By Bekkah Frisch, Marketing Executive
In recent years, the rise of privacy laws such as GDPR and the California Privacy Act has created significant challenges for digital marketers. These laws restrict the collection and use of personal data, making it difficult for marketers to track user behavior and personalize their advertising. With how third-party trackers like Meta’s pixel are designed, companies may also have difficulty limiting their legal liabilities. However, blockchain for marketing offers a solution which enables trust-based, compliant data-sharing.
Cookie deprecation is one of the biggest issues facing digital marketers today. Cookies are small text files stored on a user’s device that allow websites to remember user preferences and track their behavior. However, with the rise of privacy concerns, browsers are phasing out third-party cookies and many users are already blocking them manually. These changes make it more difficult for marketers to accurately track and understand user behavior.
This is where blockchain technology comes in. Blockchain is a decentralized digital ledger that allows for secure and transparent data sharing. By using blockchain, digital marketers can use data sharing to promote stronger brand-consumer relationships and stay compliant with privacy laws.
Blockchain: A Zero Party Data Source
One of the key advantages of blockchain is how it allows users to actively choose what information they want to share with advertisers. Voluntary information-sharing like this is known as Zero Party Data (ZPD). Traditional data collection methods collect user data without their knowledge or consent. However, blockchain for marketing enables users to actively choose which data to share and with whom.
This method not only improves transparency and trust between users and advertisers. It also ensures compliance with privacy laws. By giving users control over their data, advertisers can ensure that they are only collecting relevant data that users are comfortable sharing.
Another advantage of blockchain is that it provides greater accuracy in data collection. Traditional data collection methods rely on cookies and other tracking technologies to gather information about user behavior. However, these methods can be inaccurate or result in incomplete or incorrect data. Consider the social media trend of spouses searching for specific items on their partner’s phone to influence their partner’s social media algorithm. While amusing, the trend highlights the many assumptions cookie-based marketing relies on. It also exposes how much potentially erroneous information the outdated technology may be gathering.
By contrast, blockchain-based marketing collects data directly from users, eliminating the need for intermediaries like cookies. This not only improves the accuracy of the data. It also reduces the risk of data breaches, covert influence from other people in a user’s social circle, and security issues.
Moreover, blockchain technology provides an immutable record of data sharing, ensuring that all data is transparently and securely tracked. This means advertisers can demonstrate compliance with privacy laws and provide users with greater transparency about how their data is being used. Should a user change their preferences or lifestyle—for example, by quitting a high-stress job or moving to a new city—they can immediately adjust the information they’ve shared with advertisers. This feature of blockchain helps users avoid irrelevant marketing and improves ROIfor the advertiser.
Improved Security with Blockchain for Marketing
Blockchain technology also provides greater security for user data. By using blockchain, advertisers can store user data in a decentralized and encrypted format, making it much more difficult for hackers to access or manipulate.
With the rise of data breaches and cyberattacks, customers are increasingly concerned about the security of their personal data. By using blockchain, advertisers can demonstrate that they take data security seriously and are actively working to protect their customers’ data. This increased security also helps protect against fraudulent activities, such as ad fraud, which can erode trust in the digital advertising industry.
These features of blockchain-based marketing can help enhance customer confidence in both the advertiser and the broader digital ecosystem. When paired with other blockchain marketing tactics, brands can strengthen customer relationships and amplify brand loyalty.
Building Customer Trust with Blockchain
Blockchain technology offers an unparalleled level of transparency and accountability. This can help build customer trust in a way that traditional marketing tactics like cookies simply cannot. Unlike cookies, which often operate in the background without user knowledge or consent, blockchain enables users to actively choose what data to share with advertisers. Blockchain also provides an immutable record of all data sharing.
Through blockchain, users can easily see how their data is being used, who is using it, and for what purposes. This level of transparency fosters trust between customers and businesses. It does so by allowing customers to verify that their data is being used ethically and in their best interests. This can be particularly important in industries like finance or healthcare, where data privacy and security are paramount.
In contrast, web2 marketing tactics like cookies often operate in a black box. They leave users in the dark about how their data is being used and shared. This can erode customer trust, particularly as data breaches and other security issues become more common. By contrast, blockchain’s transparency, security, and accountability provide customers with assurance that their data is being handled responsibly. This reassurance enhances trust and builds stronger customer relationships.
Blockchain for Marketing Is the Future
Blockchain technology is offering a solution to the challenges of cookie deprecation and privacy laws facing digital marketers. The technology is helping create a more transparent and trustworthy digital advertising ecosystem. It does so by powering opt-in data-sharing, improving advertising accuracy and relevancy, ensuring compliance with privacy laws, and enhancing security. As decentralized ledger technology (DLT) continues to evolve, we can expect to see more innovative uses of blockchain in the digital marketing space.The marketing tech provides advertisers with greater insights into user behavior and more effective targeting strategies that benefit brands and consumers alike.
In addition to these benefits, blockchain technology has the potential to reduce fraud in the digital advertising industry. With the use of smart contracts and decentralized verification, advertisers can be sure that they are paying for genuine ad impressions and clicks. They can also be sure their ads are reaching people who are genuinely interested in their products and services. Thus, companies can save significant amounts of money that would have otherwise been lost to fraudulent activities. The structure behind the technology can also increase trust and confidence in the digital advertising ecosystem. As more and more companies begin to adopt blockchain for marketing efforts, we can expect to see a shift towards greater transparency, accountability, and efficiency in the digital marketing industry.
