Month: August 2022

The cookie has long been a tool for marketers to use to gather valuable information about their website visitors, enabling them not only to collect data about who they are but also to enable the creation of highly effective marketing campaigns. That is about to change.

The death of the cookie is approaching, with Google stating that it would phase out the use of third-party cookies on its widely popular Chrome browsers in 2022. Marketers now have a small additional amount of time to make some changes thanks to a recent update from Google that it will delay the death of 3rd party cookies until 2024.

Although that might seem like a lot of time, there’s no time like the present to start revamping your marketing strategy for when it inevitably happens. 

Why Is Google Doing Away with the Cookie?

Cookies have been critical to marketing teams and have been a core component of many digital marketing ecosystems related to retargeting.

A survey by The Drum found mixed opinions on the use of cookies, with about 50% of individuals stating they accept all cookies and just 13% of consumers stating they understood what cookies are. Google’s plan to eliminate the third party cookie was in part due to growing consumer concern about privacy and advancing regulatory restrictions.

Regardless of why and when the elimination of third-party cookies is coming, the question remains: What will your business do without this easy access to consumer insights? 

Once cookies are eliminated from Chrome, site retargeting becomes less effective. As Google notes, it’s no longer a good, long-term investment. The move by Google isn’t unexpected, thanks to the GDPR ruling in the European Union.

Adjusting Marketing Strategies Is Essential

Data provided to HubSpot from GetApp found that 41% of marketers believe the death of the cookie will result in their inability to track data properly, and many report they will need to increase their marketing budget to achieve their goals. There is no doubt that the eventual loss of retargeting will make it harder for brands to track user behavior for the purpose of marketing.

Before this happens, it is critical for brands to adjust their marketing strategy to ensure they can continue to draw in highly targeted, ready-to-buy customers. 

Here are a few things marketers need to keep in mind.

First-party Cookies Are Still Viable

The use of first-party cookies will remain in place, allowing websites to track how visitors to their site interact with it. Marketers typically use this information to learn how to better connect with their audience. These cookies can also save user information, such as passwords and carts, allowing visitors to pick up where they left off. For basic website analytics, first-party cookies are still a useful tool.

Privacy Sandbox

Google’s replacement for third-party cookies is called Privacy Sandbox, a tool that blocks invasive tracking techniques. Instead, it uses more collaborative initiatives. This tool would allow all data to remain within the browser instead of in the hands of ad agencies. Google believes this would create a shift to help provide a way for consumers to control privacy but still allow for a way for them to receive personalized ads.

Federated Learning of Cohorts (FloC) is another term you’ll likely hear. Google states that this technology will collect data from users, organize it into groups, and then share that information with advertising companies. This allows Google to maintain control over the data. The jury is still out on just how beneficial and accessible this will be and how marketers could be impacted.

Regardless if your organization uses these tools or goes a different route, now is the time to start working on a plan to overcome those challenges.

Can Influencer Marketing Provide a Way for Brands to Stay Relevant, Seen, and Top-of-Mind During These Changes?

One highly viable alternative to display retargeting and site retargeting is the use of influencer marketing. Organizations are recognizing the value of investing in influencer marketing, and for good reason. 

One of the core reasons for this is because, simply, it works. Business Insider Intelligence reports that the industry will be worth $15 billion by the end of 2022. The key here is that big business is investing for several core reasons:

• Influencer marketing aids in building trust and credibility in a product, service, or brand. If the influencer is someone a consumer trusts, they are going to listen to their recommendations and take action.
• Influencer marketing drives conversions. With a high engagement rate, this type of marketing does not rely on retargeting to encourage another visit. Instead, it creates an opportunity for a consumer to click and buy.
• People go to influencers for advice on buying decisions. One survey found that 86% of women turn to social media specifically in an effort to gather insight before they make a purchase.

Perhaps nothing is more important to recognize that the ROI that comes from influencer marketing, which is far better than most other forms of digital marketing. One survey found that for every dollar a company spends on influencers, they earn $5.78, and sometimes as much as $18, in revenue.

What to Do Now as a Marketer

The Death of 3rd party cookie advertising is something to worry about as a marketer. However, the use of other tools, including the use of influencer marketing, could provide a strategy to enable businesses not just to keep their marketing leads coming in but to potentially even improve outcomes. Influencer marketing doesn’t put consumer data at risk, which means it’s not likely to be scrutinized down the road. Put simply, it’s also effective.

Can you believe it?

After all that time and effort put into your influencer marketing campaign, it fails to deliver the desired results.

And you’re left wondering just what went wrong.

Sometimes, the stars just don’t align, of course.

But other times, it comes down to a misstep (or two!) that ends up costing you big.

