What Would You Do Without Facebook, TikTok, or Google Ads?
As we reflect on the past decade, it's hard not to notice the significant role that Facebook, Google, and more recently, TikTok, have played in the success of small to medium-sized businesses. From window companies to senior living facilities, these readily available tools have become an integral part of launching and sustaining a business. But what would local businesses do without Facebook, TikTok, or Google Ads? Is marketing without cookies even an option?
Top Takeaways:
- How can local businesses survive without relying on Facebook, TikTok, or Google Ads?
- What is the importance of targeted ads in brand-building?
- How has the advertising landscape changed with more platforms and increased competition?
- What strategies should businesses adopt to build a list of prospects and customers in the face of cookie deprecation?
- What can local businesses do to retain customers and ensure their loyalty?
- What role does fullthrottle.aiTM play in helping businesses collect and utilize first-party data?
Instant Traffic and Target Audience
One of the reasons businesses have flocked to these advertising platforms is the instant traffic and target audience they offer. It's as simple as creating an ad and pressing "publish," and the ad is immediately visible to the target audience. In the early days, businesses even manipulated search engines and created phony links to dominate the first page of Google (it wasn’t hard to do, either). It was easy to attract traffic and potential customers.
Facebook and Google were also easy to use, and small businesses could find someone in their company with tech or graphic design skills to create an ad in a heartbeat. At the time, everyone was on Facebook, which meant everyone was within reach. But the most powerful aspect of these platforms is the targeting feature they offer based on demographics, buying signals, and interests. People are willing to share things about themselves on these platforms, which provides a wealth of information for advertisers.
The Power of Targeted Ads
Facebook and other social media platforms offer more targeted and specific ads, as they can select and target people based on what they like and follow within the platform. This helps in brand building as people who didn't know about a business before can now see its ads. However, Facebook is no longer the only social media platform out there. As newer platforms emerge, people are shifting away from Facebook, making it important to keep up with the trends and stay current with advertising strategies.
As we look to the future, it's important to consider how the power of these platforms has changed. There is more competition, and it costs more to advertise on these platforms. While there are more platforms to choose from now, people's short attention spans make it necessary to get the right ad in front of the right person at the right time.
Thinking Outside Google and Facebook: Start With a List
In 2023, with cookie deprecation making it harder to find more people and retarget them, businesses need to build a list of prospects and customers that they own so they can start marketing without cookies. This means:
- Building future first-party data from your website through identity resolution down to a household level
- Building zero-party data by having great offers on your website to capture names and emails
- Keeping track of customer data securely and marketing to them quickly and easily with personalized messaging
In other words, it's time to think outside of the Google and Facebook box and start taking ownership of your customer data. By building a solid list of prospects and customers, you'll have a direct line of communication that's not dependent on the ever-changing algorithms of social media giants. Plus, with more control over your data, marketing without cookies is a realistic option. You can reach your customers and website visitors more easily, providing them with the personalized experience they crave.
Speaking of customer experience, it’s important to cater to the customers a business already has and use personalized offers and messages to keep them loyal. Owning the audience and taking advantage of what we know about them is the key to success. Continued marketing with personalized messaging after sales can keep your past customers coming back.
How fullthrottle.aiTM Can Help
In today's competitive market, it's crucial for businesses to focus on building a loyal customer base. fullthrottle.aiTM can help businesses achieve this by automating the process of collecting and utilizing first-party data.
Building first-party data ultimately boils down to maintaining a current list of customer and website visitor information that allows you to address specific hand-raisers in your target audience. fullthrottle.aiTM can assist you in growing your list of customers and utilizing the information you have to provide targeted messaging and personalized offers to keep customers coming back. With fullthrottle.ai's help, you can prioritize customer satisfaction and build long-lasting relationships with your customers.
Book a demo to start building your first-party household audiences and marketing — without cookies.
