The short version:
We collect your name, email, and phone number when you fill in our contact form. We use it to contact you about our services. We do not sell it, spam it, or share it with third parties for marketing. You can ask us to delete it at any time.
1. Who We Are
Elite Socials is a social media and content agency based in Newry, Northern Ireland. We provide done-for-you social media management and content production services for local businesses across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
- Business name: Elite Socials
- Address: Newry, Northern Ireland
- Email: hello@elitesocials.co.uk
- Website: elitesocials.co.uk
For the purposes of UK GDPR and the Irish Data Protection Acts, Elite Socials is the data controller for personal data collected through this website.
2. What Data We Collect
We collect the following personal data when you use our website or contact us:
- Contact form submissions: Full name, email address, phone number, business name, website or social media URL, business type, your biggest marketing challenge, and your primary goal.
- Communications: Any information you share with us via email, phone, SMS, or social media.
- Usage data: Standard website analytics including IP address, browser type, pages visited, and time spent on the site. This is collected via cookies (see Section 8).
- Lead magnet sign-ups: Email address if you download any free resources from the site.
We do not collect payment card information directly. Any payments are processed through secure third-party platforms.
3. Why We Collect It and Our Legal Basis
We only collect and use your personal data for specific, legitimate purposes. Our legal bases under UK GDPR and Irish data protection law are as follows:
- To respond to your enquiry and provide our services (Legitimate Interests / Contract): When you fill in our contact form, we use your details to call you, book a strategy call, and discuss how Elite Socials can help your business. This is necessary to fulfil the services you have requested.
- To send you follow-up communications (Legitimate Interests): After you submit an enquiry, we may follow up by phone, SMS, or email to assist with your query. You can opt out of these at any time.
- To send marketing communications (Consent): If you opt in to receive marketing emails or download a resource, we may send you relevant content about social media, content marketing, and Elite Socials services. You can unsubscribe at any time.
- To improve our website (Legitimate Interests): We use analytics data to understand how visitors use the site and improve the user experience.
4. How We Use Your Data
Your personal data is used only for the purposes stated above. Specifically:
- Contacting you by phone or SMS following a form submission
- Booking and managing strategy calls and client meetings
- Sending service-related communications
- Sending marketing emails if you have opted in
- Managing our CRM and client records
- Improving our website and services
We do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or significant effects.
5. Who We Share Your Data With
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We may share it with the following third parties solely to operate our business:
- GoHighLevel (GHL): Our CRM and marketing automation platform. Your contact data is stored and managed here. GoHighLevel is GDPR compliant.
- Google: We use Google Analytics and Google Ads. Google may process anonymised usage data in accordance with their own privacy policy.
- Meta (Facebook and Instagram): We run advertising on Meta platforms. If you interact with our ads, Meta may process your data under their own privacy policy.
- Email and SMS providers: Third-party platforms used to deliver communications. These are bound by data processing agreements.
- Legal obligations: We may disclose your data if required by law or in response to a valid legal request.
All third parties we work with are required to handle your data securely and in accordance with applicable data protection law.
6. How Long We Keep Your Data
We retain your personal data for as long as is necessary for the purposes it was collected:
- Enquiry data (non-clients): 12 months from the date of your last interaction with us, after which it is deleted from our CRM.
- Client data: For the duration of the client relationship and for 6 years afterwards for legal and accounting purposes.
- Marketing email subscribers: Until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
- Analytics data: As per Google Analytics default retention settings (up to 26 months).
7. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR and Irish data protection law, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Right to erasure: You can ask us to delete your personal data, subject to certain legal exceptions.
- Right to restrict processing: You can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
- Right to data portability: You can request your data in a portable format where technically feasible.
- Right to object: You can object to us processing your data for direct marketing purposes at any time.
- Right to withdraw consent: Where we rely on your consent to process data, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@elitesocials.co.uk. We will respond within 30 days.
If you are based in the UK and believe we have not handled your data correctly, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.
If you are based in the Republic of Ireland, you may contact the Data Protection Commission (DPC) at dataprotection.ie.
8. Cookies
Our website uses cookies to improve your experience and to help us understand how the site is being used. Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website.
We use the following types of cookies:
- Essential cookies: Required for the website to function correctly. Cannot be disabled.
- Analytics cookies: Google Analytics cookies that help us understand visitor behaviour. These are anonymised and do not identify you personally.
- Marketing cookies: Used by Google Ads and Meta to measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns and to show relevant ads to people who have visited our site.
When you first visit our site, you will be asked to consent to non-essential cookies. You can change your cookie preferences at any time by clicking the cookie settings link in the footer. You can also manage cookies through your browser settings.
9. Data Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. These include secure HTTPS connections, access controls on our CRM, and using reputable third-party platforms with their own security certifications.
No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we take data security seriously, we cannot guarantee absolute security.
10. Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to third-party websites including client social media profiles, partner sites, or platforms such as Google and Meta. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and recommend you review their own privacy policies.
11. Children's Privacy
Our services are directed at business owners and are not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has submitted data to us, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The date at the top of this page will always show when it was last updated. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data, get in touch:
- Elite Socials LTD
- Based in Newry, Northern Ireland
- Email: hello@elitesocials.co.uk
- Website: elitesocials.co.uk