The essentials
- First-party data is critical. First-party data offers greater accuracy and better personalization, making it critical for modern marketing.
- Data protection creates trust. Using first-party data with customer consent builds trust and loyalty, which is essential for long-term success.
- Goodbye, cookies. Moving from third-party cookies to first-party data isn’t just inevitable – it’s the smartest move for future-proof marketing.
As with some relationships, sometimes we need to move on. This is the case with third-party cookies and digital advertising. The future lies in first-party data and how it influences the way we interact with customers.
While reliance on third-party cookies used to be standard, developments in recent years have sparked a number of new trends. Consumers want relevant and timely experiences, but not at the expense of their privacy. And yet, some things don’t change. Marketing teams must continue to measure the impact of these valuable advertising dollars.
Nobody had time to wait around…we had work to do!
The rise of first-party data in digital marketing
Teams needed to deliver personalized experiences while tracking ROI, all while also being wary of losing access to third-party data. That’s where first-party data came in. Because it was higher quality and more timely than its third-party cousins, many marketers realized that first-party data was better.
Related article: What now? First-party data strategies in the Cookiepocalypse apocalypse
Why first-party data is crucial for personalized marketing
First-party data collected directly from buyers, such as current customers or website visitors, is typically more complete and accurate, making it critical to delivering relevant experiences. This first-party data, provided with consent, also builds deeper trust with customers.
It’s simple: As consumers become more privacy savvy, they prefer brands they trust. By offering personalized experiences that respect privacy and convey value, brands can gain more lifetime customers!
Comparing third-party data and first-party data for marketing purposes
Key sources of first-party data for marketers
Here are some examples of first-party data:
Data from:
- Behaviors or actions on your website, app and/or product
- Point of sale via email or SMS
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
- Social Media Profile
- Subscription-based emails or products
- Surveys
- Customer feedback
Measuring success with first-party data and conversion APIs
Now we have higher quality data for more relevant marketing, but what about measurement? When Google first announced that it was going to kill off third-party cookies, some savvy teams took advantage of Conversion APIs (CAPI). CAPI allows companies to transfer data directly from their servers to their marketing platforms, minimizing reliance on browser cookies.
This method improves control over privacy, improves ad performance, and provides better attribution of marketing efforts. By combining first-party data with CAPI, companies can maintain robust privacy standards while delivering highly targeted marketing campaigns.
Conclusion: Use first-party data for future-proof marketing
We’ve made many changes over the last few years, including our team structures, our go-to-market and of course our technology. First-party data is being adopted by more and more teams because it drives better business outcomes and the end customer.
By adopting personalized, privacy-conscious practices and leveraging technologies like CAPI and first-party data, companies can secure data control and foster deep customer trust. As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, we don’t have time to look back—and in this case, we don’t have to.
