“ Google is again making headlines after recently announcing that it will NOT be developing any alternative solutions that track users across different sites ”
JONATHAN MORELAND , CHALKLINE
SO NOW WHAT ?
While things look grim for third-party cookies , savvy affiliates and operators must now shift focus to first-party data strategies , meaning you ’ ll need to create , manage and update your own customer profiles directly using your own data .
While you ’ ll soon lose the ability to see data related to your visitor ’ s behaviours on other websites , with a first-party cookie , you ’ ll still be able to learn about what a user did while visiting your website , see how often they visit it , and gain other basic analytics that can help you develop or automate an effective marketing strategy around them .
STRATEGIES FOR SHIFTING TO A FIRST- PARTY-DATA-FIRST APPROACH
• Build relationships Developing strong relationships with customers has always been important for brands , and this relationship-building becomes even more critical in a cookieless world .
Be transparent about how customer data is being used . Give your customers more control over what data is collected . Show you responsibly ( and securely ) collect , store and use this data .
• Offer value in exchange for data When data is used to deliver value through customised offers and loyalty programmes , then customers will be more willing to share their information . This is where personalisation and localisation become all the more important . For example , customers will be more likely to share their location with you if it unlocks geo-specific games , rather than simply opening them up to more ads .
• Continue to think holistically across different channels First-party data is collected directly from your audience . It ’ s collected first-hand . This means first-party data doesn ’ t need to be collected on your site exclusively .
Even after the cookie-pocalypse , you can use data from any of the following sources to continue predicting user behaviour patterns in a similar manner : site and app data ; CRM data ; data from the social media profiles and activities of your followers ; data from subscription-based emails ; and good old-fashioned surveys and customer feedback .
• Speed will be even more important Personalisation needs to happen instantly to truly deliver the best possible experience and delight your customers . As actions are taken across channels , you need to be able to update a customer ’ s profile in near real-time . Whether a customer has opted in or out of a programme , you need to deliver personalised experiences in seconds , not days .
PROVEN STRATEGIES TO BOTH ACQUIRE AND LEVERAGE FIRST-PARTY DATA
• Loyalty programmes In this industry , loyalty programmes should be one of your primary first-party data sources . You can create custom
Q1 2022 • ISSUE 89 • 29