THE DIGITAL UPDATES TO BE AWARE OF!
Written by:
Kath Rathbone
Paid Media Executive
The iOS update
Privacy has been at the forefront of discussion in the digital world recently. The GDPR update in May 2018 has been impacting the way in which marketers collect data on users.
The iOS 14 update by Apple, which is currently being rolled out as we speak, gives Apple users more control over their privacy allowing them to opt in or out of third parties like Facebook, Instagram and Facebook's Audience Network who track their data through mobile apps.
While this gives people more control over their privacy, the number of people who these ads will reach will be significantly reduced so this update will make it harder for small businesses to reach a specific audience and to compete against large businesses.
As most users will most likely opt out of tracking their data, this will reduce the amount of data that can be collected, which will ultimately impact effectiveness, potential leads and most likely lead to an increase in expenditure. As more people opt out of tracking their data, this will decrease the size of the retargeting audiences. The opt out option will also impact upon reporting as the data will not include those who have denied access to track, therefore leading to inaccurate reporting.
The attribution window will now be a 1 day view, 7 day click as opposed to the current 1 day view, 28 day click. The shorter attribution window may have an impact on conversion numbers within campaigns, as well as on organic. This will lead to an increase in dark social traffic (where people privately share content over social media), making it harder to track data.
Facebook will limit the impact of the update through their Aggregated Events Management to minimise the data being lost through pixel implementation, which allows 8 pixel objectives to be tracked per domain.
And last, but not least. Facebook Business Manager design will change. This is because there will not be a separate design for iOS and Android users.
Here are a few things you can do to prepare for the iOS update:
Verify Facebook Domains: Verifying your Facebook domains will make you official on the platform.
Pick 8 Events you will track: This can only be done with the pixel owner
Invest in email marketing: Email marketing can be good for retargeting purposes. It is low cost and can be engaging when it is done right.
Third Party Cookie Tracking
The iOS 14 update isn't the only update to look out for. Third-party cookies are being demolished.
Third party cookies are cookies that are created and placed by third parties, other than the direct website you are currently on. They build a profile on you and your interests based on the websites you visit which is used to send more personalised ads to the user.
However, as more people are becoming aware of 'being tracked', and 79% of consumers concerned companies know too much about them, third party cookies are being demolished by the start of 2022, so users have greater privacy and control over the use of their data.
Almost 90% of Google's revenue is from advertising, so this update will significantly impact Google.
Here are some of the ways the removal of third party cookies will affect advertising:
Retargeting: Not being able to retarget will limit effectiveness of campaigns
Frequency Capping: Limiting the amount of times that same user sees an ad
Audience Extension: (similar to targeting lookalike audiences), this will not be possible with the removal of third-party cookies.
Demolishing third-party cookies allows users to block websites from being able to track their data, or even delete the data that has been stored on them. This update will force marketers to use first-party cookies (which are here to stay, for now!).
First-party cookies are there to track website activity and visits. They are stored and managed by the website the user is browsing, passing information from one page to another such as your passwords, language settings, and even when you add an item to your cart.
Although this is the end for third party cookies, it has and will create opportunities. To overcome the end of third party cookies, here are a few ways marketers can adapt to the changes:
Use atypical personalisation strategy: Apply geo-targeting and moment marketing tactics. Moment marketing is taking advantage of 'marketing at the right moment' to deliver relatable and relevant ads.
Third party audiences: Not all third party data comes from cookies. For example, VisualDNA, which collects data based on personality quizzes.
Here at MAG, we are one step ahead of the third party cookies being taken away using moment marketing. We are already using contextually relevant out of home bought programmatically alongside smart online programmatic, with a well planned social strategy targeting locations and postcodes that are relevant to a target group and then targeting them with ads as they walk and drive.