No more cookies for you

Now is the time to start preparing for a cookie-less future with a data-privacy strategy that is supported by a timely GA4 migration. The degree to which you can leverage first-party data to build trust, more relevant engagement, and lifetime value for your customers will define your marketing success.

By helping to safeguard users’ data ie sharing data without consent, a brand inherently reinforces its commitment to the customer. Keeping personal info safe but still delivering the customer-centric experiences that users have come to expect is where you can win by building trust and providing the most value.

“Almost 76 percent of companies that invest in a robust privacy program see increased loyalty and trust from their customers.” 

According to Google Marketing Live event, where marketers from around the world gather to share best practices, all organizations must be deeply re-evaluating how they manage privacy and data to build compliant, data-driven, customer-centric experiences.

Meet GA4 – a marketing superhero

Luckily, there is a solution rapidly headed our way. Migrating to the new Google Analytics 4 or GA4 ensures your data strategies and, ultimately, your marketing organization is future-proofed to build trust while being compliant. Not only do the updates within GA4 address critical privacy mandates, but they also help you successfully navigate rapidly changing marketing data expectations. 

 Top GA4 benefits:

• GA4 doesn’t just rely on cookies, and no longer stores IP addresses, keeping you in compliance with tightening privacy restrictions while improving data management and security.·   

• You can now track and analyze your marketing across the entire customer journey, assigning credit across the journey to get a more holistic understanding of how your marketing influences your conversions with data-driven attribution. 

• With their new Predictive Modeling and Audience Building updates, GA4 helps you predict the future actions that a customer might take.

By making the switch to GA4 now, businesses will be able to gather actionable first-party data, deliver a better experience for their clients, and out-compete those who wait for third-party cookies to be retired.   

The importance of first-party data

First-party data (1P data), like email addresses and customer purchase history, is the most accurate and privacy-safe option you have, since users give you this information directly. Marketers are continuing to invest more in their first-party data relationships as third-party cookies are phased out. First-party data collection typically occurs on your website, app, in-store operations, or over the phone. Examples of first-party data include demographics, purchase history, website activity, email engagement, sales interactions, support calls, customer feedback programs, interests, and behaviors.

Every touchpoint your customer has with your business allows you to collect more data and build a stronger relationship. This data can then be used for creating ads, content, and experiences catering specifically to that individual’s interest. The trick is collecting enough of it to make an impact.

How to collect, manage and activate your first-party data

1. Collecting first-party data

Use Google’s Global site tag to collect first-party data on your website and build a robust measurement framework. Sitewide tagging is the most crucial step you can take because it will be required for all measurement solutions and, it ensures accurate measurement across browsers in a privacy-safe way.

As you know, customers won’t just give up their information without getting something in exchange. They’ll need you to provide reasons and proof that they’re getting something of value in return. Brands must provide a valuable, personalized experience at every touchpoint to get valuable data, which means your tracking needs to be accurate!

2. Measuring data accurately

Proper tracking and measurement ensure that you see a holistic view of performance across channels to generate more meaningful insights. With the Global site tag in place, you will want to implement Enhanced Conversions to increase the accuracy of conversion measurement across both Search and YouTube. Use GA4 for simple, integrated data processing, reporting, and analysis of customer interactions across your site and app

3. Activate with automation

Now that you are collecting and measuring the right things, your first-party data will provide key insights into your customer journeys through the funnel. In addition to these critical insights, there are some AI and ML-informed insights that can help paint a complete picture, driving better marketing outcomes. Leveraging automated tools like customer match and smart bidding to augment your marketing efforts is a force multiplier for activating your first-party data.

First-party data and a privacy-safe future

Companies now, for the first time, have the benefit of being able to drive a privacy-safe future for customers while achieving their ambitious business goals. Brands that take advantage of this and drive privacy-safe growth today will categorically be tomorrow’s market leaders.

For more information on GA4 and how you can migrate and fully leverage GA4 for privacy-safe growth, reach out to say hey!