Most consumers want more control over how their personal data is being used. Tech giants from Apple to Google are taking note, imposing new data privacy changes to bolster individual privacy. You don’t have to be a digital marketing expert to understand this will impact digital campaigns. But how?

A Spotlight on Data Privacy

Data privacy has been trending before 2021 with industry-changing regulations like the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Recent data privacy decisions from Apple and Google are challenging the status quo again for digital marketing experts:

• Google: The Alphabet Inc. company announced that starting next year, it will stop using or investing in tracking capabilities that identify web users as they browse the internet. It will also stop supporting third-party cookies within Google Chrome, which are often used to track users across sites and target ads.

• Apple: Last year, Apple shared data privacy changes on its operating system iOS. App Store product pages now have a data privacy details section, and apps need user permission to track across apps or websites.

Based on these data privacy decisions, the way you partner with digital marketing experts to reach targeted consumers will undoubtedly change. When it comes to local and national digital marketing efforts, these 2021 data privacy trends will uncover new ways for effective outreach that also protects consumers.

More First-Party Data

Data that your business collects directly from your customers on- or offline is already the best option for marketing and advertising campaigns. This will become a more important data source instead of the third-party data that’s collected and sold by external entities for online advertising.

Local digital marketing will need to drive first-party data collection that’s already a strong asset for larger advertisers and organizations.

New Ad Technology

Google represented more than half of last year’s global digital ad spend, and they won’t miss out on that revenue opportunity. The company is currently developing new ad targeting technology that analyzes browsing habits on devices and serves up targeted ads to aggregated groups instead of individuals.

In a win for digital marketing for local businesses, some things won’t change. Google’s data privacy changes don’t extend to mobile apps, which account for more than two-thirds of digital ad spending in the U.S. Google will also continue to use first-party data from its own services like YouTube or Google Search for targeting ads on its website.

Recommendations for Local Digital Marketing

Knowing these top 2021 data privacy trends, it’s time to rethink how you make the most of local digital marketing efforts. With Facebook ads slated to be less effective for small businesses, try building thriving Facebook groups that create brand engagement with your target audience.

Investing time and budget into quality content will fuel powerful search engine optimization (SEO), along with impactful marketing across email, social media and the web. Effective SEO will take the burden off changes to pay-per-click advertising that you previously depended on to drive traffic to your site. Standing out with memorable video content will also boost audience engagement.

Data privacy mandates won’t change the fact that data will always be king. The digital marketing experts at Hubbard Cincinnati will help you understand these new changes and tools to help you effectively target, personalize and measure the effectiveness of your campaigns. Contact us to learn more.