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The online marketing world has been talking about the cookie apocalypse for a while. But all eyes were on Google when it delayed the plan to phase out third-party cookies.
Now, the dust has settled: Google announced that it will begin phasing out support for third-party cookies in Chrome by disabling them for 1% of users starting in Q1 2024. A broader phase-out for all Chrome users will happen in Q3 2024.
So what does going cookieless mean for marketers in 2024? This post will help you understand the implications and navigate the changes.
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are short pieces of plain text a website sends to your browser when you visit. There are two types of cookies: First- and third-party.
First-party cookies help the site remember your behaviors and preferences to deliver relevant content and personalize the user experience. These cookies are necessary for a website’s performance and will remain in use.
Meanwhile, third-party cookies are set by external sources, not the website owner. They are used for online advertising, tracking, and cross-site identification. Data privacy laws consider them “non-essential cookies,” and they will be phased out.
Why Are Cookies Being Phased Out?
Major web browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Google Chrome are blocking or phasing out third-party cookies as users demand more privacy, transparency, and control over how their data is used.
Additionally, hackers can use third-party cookies to access user data and attack websites. Phasing out third-party cookies will help mitigate these cyber security vulnerabilities. As such, new data privacy laws increasingly limit advertisers’ ability to track and profile individuals across the Internet.
What Does a Cookieless World Mean For Businesses and Advertisers?
A cookieless world will change how advertisers track user behaviors and target and retarget online ads.
The shift encourages companies to adopt privacy-first strategies, emphasizing greater reliance on first-party data (e.g., customer base, email subscribers, and site visitors.) Meanwhile, they must adapt their targeting strategy, reduce dependency on third-party user data, and explore using alternative user identifiers like IP tracking or browser fingerprinting.
How To Navigate the Cookieless Era
The good news is that third-party cookies are not the be-all-end-all in targeting and tracking. Here are different ways to gain user and customer insights:
• Improve first-party data collection through surveys, customer loyalty programs, customer service interactions, and website data.
• Create high-quality content to build trust with prospects and customers, support your lead generation effort, and grow your subscriber list.
• Make the most of your first-party information by connecting and unifying all data sources with a customer data platform.
• Use AI tools to analyze customer and visitor information to get the most out of your first-party data (e.g., identify trends and segment customers).
• Implement a consent portal on your website to get visitors’ permission to collect and apply their information to deliver a personalized experience.
• Work with second-party data providers who have obtained users’ consent to share their information with other businesses.
• Leverage contextual advertising, which serves ads based on the content of a website or app instead of targeting users based on browsing behaviors.
• Use identity resolution services, which identify unique user profiles across different devices and compile the data into one place for analysis.
• Leverage data-driven attribution to identify which touchpoints are most effective in driving traffic and generating sales.
• Advertise in “walled gardens” like Google, Facebook, and Amazon. They have vast amounts of user data and allow businesses advertising on their platforms to leverage the insights.
Implement a Holistic Approach to Your Marketing Strategy
First-party data will become more critical in building customer trust and relationships. Businesses should implement a multi-channel marketing strategy to collect user data and deliver relevant content throughout the customer journey.
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The news and editorial staff of the Bay Area News Group had no role in this post’s preparation.