With the rapid decline of third-party data come many new problems and many new opportunities. We have been very reliant on third-party data; therefore, shifting to first-party data can be painful. In this blog, we will show you ways to collect first-party data and how to use this data to your advantage.
Privacy and customer behaviour
A lot of countries have been issuing laws regarding privacy. 69% of all countries have privacy laws, and 10% have pending legislation, according to the UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development).
Not only have countries created barriers regarding privacy, but some companies have also started blocking third-party cookies—for example, Apple (Safari) and Brave.
Google (Chrome), which has a 60% Marketshare over the Search engine market (which is kind of an insane amount if you think about it!), has told the public that they will delay their plans on blocking third-party cookies till 2023.
According to an article from the Verge, some even call the blocking of cookies the “cookiepocolypse”. Frightening, right?
So what does this mean for us? Well, it will be harder for marketers to personalise their ads based on third-party data. I know you probably expected a huge essay, but let us not focus on the aftermath but on the question: What now?
We need to know what most consumers expect and how we can build upon this need!
Most brands rely on first-party data to fill the empty dark gap that the disappearance of third-party cookies will leave when Google eventually blocks them too.
First-party data is data collected by the company itself. This is doable through various ways, for example:
- Questionnaires on your website
- lead generation forms
- Your own custom mobile app
The impact
The impact of third-party data decline and being forced to rely on first-party data is vast. But how these effects will affect your company is entirely up to you.
We know that it will impact your funnel and channel valuation, but with some adjustments and tips on what to monitor, you will be on your merry way again!
We know that consumers are harder to monitor now; we can conclude that last click channels like Google Ads will perform better and social channels will struggle more. Some of you might even think that social channels are dead. But they couldn’t have been more wrong!
It only looks that way since Social channels have more of a support role in the customer journey. But since tracking consumers across channels is becoming more complex, it is harder to evaluate them.
This screams for a different approach. At CroudX, we have been using this system for a while now! You should look at long-term metrics and start building a brand. Brands create an experience for their customers and form a bond of trust!
We have talked about branding and performance in a previous blog, including the power of AI, Named Billy Grace which we will cover in a later paragraph!
Consumers are more likely to share their data when they trust the brand
To collect data from consumers, you have to ask for consent; of course, you probably already knew. But these days, consumers are more aware of their privacy. Therefore it has become harder to collect data.
Shopify’s research has shown that 61% of the respondents said they would only share their data with a brand if required. And 40% of respondents said they would not share their data due to privacy concerns.
Consumers are more likely to share their data when they trust the brand, and therefore brands should create more trust. Businesses can do this in various ways, which we’ll discuss later in this blog.
Over-personalisation kills data collection.
Since the consumers are more aware of their privacy, it is vital to not over-personalise. We’ve all had that moment when you’re searching for something particular item, and before you know it, your whole timeline is filled with similar products.
Establish boundaries and use common sense to avoid invading customer privacy by over-personalizing. You can try to put yourself in the consumers’ shoes. This will generally paint some limits!
Consumers are three times more likely to cut ties with brands if they over-personalise! Over-personalisation damages more than you gain from it. That means just because you have a lot of data does not mean you have to use all of it.
Therefore, if you want to gain trust from a consumer, you need to be transparent on what marketing data you collect and for what purposes. Also, make sure that collecting data contributes to the consumer’s experience. If you can clearly show that there is a benefit here, you might be able to turn them in your favour!
Building brand communities
In this increasingly digital world, it’s not surprising that brands have come to realise the value of customer loyalty and connection. With so much dependence on trust for access to consumer data, gaining a valuable relationship with consumers through branding seems like the best option!
A brand creates a relationship between a business and its target audience. Some brands have even started building communities around their brands!
Brand communities increase customer retention & brand awareness. Creating a brand community is hard work but pays off in the long run. They also allow for easy conversations with your customers.
Tips & tricks to building a community
But to build a brand community, you need to know how. Let us give you some tips!
- First, you need to define your brand by establishing a mission statement and a vision. We’ve discussed this and more in a previous blog called “How to build a long-term strategy by using brand marketing.”
- Secondly, choose the right community platform. This can be a social media platform, but we recommend creating your own forum or using your own website. And use social media to refer everyone back to your website. “Never build on rented land.”
- Thirdly, Rewards or affiliate programs are most successful. Brands use this to give customers a reason to stay involved. Also, programs like these give back to your most loyal customers.
- Lastly, try to engage with your community! Ask questions on social media or start photo contests; this will create a lot of traction and awareness and give community members a voice.
These are some tips and best practices on building a strong brand community.
Billy Grace
We discussed utilising AI to enhance your marketing efforts in a previous blog. We also said that we use our own AI named Billy Grace. Since we are talk
Billy Grace collects first-party data and uses this data for many different purposes.
- Marketing intelligence
- Product intelligence
- Customer intelligence
With marketing intelligence, Billy Grace will use its mighty algorithm to determine the best way to maximise performance on your ads. With marketing intelligence, there are features like:
- ROAS predictions
- Budget optimiser
- Bid automation strategies
- Data-driven attribution insights
Product intelligence focuses on an entirely different aspect of marketing. It uses first-party data to determine what products are best for attracting new customers and more! Related features include:
- Product customer journeys
- Individual product performances
- Product revenue expectations
- New-marketing insights
Customer intelligence will also help you a lot. Do you want to be able to segment your audiences? Billy Grace has got you covered! Billy Grace offers many features, like:
- AI churn analysis
- AI audience segments
- Look-a-like audiences
- Marketing export functionality
Billy Grace relies solely on first-party data, therefore, making it a very durable tool since first-party data collection will be around for a long time!
We write these blogs weekly to broaden everyone’s knowledge! Subscribe to our newsletter if you’d like to receive these blogs weekly and stay informed! if you have any questions about CroudX, you can always contact us.
Till next time!
Check out our previous blog!
