If the setting of cookies will no longer be possible in the future due to data protection regulations, alternatives must be found for personalizing content on the web, such as displaying individual advertisements.
Large internet companies such as Amazon, Facebook and Google have a clear advantage here. For example, they benefit from their broad user base, which voluntarily provides them with personal data.
In addition, these companies have a technological advantage, which allows them to develop and implement their own approaches. These include, for example, server-to-server technology (S2S) and Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC).
Most companies do not have these options. They can access and use the offers of the major providers, but they must also accept their terms and conditions. This in turn can lead to further problems with data protection - for example, if data continues to be transferred to servers abroad.
This raises the question of what alternatives are available to companies.
customer data
Collecting first-hand data
As it becomes more difficult to obtain personalized data from third parties, the data collected directly from companies' users becomes more important.
While the use of third-party cookies is becoming increasingly difficult legally, this will not be the case for first-party cookies in the foreseeable future. At least if visitors can be persuaded to agree to their use and as long as providers such as Apple do not further restrict their use.
The willingness to allow data to be used is declining and without the consent of the users, we are at least in a grey area. Technological restrictions, such as those that exist with third-party cookies due to the lack of support by modern browsers, are at least no longer in place. But there are other interests besides Apple that even restrict first-party cookies.
In addition to using cookies, companies have other ways of obtaining data from their customers. This applies in particular to those with whom a business relationship already exists. Such data can also be used for advertising and marketing purposes - provided the customer consents.
Data can also be collected from people who, for example, fill out a contact form to make an inquiry or to subscribe to a newsletter.
Of course, the requirements of data protection law must also be complied with and the privacy of users must be protected.
data collection
The importance of CRM and its connection with online data will increase
The importance of CRM and its connection with online data will continue to increase.
The CRM system used by the company plays a crucial role. It is therefore important that sales and marketing work closely together to gain a competitive advantage.
The CRM used must be able to record and store the data collected from customers and prospects in accordance with the given requirements. For example, it can be useful to sort people into demographic, geographic or behavioral categories based on the data collected in order to be able to run customized campaigns.
service providers
Tools needed to link all data
For all those who think that expensive tools like Hubspot automatically solve the problem: Even such tools rely on cookies, which are blocked by more and more users, although not by all of them!
As mentioned in the first part of the series of articles, Apple's Safari allows a maximum cookie lifespan of 7 days for Hubspot cookies. This is far too short a time to recognize visitors in B2B who have already been to the website. It is not enough to simply trust the marketing promises of the tool providers. Many companies rely on the support of specialists who question the existing solutions and prepare the company for the future.
Specialized tools like Hubspot also use cookies, which are blocked by more and more users, although not by all of them! Is your CRM system prepared for the new environment?
Is your CRM designed to use the collected data to display personalized content on a website or to run automated advertising campaigns on various platforms? It is important to ensure that the relevant providers handle the data in compliance with data protection regulations. If such a provider is based in the USA, for example, there is often no guarantee that data collected in the provider's EU data center will not end up in the USA, which can lead to legal problems.
However, even when working with European providers, it must be Austria Phone Number Resource ensured that the data transmitted is treated in accordance with the applicable data protection regulations. This may require an agreement on data processing on behalf of the provider.
Caution is also advised for companies with international locations in several countries. Here, too, it must be checked whether personal data collected in a particular country may also be used at locations in other countries.
Whatever system you use, it should be open to take into account as many data sources as possible. As mentioned in the first part of the series of articles, direct cooperation with websites that appeal to your target group will become more important in the future. Connecting any system will therefore become even more important in the future .
Questions
Conclusion
Every company is capable of collecting and processing personalized data. Even without the solutions of Amazon, Google, Facebook and other major players on the market, alternative approaches are available. The data collected directly from customers will play a major role in this.
However, this will rarely work without third-party support. When selecting appropriate providers, it is important to ensure that they act in accordance with applicable data protection regulations.
