you can email a partner’s subscriber directly, as long as you provide an opt-out option and follow best practices.

The key to this strategy’s success lies in partnering with a highly transparent collaborator who shares your target audience.

By doing so, you’ll gain access to a pool of verified, engaged subscribers with minimal financial risk.

As with any acquisition approach, it’s critical to track the quality of the data—such as unsubscribes and complaints—against your other methods to maintain strong deliverability.

3. List / Brand Acquisition

Acquiring an existing brand or newsletter is another great option to grow your subscriber base.

If you are going this route with the plan to merge the list into a single brand with another existing list you own, it’s important you verify the quality and activity of the list before making the acquisition.

You’ll want to examine the list for current engagement levels and how many active subscribers are currently being emailed to.

If the list has 1 million subscribers but only 200K subscribers are mailed to on a regular basis you shouldn’t be factoring in those unengaged subscribers as you most likely won’t be able to engage with them.

Once you have verified the list’s activity and made the acquisition, it is vital that you exclude inactive or unengaged subscribers, as well as any emails that have previously bounced or been marked as spam from being added to your list.

You can then send a welcome message introducing your brand and explaining the acquisition or merger and what they can expect from your brand going forward.

Here are some other powerful ways to use 2nd-party data in your email strategy if you are not comfortable emailing them directly

1. Lookalike Audiences for Media Buys

Want to find more subscribers who resemble your best customers? With 2nd party data, you build more accurate lookalike audiences for your paid email acquisition efforts.

Sync the 2nd-party data with your CRM and ad management platforms for more effective targeting.

2. Enhanced Segmentation and Personalization

By incorporating 2nd party data, you can learn more about your subscribers' behaviors, preferences, and interests outside of your brand.

Use 2nd party data insights to trigger dynamic emails and craft hyper-relevant messaging based on activity from your partner’s brand.

3. Dormant Subscriber Re-activation

If someone interacts with your partner’s brand but hasn’t engaged with yours yet, you can leverage 2nd party data to identify when they are in the inbox.

Use behavioral triggers to send re-engagement emails when they are actively in the inbox.

Final Takeaway: A Smarter Way to Grow Your Email Strategy

2nd party data is a powerful, ethical, and effective way to:

✅ Grow your list
✅ Improve segmentation and personalization
✅ Increase engagement and re-activation of your list

The key? Find the right partners, use data responsibly, and always prioritize transparency.

BEFORE YOU GO

Struggling to Keep Your List Growing?

I talk to a lot of people who struggle to keep a steady flow of new subscribers. If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. The good news?

There’s a way to bring in engaged, high-intent subscribers consistently—without the uncertainty of traditional media buys. Book a quick call with us to find out more. 

A lot of times it pays to be 2nd,

Chris Miquel

PS: Want to explore how 2nd party data can improve your email marketing? Reply to this email and let’s chat!