Third-party cookies have been helpful to marketers in terms of digital marketing and user targeting, but their heyday is coming to an end. Google is following in the footsteps of numerous other browsers by discontinuing support for them before 2022, implying that marketers must adapt their strategies to prepare for a cookie-free world.
But what does this mean for customization? When 72 percent of customers will only interact with marketing that is personalized and targeted to their interests, how can we offer the anticipated experience at scale if we don’t have cookies to guide us?
Marketers must change their strategies as soon as possible so that they are not left floundering when cookie support expires. This entails experimenting with various methods of delivering personalization throughout the consumer experience. So, where do you begin?
What exactly is cookieless targeting?
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Cookieless targeting refers to a variety of audience-targeting techniques in which cookies are not utilized, either because they are ineffective or because the usage of third-party cookies is prohibited. Cookieless advertising is becoming more popular as privacy concerns grow and data rules governing the use of personally identifiable information (PII) are implemented internationally. As the advertising business evolves, we should anticipate advertisers to utilize new, cookie-free methods to target consumers. Contextual advertising is one such approach, which may be a very successful AI-powered type of targeting that does not require cookies.
How will you handle the move away from cookie-based targeting?
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As the move to cookie-free targeting happens, advertisers will question what their role will be and what methods will be utilized to fill the void. Here are some ideas to get you started.
1. Encourage Users To Register
If you want to genuinely provide tailored experiences, you need to know who your users are, and an email address is a fantastic place to start. Consider where on your site information exchange makes sense for the user: newsletter sign-ups, cart check-out, first-time buyer discount, loyalty program, and so on. Being clear and honest about how you intend to utilize their data encourages people to trust companies and share that information.
2. Personalize Based On Web Use
What if a visitor hasn’t yet been uniquely identified? Brands can customize web content or product suggestions depending on a user’s online activity by using software solutions such as Optimizely. By analyzing what pages they view, goods they look at, keywords they search, how near they are to completing a purchase, and other factors, you may get closer to identifying a visitor and knowing them on a deeper level, allowing you to provide more tailored experiences.
3. Advertising That Is Relevant To The Context
While you are collecting alternative data to better target clients, moving to contextual advertising may be the best solution. This implies that the advertisements displayed on a website or page are relevant to the content, rather than attempting to match the ad to the user. For example, if someone visits a healthy eating blog, they will be offered advertisements for healthy meal delivery or healthy food goods.
4. Use Personalization Strategies
Personalization has grown in importance among customers. Most regular consumers say they only buy with businesses that customize their experience. Campaigns that employ deep customization through sophisticated geo-targeting and time-parting typically yield great engagement, despite the fact that they are not frequently used in the industry.
5. Make use of a Customer Data Platform (CDP)
A Customer Data Platform (CDP) enables you to consolidate all contact points across your brand’s marketing channels into a single consolidated customer view, allowing you to better evaluate and customize a user’s experience. CDPs go beyond standard CRM by aggregating data from many sources to give a 360-degree picture of customers, including websites, applications, email, analytics tools, CRMs, social media, and more.
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Conclusion
Just because third-party cookies are no longer part of your toolkit doesn’t imply that personalization is no longer feasible. When Google stops supporting these types of cookies, developing your plan now will guarantee you have enough data and insights to deliver the appropriate messages to the right users at the right time.
Customers demand personalized marketing, therefore altering your plan now will enhance your position. It will also assist you in gaining your consumers’ confidence, allowing you to gather more insights to construct a more accurate image of your audience; all of which leads to better marketing.
