How “Courting” Audience Helps Marketers Implement Zero-Party Strategies

Digital marketing, as it is now, is almost dead. Today’s audiences crave personalization, but without sacrificing their privacy. After the last decade full of data scandals, internet users are now more tech-savvy. They know exactly what their personal information is worth, and do not want it leaked either due to the security breaches or intentional violations of data security regulations by service providers.

For marketers, the game has changed. Zero-party data, the details that users personally entrusted to the company, has become a new currency. The industry challenge has become maintaining the same level of efficiency as cookie-based strategies.

Evgenii Kuznetsov, CEO and founder of CATCH Tech, thinks that in a world where 42% of internet users block ads or browse incognito, the only strategy for marketers is to learn how to build real trust with the brand’s audience. Start “courting” potential customers. Prove your value. Make every click worth their time, or you risk being ignored.

First Give, Then Take

Content is the cornerstone of this new exchange. Low-quality, AI-churned filler can be spotted from a mile away, and nothing kills trust faster. If the brand’s voice feels soulless, the connection is lost before it even begins. To keep people engaged, businesses need to give customers a reason to share. Think of it like cold messaging your crush: a “hello, how are you doing” or a basic pick-up line will leave your message just “seen.”

In customer communication, interactive tools like quizzes, polls, and preference pickers would not only make the process enjoyable but also give users a sense of control. Beauty brands like Glossier and Sephora have turned this into an art form, using style finders and skin quizzes that feel fun while quietly fueling hyper-personalized marketing flows.

Presents as a Love Language

Delivering value through both words and actions is the cornerstone of healthy relationships, whether with romantic partners or customers. And making presents is one of the love languages.

Offering a free tool or service, such as an ad blocker, a VPN, or a simple game, can be a win-win strategy. A business not only shows that it’s willing to share and give, leaving a positive impression, but also gains valuable insights about its audience when users grant access to their personal data.

Since any free product can monetize users and their data, it’s important to trust the company behind the free service you’re using. Otherwise, you might end up tied to strings you’d rather avoid.

SEO Is Not Enough

The next frontier? Optimizing not just for people, but for machines. In 2025, AI-driven platforms like Google’s Search Generative Experience and ChatGPT are becoming the go-to search engines for millions of users. Gartner predicts that by 2026, nearly a third of all web browsing will occur without screens, channeled through voice assistants and AI-curated summaries. The brands that adapt won’t just appear in search results, they’ll be the ones AI actively recommends.

For these engines, traditional SEO tactics like keywords, backlinks, and media mentions still matter. But the real shift is the growing demand for direct, conversational answers, often fueled by content from UGC creators and corporate blogs.

For businesses, the message is clear: produce high-quality, authoritative content that AI trusts enough to cite. It’s no longer just about being a link, it’s about becoming part of the narrative itself. Success will hinge on building authority, structuring content for machine readability, and forging relationships that feed into AI training data, from credible publications to verified customer reviews. Call it trust optimization, powered by expertise.

Winning Marketing Strategy

Evgenii advises pairing quality human-generated content with generative engine optimization strategies for a winning zero-party-data-based marketing approach. It’s not enough to create content, you have to craft experiences. And it’s not enough to publish, you must be discoverable to machines. 

The marketers who thrive will be part matchmaker, part storyteller, and part machine-whisperer. Those who don’t? They’ll be left wondering why the conversation moved on without them.