In today’s largely digital world, businesses have learned to leverage technology to listen to consumers’ preferences and cater to them. Hyper-targeted ads are no longer strange, and people have been used to looking for things using Google—knowing that Google will give them what they need through the many businesses implementing ads.
However, there are growing concerns about user privacy. These have already initiated a lot of changes that will reshape the digital marketing industry as we know it. The good news is that Google is developing solutions that will help advertisers deliver while protecting consumer privacy at the same time.
What is privacy-safe growth?
Google is changing the way they approach their products and partnerships by looking at the changing environment through a “long-term privacy lens.” By doing so, marketers will still be able to experience results from digital advertising without compromising consumer privacy. In short, customers’ expectations and marketing goals will both be met.
Apple has already implemented privacy measures for iOS 14.5 and with iOS 15 coming in September, users are given more control over their privacy and permissions. Additionally, Google has announced plans to phase out third-party (3P) cookies.
When this happens, campaigns and conversions will all be affected. Nothing is set in stone, as there are bound to be more changes moving forward. What’s important is setting the foundation as early as now for privacy-safe growth and here’s how you can go about it.
Google’s 3-Step Framework for Privacy-Safe Growth
We’ve simplified Google’s framework for privacy-safe growth so it will be even easier to digest.
#1 Collect
The first step is to collect first-party data like email addresses and your customers’ purchase history. First-party data is data collected directly from your current customers.
Since 3P cookies will be phased out in the near future, you will have to invest in strengthening customer relationships so you can access as much first-party data from them. Not all is lost, however, since marketers who use first-party data effectively can actually experience double the incremental revenue from just a single ad placement, communication, or outreach.
Here’s what you can do:
- Check out Google’s global site tag to easily collect data from your website.
- Add more opportunities for potential customers to provide first-party data to you by providing promotions, offers, subscriptions, and investing in lead generation efforts.
#2 Measure
You’ll only be able to maximize first-party data when you implement proper tracking measures. Plus, you’ll also be able to view performance across all channels so you can adjust your strategy accordingly.
- Implement enhanced conversions for increased accuracy across Search and YouTube. Companies that do this experience a 12% median increase in conversion rates for YouTube for Action.
- Use Google Analytics 4 properties for simplified data processing, reporting, and analysis
- Explore modeled conversion reporting from Google Search to other channels.
#3 Activate with Automation
A privacy-safe environment has fewer user data available to marketers. So investing in automation will help you maximize the data you have by using additional signals to optimize continuously for specific performance goals.
Did you know that marketers using advanced machine learning techniques together with human insights can experience campaign performance improvement by as much as 35%? Here’s how you can start.
- Leverage customer match targeting to connect your customers’ first-party data to other signed-in Google users
- Use automated bidding strategies to maximize performance.
- Invest in fully automated solutions to prepare for the coming privacy-safe future.
Here’s some good news. Google has pushed back on plans to go cookieless for around two years. However, the fact still remains that it’s going to happen and as digital marketers, we must prepare. Review Google’s three-step framework which we are also leveraging in our strategies today. It’s better to prepare now than catch up when it’s too late.
Source: Google Ads https://services.google.com/fh/files/misc/privacy-safe-growth3.pdf
