Cookies are a powerful tool, but they’re not always the best option. Here’s how to market without cookies.
The how to retarget without cookies is a process that can be done by marketers. It involves using third-party software to track the user’s online activity and then send them ads on other websites.
Many digital marketing teams have depended on cookies for marketing for many years.
Everything, however, is about to change.
Third-party cookies are already blocked by Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari, and Google recently announced that it will no longer support cookies on ad networks and in its Chrome browser.
What does this imply for marketing teams, and what can you do to guarantee that your company continues to operate effectively even if cookies aren’t used? Let’s have a look.
Why are third-party cookies being phased out, and why is this important?
Cookies are used to monitor your activities while you use the internet, particularly on browsers like Chrome.
These cookies may help marketing teams better analyze user behavior and ad effectiveness, but many consumers may find them to be an invasion of privacy.
Users may improve their privacy and security by disabling certain cookies. Firefox, Safari, and Brave are among the browsers that have already begun to do so. To enhance user privacy and advertise itself as a safe search engine, Google will begin phasing out third-party cookies from its browsers.
This is a significant shift for marketers who previously depended largely on cookies in their marketing efforts.
Customer information is required to tailor the text when establishing sponsored ad campaigns on browsers and social media sites. Without cookies, you’d have to depend on first-party data (more on that below) instead of third-party cookies for marketing.
As a reaction to the cookieless future, Google has launched “The Privacy Sandbox.” Data will be kept anonymously here in order to provide a middle ground where businesses may acquire consumer data without having to rely on invasive cookie monitoring.
Aside from that, there are a variety of methods to advertise without using cookies. We’ll go through some of the most successful methods and provide you some marketing ideas that don’t depend on third-party cookies.
4 Cookie-Free Marketing Preparation Tips
Because you don’t have access to third-party cookies, your marketing efforts don’t have to suffer.
You may learn to use resources like first-party data to improve the efficacy of your marketing efforts without relying on cookies by following the techniques and suggestions below.
4 Activate Google Analytics
Google Analytics 4 is an updated version of Universal Analytics that supports both app and website-based monitoring. It helps if you utilize both forms (app and website), which is something that most companies do these days.
Turning on Google Analytics 4 is easy, whether you already have an account for an existing website or wish to establish a new one for a new one. Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting started.
Begin collecting first-party data.
Third-party cookies are disabled, however first-party data may still be collected by marketing teams. This implies that data through email registration forms, newsletters, polls, and other direct sources may still be used.
Working with first-party data has a number of advantages, the most important of which is that you own the data. You won’t have to worry about someone else purchasing it or losing your right to use it.
The second advantage is that first-party data is more accurate than third-party cookies since you know your consumers and have the skills to find out where the data originated.
Another significant advantage is that your rivals do not have access to the same data. When you purchase third-party data, it’s possible that another business, most likely your rival, will do the same.
Doesn’t it seem exciting? To get you started, here are several methods for collecting first-party data:
- online polls
- sign-up forms
- newsletters
- polls in the community
- SMS responses
- Responses to mobile notifications
- direct mail (offline mail), and so forth.
These are some of the most common methods used by marketers to get first-party data from both new and returning visitors. You may not want to use all of them at the same time since it could overload your consumers.
Instead, start with one or two methods. Take note of how your audience reacts to it. Is your strategy working, or do you need to try something else? Experiment with various methods to discover which one works best for your company.
More money should be spent on market research.
Market research and first-party data collection go hand in hand. You must know who your audience is while marketing without cookies.
Without having to depend on external cookies data, you can customize your ads to fit their requirements by understanding their wants and pain areas.
Here are some ideas for getting started with market research if you’re new to it:
- Start a survey with a specific audience in mind.
- Gather comments and queries from your existing users.
- Use analytics to figure out what’s working and what’s not.
- Organize focus groups with incentives for those who attend.
- Observe client interactions without meddling with them.
- To obtain a comprehensive picture of audience interests, post simple polls in community forms.
- Make use of social media to learn more about what your target market wants.
Whatever technique you choose, the main conclusion is that you should begin spending more in market research. Surveys, buyer personas, and, most crucially, A/B testing may help you get to know your consumers and target market better.
Personalization is the main focus.
Which option do you prefer? An email that begins with a “hello there!” or addresses you by your first name.
According to studies, individuals favor the first choice. According to studies, 90 percent of users find customization attractive, and 80 percent of customers are more inclined to buy when companies provide customized experiences.
It’s important to concentrate on customization if you want to take your marketing efforts to the next level.
This will be simpler now since you’re already dealing with first-party data.
Begin by addressing the client by his or her name. There are hundreds of solutions available, including ones that integrate with newsletters to customize your campaigns automatically.
After then, deal with the customer’s problems. Make a list of what irritates them and present yourself as a solution to those issues. Customers will be able to connect with your brand more effectively as a result of this.
Here’s a visual representation of the pain areas to consider while working on customization.
Rethinking PPC: 4 Cookie-Free PPC Marketing Tips
If you’ve ever run an online advertising campaign, you know that targeting your ads to specific audiences is the most effective way to get good results. How can you accomplish that if you’re not using cookies in your marketing? Here’s how to do it.
Bidding using AI is a great way to save money.
AI-driven bidding identifies which phrases and trends produce the greatest conversions by evaluating search data. The software then adjusts your bids in real time, maximizing ad spend efficiency and increasing your return on investment.
