We don’t need cookies

The oncoming end of third-party cookies in digital marketing for retargeting is nothing to fear. Several marketers have been pointing to long-term authentic content with SEO for more than a decade. Paid SEM doesn’t require third-party cookies either. Nor does contextual YouTube or directly using Hulu or LinkedIn. In my teams and clients, third-party retargeting has actually been a meagerly utilized tool in our success in gaining market share.

Here’s how to not care about the cookie-pocolypse:

• Focus on omnichannel marketing: Reaching customers across multiple channels, such as social media, email, and display advertising, can be a powerful way to build brand awareness and engagement. By providing a consistent brand experience across channels, advertisers can build trust with consumers and make their ads more relevant.
• Google Search: Google Search remains the dominant search engine, capturing over 90% of the market share. This means your ads can still reach a huge audience of potential customers actively searching for products or services like yours.
• YouTube: YouTube boasts over 2 billion monthly active users, making it a massive platform to reach potential customers. People are actively engaged on YouTube, often turning to it for information, entertainment, and how-to videos. You can leverage demographics, interests, keywords, and even target viewers based on their watch history on YouTube.
• Hulu Advertising: While third-party cookies are going away, Hulu offers alternative targeting options. You can target viewers based on demographics, location, interests, and even the genres of shows they watch. This allows you to reach viewers who are more likely to be interested in your product or service.
• LinkedIn Ad Manager: LinkedIn boasts a highly targeted audience of professionals across various industries and job titles. This allows you to reach decision-makers, influencers, and potential B2B customers directly. Even without third-party cookies, LinkedIn offers a robust set of targeting options.
• First-Party Data: Get information directly from your customers and audience through their interactions with your brand. It’s valuable because it’s the most reliable and relevant data you can have about your target market, since it comes straight from the source.

While the end of third-party cookies may seem like a hurdle for digital marketers, it presents an opportunity to prioritize new strategies that focus on building stronger relationships with audiences. By leveraging first-party data, contextual targeting, and the unique strengths of various advertising platforms, marketers can still achieve success in reaching their target audience. This shift necessitates continued investment in creative ad content and campaign optimization to maximize results.