In February I reported to you that Apple was launching an opt in/out campaign for third party data tracking. Apple calls it the ATT campaign (App Tracking Transparency). In short, many apps (like Facebook, Instagram, etc.) use what is called an “Identifier for Audiences” which tracks information like search patterns and locations outside of the app to better target consumers. This type of third-party data is very valuable because it allows advertisers to “retarget” customers who have visited their website or put a product in their cart and abandoned it, for example. With a conversion rate of 40+%, remarketing is one of the most common ways advertisers use ads on Instagram and Facebook.
It’s now been six months since Apple rolled out its ATT campaign and over half of iOS users have (as expected) opted out. Additionally, Google and Apple have both announced that they will continue to enhance the ways they respect consumer privacy. Google has gone as far as to say that they are doing away with third party cookies sometime in 2022.
Social Media Today said it best in a recent article on this topic—this shift and the yet-to-be-seen solutions that technology companies implement to mitigate it, will have “major impacts across the digital advertising sector.”
It’s easy to panic when shifts like this are made, but there are key ways to overcome this. First, it’s better to own than to rent. Here’s what I mean:
When a brick-and-mortar business owner owns their storefront, they don’t have to worry about their landlord selling their location to a different landlord or terminating their lease at renewal time. It’s the same online. If you own your customer data, you don’t have to worry about whether or not Facebook or Instagram can find it.
How do you own your data?
Work on your internal CRM systems. At the very least, do you have an email marketing program with robust segmentation and tracking capabilities and are you using those to your full advantage? Additionally, do you have ways for new potential customers to opt in to your email list on a regular basis to keep it continually growing? If your audience seems ready, have you looked into text to opt in solutions?
If you answered no to any of these questions, I encourage you to work on these systems. Even before Apple implemented its ATT campaign, I urged you to do this. Why? You don’t have to pay per click for email marketing. It’s much easier (and cheaper) to convert someone via email than an ad on social media… another advantage of digital ownership versus renting.
Finally, take a look back at that February article I referenced earlier for a Facebook ad funnel strategy that will leave you with a highly optimized, warm audience to target without relying on third party data to build it (yes, it’s possible!).
I’ll keep you apprised of developments as they come in this area. In the meantime, remember what your mom always told you… focus on what you can control. Go own that data!