Fortunately, you can dig into your campaign to see where you went astray and correct your course for huge future successes.

Ready to get started? Here’s a look at several reasons why influencer marketing campaigns fail to deliver results.

A Focus on Follower Numbers Above All Else

Which one is better?

Mega influencers have millions of followers while nano influencers have fewer than 1,000.

If you answered, “The more the merrier,” you might have been barking up the wrong tree. When it comes to influencer marketing campaigns, you have to value quality over quantity.

Although your influencer should have a large enough audience to make your efforts worthwhile, it’s important to find someone with followers who have an interest in your products and services. Similarly, it’s critical to find influencers (and thus, audiences) who align with your brand values, goals,and mission. 

For that reason, the answer typically lies somewhere in the middle, especially if you have a relatively niche target audience.

If you go the 1,000 to 100,000 follower micro-influencer route, for example, you get the best of both worlds – a relatively large audience with a potential direct interest in your brand offerings.

Plus, by going that route, you get your pick of top-notch social marketing partners. Nearly 50% of all influencers have between 5,000 and 20,000 followers, after all, allowing you plenty of room to select the very best person for the job, without sacrificing your brand values.

The Influencer Doesn’t Take the Right Approach

Influencers infuse your marketing approach with the human element, combining word of mouth marketing and social proof. But that only works when the recommendations come from a truly authentic place.

At the end of the day, you need an influencer who’s passionate about your brand offerings and thrilled to tell the world about it.

If they simply read from the script without putting any heart into it, their efforts will flop, and audiences will notice. Guaranteed.

To get that level of commitment from your next influencer, you must invest time searching for a partner with a passion for products and services like yours. They shouldn’t just take whatever marketing campaigns come their way, either.

Search for a marketing partner who’s highly selective about what they promote, so all their messages come across as genuine recommendations.

When you do find the right ambassador for your brand, collaborate with them while creating the campaigns. They know their audience best, after all, so let them guide you on how to speak to their needs in a meaningful way.

True Collaboration Flops Due to Poor Incentives

Passion is great, but influencers aren’t in this game for free. You need to offer the right type of incentives at a rate that makes sense for the effort put into running your campaigns. Otherwise, forget it. 

There are two main ways to incentivize your influencers to become an effective brand ambassador: commission and pay-per-post. There’s no one right answer on which one to choose either.

With commission, you minimize your risk by only paying when your influencers get results. On the other hand, experienced influencers might not want to work for free if your campaigns fail to resonate with their audience.

On the other hand, pay-per-post sponsorships encourage influencers to eagerly get the word out about your products and services, but you have to pay whether or not they get results.

You have to balance your company’s needs with the influencer’s, so think deeply about what you both want out of the equation. As we’ve said many times before, the best campaigns create winning scenarios for the brand, the influencer, and the end consumer. 

Failure to Follow the Rules Lands You in Hot Water

As influencers make claims about your products and services, it’s quite easy for them to land on the wrong side of social media policies, especially when some of those policies are constantly evolving. 

And when that happens, it’s all over – and you could end up in seriously hot water as a result.

Depending on your location and industry, you might have to pay close attention to FDA regulations, consumer protection laws, and other restrictions.

The rules of your social media platform of choice come into play, too. If you or your marketing agency fail to keep all these things in mind while creating your campaigns, you can kiss your marketing results goodbye.

Your influencer could end up in trouble as well, resulting in the cancellation of their account and other serious repercussions. No one wants that.

So, to keep everyone safe from the fallout, you must practice your due diligence in understanding what you can – and cannot – say. Then, instruct your influencer on what to avoid saying to keep the campaign on the right track always.

The Strategy Ended When Promos Went Live

Once you’ve found the perfect influencer, and your campaigns go live on social media, you may be tempted to think the work is all done. That’s a novice mistake!

Sure, your campaign may be getting a ton of views on social media, and maybe even some flow-through traffic or sales on your website. But, by stopping there, you miss out on major brand awareness and sales opportunities. 

Any time a social influencer posts something favorable about your brand, you should build as much momentum around that as possible. Share the post on social media, share it with your current and prospective customers, and mention it in your e-mail newsletters. Now is not the time to be shy about self-promotion. 

Ready to Create Successful Influencer Marketing Campaigns? 

The best influencer campaign has all the right people organically talking about your brand to an interested audience.

Easy enough, right? Well, not always. Oftentimes, the potential pitfalls loom too big to overcome on your own. Thankfully, you don’t have to jump into the process alone. Our team is here to help.

At More Influence, we understand just what it takes to build successful influencer marketing campaigns for your brand, and how to build momentum around social campaigns once they’ve launched. Reach out to our team today to see how to get started.