Knowing your audience is key, and that starts with understanding the types of data businesses use. Data is typically classified into first-party, second-party, and third-party, based on how it’s collected and who owns it. First-party data is the information a brand gathers directly from its own audience, such as website activity, purchase behavior, or email subscriptions. Second-party data refers to another company’s first-party data, shared through a partnership or agreement. Third-party data is collected by outside sources and sold to multiple buyers, often used for reaching broader audiences.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through each type of data, how it’s collected, and what role it plays in shaping smarter, more effective marketing strategies.
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What is First-Party Data?
First-party data refers to the information your brand gathers directly from your own audience through platforms and touchpoints that you own and control. This includes your website, mobile app, email campaigns, customer service chats, social media pages, and even in-person interactions.
Insights you gain:
- Customer demographics
- Purchase history
- On-site browsing behavior
- Mobile app usage
- Email open and click rates
- Conversations with your sales or support team
- Survey responses and feedback
- Declared interests and preferences
You collect this data naturally as part of doing business, whether it’s through online forms, product purchases, live chat, newsletter signups, or support calls.
Also Read: Establishing First Party Data Strategies
What is Second-Party Data?
Second-party data is essentially someone else’s first-party data that you gain access to through a direct relationship or partnership with another brand. It’s shared between two trusted parties, typically non-competing brands and is gathered from the partner’s audience across platforms they own and control. This data is just as reliable as first-party data because it’s collected directly from the source, but instead of you collecting it, your partner does.
Insights you gain:
- Customer behavior on a partner’s website or app
- Purchase trends across a similar target audience
- Loyalty program or membership activity
- Survey responses collected by the partner
- Demographic or geographic details from their audience
- Engagement with their marketing campaigns or content
- Interests and preferences relevant to your industry
This data is usually shared as part of a strategic collaboration, co-branded campaign, or data-sharing agreement, where both parties see mutual value. For example, a hotel chain might partner with an airline to exchange customer data and deliver personalized travel deals to each other’s audiences.
Second-party data helps you expand your reach while maintaining quality and accuracy, especially when you and your partner serve a similar customer base.
What is Third-Party Data?
Third-party data refers to information that’s collected and aggregated by an external company that doesn’t have a direct relationship with the individuals the data comes from. These third-party providers gather data from a wide range of sources, such as websites, apps, social media platforms, public records, and offline sources, and then sell or license it to other brands for marketing, advertising, and audience targeting.
Unlike first- and second-party data, third-party data is not collected from your audience or a trusted partner’s audience. Instead, it’s broadly available and often used to reach new potential customers at scale.
Insights you gain
- Demographic information (age, gender, income level)
- Online behavior and interests
- Purchase intent or browsing activity across multiple sites
- Location data
- Device usage patterns
- Aggregated behavioral segments
Marketers often use third-party data to build larger audiences, enhance targeting in ad campaigns, or supplement gaps in their data. However, it’s important to note that third-party data can vary in quality, and with growing privacy regulations and the phasing out of third-party cookies, its use is becoming more limited.
Despite its scale, third-party data is best used carefully, ideally in combination with your own first-party insights to ensure relevance, compliance, and better customer experiences.
What is Zero-Party Data?
Zero-party data refers to information that is voluntarily and intentionally shared by a customer with a brand. This data is collected directly from individuals, not through tracking, inference, or third-party sources, but through clear interactions where users choose to provide specific details about themselves.
Unlike first-party data (which is observed from user behavior) or third-party data (gathered externally), zero-party data is customer-declared and often shared in exchange for personalized content, product recommendations, or better service. Brands collect zero-party data through:
- Quizzes and product finders
- Surveys and polls
- Preference centres (e.g., choosing email topics or frequency)
- Custom profiles and onboarding forms
- Interactive tools that ask for likes/dislikes or needs
Zero-party data puts the power in the hands of the consumer, and the most successful brands are those that know how to use it responsibly to deliver value. When people feel heard and understood, they’re more likely to engage, convert, and remain loyal. In a world moving towards privacy-first marketing, zero-party data isn’t just useful, it’s essential.
Key Differences Between First, Second, and Third-Party Data
The main differences between these three types of data lie in who owns the data, how accurate and reliable it is, the privacy risks, and how it’s typically used in marketing.
| Feature | First-Party Data | Second-Party Data | Third-Party Data |
| Ownership | Your business | Trusted partner | External provider |
| Accuracy | High | High | Variable |
| Privacy Risk | Low | Low to moderate | High |
| Marketing Use | Personalization, retention | Audience expansion | Broad-targeting, acquisition |
Leverage Your First Party Data with EasyInsights
EasyInsights helps performance marketers unlock the true power of their First Party Data. Our platform seamlessly unifies data from all your marketing channels, including Google Ads, Meta, Shopify, CRMs, and more into one clean, analytics-ready dashboard. By automating complex data pipelines and ensuring data accuracy across platforms, we enable brands to make faster, smarter decisions without the manual grunt work.
Whether you’re optimizing ad campaigns, building custom reports, or scaling your brands with performance insights, EasyInsights provides the tools and automation needed to simplify your workflow and maximize ROI.
To know more Book a demo Today!
Addional Read: What is First-Party Data and How is it Beneficial for Digital Marketing
