Future-proof Marketing: 5 Alternatives To Cookie Tracking

Most web browsers are increasingly dropping support for third-party cookies. Companies whose marketing strategies rely on the use of cookie tracking must change their practices accordingly. You can find out which alternatives are possible in this article.

Cookie tracking has long been an important part of digital marketing strategies. It enables companies to track the surfing behavior of users and to display personalized advertising and content. However, many web browsers increasingly provide support for third-party cookies(third party cookies). An example of this is the Firefox browser, which has been preventing tracking by third-party cookies by default since June 2022. This means companies whose marketing strategies are based on the use of this cookie information must change their practices accordingly. But how to achieve a successful transformation in the field of digital marketing? Is it possible to successfully run advertising without using third-party cookies?

In this article, we give you an overview of alternative technologies and methods that companies can use to future-proof their marketing strategies and continue to personalize and target their advertising.

What are cookies?

Cookies are small data units that are stored on the user’s device when a website is visited. They enable companies to track the surfing behavior of users and to present personalized advertising and content on this basis.

The difference between first-party and third-party cookies

First-party cookies are data units that show the website operator what usage and click behavior the users are showing on the website. This data is collected and processed by the owner of the website himself. This must be made transparent in the privacy policy of the site.

Third-party cookies are a special form of cookies: they are data units that belong to different main domains than the one on which the user is currently located. These third-party cookies are used, for example, by advertising networks that can be integrated on one side to generate additional revenue. Companies that use such advertising networks rent part of their website as advertising space, e.g. B. for banner advertising – this can be seen on many newspaper and magazine websites. In this way, users can be shown advertising content across different websites that matches their usage behavior. And the provider of the advertising network can track how often the advertisement was actually clicked.

Cookies enable companies to target potential customers. However, tracking cookies also poses risks related to privacy and the use of personal information.

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Sustainable marketing without cookie tracking

Companies have to adjust to the fact that they will have to make do with less data in the future. One solution can be to rely on alternative technologies such as anonymized data and context-based targeting. Here, too, it is important to create transparency with regard to the use of cookies and to ensure that users can change their settings at any time.

But that doesn’t mean that targeted advertising is impossible. Businesses can still access data they collect themselves, such as usage data from their own products or services. Data obtained from the behavior of users on our own website can also be used to display personalized advertising.

Personalized email marketing

Email marketing is a proven way to engage potential customers and can be made even more effective by using personalization techniques. By gathering information about customers’ preferences and purchase history, businesses can send targeted emails that are more likely to be opened.

Personalized email marketing can also be carried out without cookie tracking. Information is collected for this in other ways, e.g. B. through opt-in forms, surveys and customer feedback. This information can be used to categorize customers into different groups and then send tailored emails based on interests and needs. For example, if customers show interest in a particular product or service, they can be included in a list based on which emails about related products or special offers are distributed.

Content marketing

A content marketing strategy involves creating and distributing useful, engaging, and regular content to engage and engage a specific audience. Not only is it an effective way to build brand awareness and trust, but it can also be done without the use of cookie tracking. By creating quality content that speaks to the interests and needs of a specific audience, businesses can organically engage with potential customers without the need for tracking cookies.

Content marketing can take many forms, e.g. B. Blog posts, articles, videos, podcasts, infographics, and social media posts. It is crucial that the content is valuable and informative for the target group. By delivering high-quality content, businesses can build trust and credibility with their audience, leading to increased brand loyalty.

Marketing via social media

Social media has become an essential part of many marketing campaigns and can be a powerful tool to reach potential customers without cookie tracking. By creating engaging and informative social media posts, businesses can build a following and connect with their target audience. In addition, social media platforms offer paid advertising options that allow businesses to target specific demographics and locations without the need for cookie tracking.

By creating engaging and informative content, businesses can gain followers and build a community around their brand. As a result, potential customers are offered exactly what they are looking for. Instead of pursuing them through personalized targeting, let them come to your business organically.

AI and predictive solutions

Artificial intelligence and big data-based prediction models (predictive models) will play an increasingly important role in personalized marketing in the future. Even after the end of third-party cookies, large advertising networks and ad servers will still have sufficient data to carry out increasingly precise probability calculations.

This data can come from various sources, such as geodata, information about the year and time, length of stay, the type of device and the operating system. This information can be combined with third-party information and makes it possible to display personalized advertising. An example of this could be that a company uses geodata to recognize that a user lives in a specific region and displays advertising for regional offers accordingly.

Contextual targeting

An alternative to using third-party cookies is to use contextual marketing. This method of marketing is based on the use of keywords in text and images to profile interests to create. The use of technologies such as artificial intelligence makes it easier to identify keyword clusters and the appropriate context. Contextual marketing allows advertising to be tailored to the intentions of users when visiting a website without the need to collect behavioral data. An example of this could be that an algorithm recognizes that a:e user:in is reading articles about “vacation” and then displays advertisements for tour operators or hotel booking platforms. This can increase the performance of a campaign and avoid wastage.

No cookie tracking: the users will thank you

Any of the above methods will help reduce the use of cookies. Alternatives such as email marketing, content marketing, or contextual targeting allow companies to present personalized advertising and content without relying on cookies to track browsing habits.

Companies must be aware that users are becoming increasingly sensitive to the handling of their data and that the protection of privacy is becoming increasingly important. Companies that avoid behavioral targeting and the use of third-party cookies by using alternative technologies such as anonymized data and context-based targeting can therefore gain the trust of their customers and increase their satisfaction. It is important to create transparency with regard to the use of the technologies used and to ensure that users have control over their data at all times.

Companies that pay attention to the privacy of users and implement data protection-friendly practices in this way will be rewarded in the long term by their customers.

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