The two big tech machines are google and Facebook. Nowadays, everyone who is anyone uses google for a search engine. Google has advanced features that provide you with the correct information just about every time. But... how is it so accurate? How does Google know just what you are looking for all of the time? Similarly, Facebook is the social media giant. You can find almost everyone you know on Facebook. However, how secure is Facebook? How do ads pop up for things that you just searched for?
Tracking Cookies
Google has admitted to tracking cookies with users. These cookies can be used to track search history, among other things. Some people thought that Google had been reading their mail because they would receive ads and suggestions that they had not searched for, but it could be found in their mail. Facebook is also guilty of this as it uses IDFAs (Identifiers for Advertisers) within the app. As a Facebook business page owner, you have access to creating extremely targeted ads. Facebook can do this because of how they track cookies. For many people, this is concerning.
Alternatives
There are some alternatives to consider when deciding which browser and social media platforms to use. Apple products come loaded with the Safari browser. Apple has also started to double down on privacy for its users. With the newest update, users have the option to block cookies on social media platforms, including Facebook. Safari automatically blocks cookies. Furthermore, Apple has the biggest share of the market in cellphone sales. This means that we will see a decline in targeted ads across social media platforms.
What does this mean for marketers?
This means that while you will still be able to create targeted ads, the audience will probably be smaller as users opt-out of tracking. While online advertising will still be beneficial to companies, it may not reach as many people as before, so marketers will have to get creative in order to reach the majority of the targeted audiences.
In brief, the removing of third-party cookies will be good for the consumer in that it will provide more security and privacy. However, for marketers, it could mean an adjustment period in digital advertising.
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