Here’s a Google illustration.
Google AI-based bidding’s Smart Bidding function offers bid strategies based on conversions. As a consequence, you’ll be able to make precise bid choices for each auction in which your advertisements appear.
What does this imply? Simply said, it implies you can obtain more consistent outcomes without having to rely on guessing.
Data about the device, its current location, the time of day, the remarketing list, enabled languages, operating system, and other relevant details are used to make automated bid decisions.
Still have questions regarding AI-assisted bidding? Don’t be concerned. To get you started, here’s a Google tutorial.
KPIs should be reconsidered.
Because key performance indicators (KPIs) track progress toward ad campaign objectives, the success of your PPC marketing campaign is frequently determined by what you’re monitoring.
This is where things start to get interesting. When marketing without cookies, you may need to rethink your KPIs to ensure they are more aligned with your business objectives. You may want to pay extra attention to conversion statistics, for example (how many users convert vs. how many users bounce from your homepage).
Another key KPI to examine is the cost per acquisition to guarantee that your marketing campaigns are profitable in the long term.
Here’s a comprehensive list of developing KPIs to assist you in better planning your cookie-free marketing strategy.
Understanding and using these KPIs may assist you in making better marketing choices, particularly as you navigate the new terrain of cookieless marketing.
Make use of contextual advertising.
Now that third-party cookies are no longer an option, you may be asking, “How will I know which advertisements to put where if I don’t have any data on customer behavior?”
This is where contextual advertising enters the picture. Ads are displayed on web pages depending on the content of the website in context-based advertising. A tech blog, for example, might run ads for computer accessories, while a vegan-living website might run ads for vegan food.
Another example may be found in the NYT Books section.
The Amazon Prime Video marketing text expresses itself as a “bookworm.” Users who read the NYT Books section are clearly readers in some way, thus this is contextual advertising.
Another option is to look at the WSJ’s Life and Work section. Because visitors who frequent this area have previously shown an interest in lifestyle material, it features a traditional lifestyle content ad.
Target based on time and location
Let’s say you’re looking for something a little more personalized than contextual advertising. Then think about how you may target visitors depending on their present location and time of day.
This may be as basic as “geotargeting,” which involves changing the ad text to appeal to people in various geographical areas. This is seen in the majority of search results.
If you search for “coffee shops” from New York, for example, you’ll see ads and search results for coffee shops in New York, even if the same brand has a franchise elsewhere.
What’s the most intriguing part? It doesn’t have to be a well-known brand. For location-based searches, as long as the company has a website and uses geotargeted advertising, it will appear.
The main change is that time data is now used to customize your content in time-based marketing. Imagine receiving an email wishing you a pleasant morning when it is really morning in your area. Doesn’t it feel good?
This method may also be used to predict when advertisements will be shown to users.
Let’s say you want to sell coffee. It’s better to display these advertisements in the morning when people are more inclined to purchase coffee than at night when they are more likely to avoid it.
Frequently Asked Questions About Marketing in the Post-Cookie Era
Here are some commonly asked questions regarding cookie-free marketing.
Third-party cookies are being phased out by Google for a variety of reasons.
Google’s decision to phase out third-party cookies is part of a larger effort to establish a privacy sandbox that would allow users to be monitored (for marketing reasons) while preserving their privacy.
What effect would the abolition of third-party cookies have on marketing?
Most marketing teams were accustomed to launching marketing campaigns using third-party cookies. If you lose access to those, you’ll have to rethink your strategy and look for new ways to collect data (first-party data) and personalize ad campaigns without relying on cookies.
What is the Google Privacy Sandbox, and how does it work?
Google’s Privacy Sandbox project aims to create web standards that enable websites to access user data without jeopardizing privacy. In essence, it allows online advertising to take place without the use of third-party cookies.
What exactly does cookie-free marketing imply?
Cookieless marketing depends less on cookies than other marketing methods since cookies are pieces of data that include identifiers for customers (personal and use information). This entails customization and the use of first-party data to improve the efficacy of marketing campaigns.
Conclusion on Cookie-Free Marketing
At first, marketing without cookies may seem to be a difficult job. It doesn’t have to be so difficult, however.
You may enhance your ad campaigns without depending on third-party cookies if you follow the techniques and suggestions mentioned above.
The greatest thing is that, in comparison to cookie-based marketing, which requires you to share data with your rivals, these techniques offer you greater control and precision.
Which marketing approach will you use in the absence of cookies?
- Unlock huge quantities of SEO traffic using SEO. Take a look at the outcomes.
- Content Marketing – Our team produces incredible content that is shared, linked to, and drives traffic.
- Paid Media – successful paid tactics with a measurable return on investment.
Cookies have been a staple in marketing for a long time. But, what will replace cookies?
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you target customers without cookies?
Its a bit difficult to answer this question. I would say that you can target customers without cookies by using Google Adwords and Facebook Ads.
How can marketers innovate without cookies?
Cookies are a type of tracking technology that allows companies to learn about their customers and target them with advertisements. This can be done without cookies by using other technologies such as fingerprinting or browser history.
How can I track without cookies?
You can use a VPN to mask your IP address and prevent websites from tracking you.
Related Tags
- cookie-based marketing
- how to use cookies for marketing
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- cookies advertising example
