Use first-party data to power your ad strategy

In a world without third-party cookies and individual identifiers, first-party data and machine learning will support a successful digital marketing strategy. First-party data is information customers have consented to provide, like an email address or phone number that your business directly collects and owns.

A Google Ad for white trainers connects to illustrated customer profiles.

Ad growth starts with a foundation in privacy

Whether you’re driving online sales or leads, responsibly generating first-party data and enabling privacy-preserving measurements are key components of your ads strategy.

54% of consumers would stop using/visiting a brand’s website/app completely and 47% would stop buying products from a brand if they violated their trust.

Source: Google/IPSOS, APAC Consumer Expectations: Understanding Data Privacy Ethics for Effective Marketing, Australia, n=1500, Internet users, January-March 2022

The value of first-party data

Create a competitive advantage

The first-party data you collect with consent from customers is unique to your business.

Enhance audience strategy

Your first-party data can help you understand your most valuable customers and tailor messaging to improve campaign performance.

Inform business decisions

First-party data tells you how people are engaging with your business, which can guide product development and inform strategy.

Fuel machine learning

Combining first-party data with machine learning can help you reach more customers and get an accurate picture of your media impact – even when less data is available.

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Grow your first-party data with the right value exchange

It’s important to maintain customer trust by keeping their data safe, so be sure to make your privacy policies clear and accessible, and be transparent about how you use your customers’ data. Here are a few ways your business can generate first-party data by providing value to customers in exchange for their information:

1 - Early access to product launches.
2 - Content or product recommendations.
3 - Notifications when an item is back in stock.
4 - Loyalty programs that offer rewards or exclusive benefits.

Ninety percent of consumers are willing to share their personal information for the right incentive, such as improved convenience or a personalised experience.

Source: “ Consumers Want Privacy. Marketers Can Deliver.”, BCG, Jan, 2022.

Invest in privacy-centric advertising solutions

Generate insightful and actionable first-party data from your website visitors by enabling Google Ads privacy-preserving technologies. In this next section, you’ll learn how these solutions work together to build a more complete picture of your marketing performance, and how to use machine learning to help you reach your audiences and unlock valuable insights.

Open Universities Australia partnered with Google to set up offline conversion data integrations so they could import more meaningful business information into their Google Ads campaigns.

OUA achieved a 30% reduction in cost per new prospect through their Google performance channels year-on-year. And they’ve been able to increase their total provider revenues through their marketplace by 49%.

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Check out more resources on first-
party data

Learn how companies are launching first-party data from HubSpot.

For on-demand self-paced learning, visit the Skillshop Privacy Resource Hub.

Find out how marketers should think about building a first-party data strategy.

Gain insights on driving growth in a changing privacy environment.