by Shukuru Amos
In 2022, Google will eliminate third-party cookies from its Chrome browser. Something which Safari and Firefox have already done. But what does this mean for marketers?
Third-party cookies have been key drivers of the advertising economy for the past two decades. At Tanzlite, we have benefited from a wealth of user information from people visiting our websites and used such information to create personalized content and ads —thanks to cookies.
But with cookies gone, what will be the alternative for the advertising industry?
One thing is clear, that advertising as we know it will change. It will be difficult to personalize ads and retarget users as we used to.
But What Are Cookies?
Cookies are tiny files that are downloaded to your computer or phone when you visit a particular website. Their main purpose is to improve your experience with the website.
The two most important types of cookies;
- First-party cookies: These are stored by websites. They enable these websites to remember a user’s settings and they can significantly improve the user experience. These cookies will not be affected by the changes we are talking about.
- Third-party cookies: they are created and stored by external sites, and not by the site the user is visiting. They can track the user as they move across domains and retarget them with personalized messaging.
What is Driving These Changes?
As privacy concerns continue to rise in the online community, cookies have caught the attention of lawmakers and regulators. Businesses are now required to keep transparent data records.
According to a study by Pew Research Center,
72% of people feel that almost all of what they do online is being tracked by advertisers, technology firms, or other companies, and 81% say that the potential risks they face because of data collection outweigh the benefits.
Cookies have been enablers of various tracking techniques that have contributed to people losing trust in the online world. This has also led to an increase in Adblocker usage and a shift to privacy-focused browsers like Duck Duck Go.
What Will Happen Next?
Advertising existed and thrived for decades before data technology came into play. This realization gives a relief that marketers will find another way. There is no need to worry.
Besides, tech giants such as Google and Facebook (who rely on advertising revenue) will surely find an alternative.
Facebook for example benefits hugely from personalized ads (retargeting) that are backed by third-party cookies. Google, on the other hand, is already cooking out some privacy innovations that will be effective alternatives to tracking.
by Shukuru Amos
Kukua kwa matumizi ya internet nchini Tanzania kumerahisha uwezekano kukuza biashara yako na kufikia wateja wengi mtandaoni. Zipo njia nyingi za kuweka biashara yako kwenye mtandao ikiwemo tovuti, mitandao ya kijamii, kupitia WhatsApp, email na nyingine nyingi.
Katika zama hizi za digitali, watu hufanya utafiti wa bidhaa wanayotaka kununua kabla ya kufanya maamuzi ya kununua. Utafiti wao mwingi unahusisha kutafuta (Search – au kugugo) kwenye injini za utafutaji pamoja na kusikiliza ushauri wa watu ambao wamewahi kutumia bidhaa hiyo.
Kwa wenye biashara zenye website, ipo njia ya kunasa wateja kwa haraka. Njia hii ni kutumia matangazo mguso (PPC ads). Njia hii huitaji kusubiri miezi kadhaa kuanza kupata watembeleaji kwenye tovuti yako kama ilivyo kwenye mpango wa SEO.
Ukiwa mfanyabiashara, kuonekana kwenye matokeo ya utafutaji (search results) ni fursa kubwa ya kutangaza bidhaa au biashara yako ili watumiaji hawa wa mtandao (internet) waweze kuona biashara yako.
Maana yake kama hauko online, watafutaji hawa watakukosa na mshindani wako aliyeko online atapata fursa ya kunasa hawa wateja.
Injini za utafutaji kama vile Bing, Google na Yahoo zina huduma ya kuweka matangazo kwenye matokeo ya utafutaji (search results)
Kitaalamu inaitwa Paid Per Click Advertising (PPC). Ni aina ya kutangaza bidhaa au huduma kwa kununua maneno maalum (keywords) yanayohusu biasha yako ambapo utaweza kuonekana endapo mtumiaji akitafuta kwa kutumia maneno hayo. Maana ya jina Pay Per Click ni kwamba unalipa endapo mtu atabofya tangazo lako na kuzuru tovuti yako.
Matangazo haya hukaa mwanzoni mwa ukurasa wa matokeo ya utafutaji (search engine result page), yakifuatiwa na matokeo ya kawaida (organic results). Pia yanaweza kuonekana sehemu nyingine ndani ya results page.
Tazama picha ifuatayo:
Ufafanuzi kuhusu picha ya juu.
- Ni uwanja wa kutafutia (search bar) ambapo mtu ametafuta ‘stuffed animals’
- Vertical navigation (hapa unachagua uone matokeo ya Picha, Bidhaa, Video, Maeneo au Habari)
- Taarifa kuhusu matokea ya utafutaji (search results information)
- Haya ndiyo matangazo mguso (PPC Ads)
PPC Inafanyaje Kazi?
Matangazo haya hutolewa kwa ushindani au mnada. Wenye biashara hushindania maneno kwa kuweka dau kubwa juu ya mwenzake ili apate kuonekana endapo mtu ‘atagugo’ kwa kutumia maneno hayo.
Hivyo, mambo mawili ni muhimu kuzingatiwa;
- Dau lako kulinganisha na dau la mwenzako (auction)
- Ubora na uhalisia wa huduma yako (quality and relevance)
Hebu tuangalie mfano ili upate kufahamu zaidi:
Tuseme unamiliki hoteli na unataka kutangaza kupitia matangazo mguso. Washindani wako wengine kama kampuni mbili hivi nazo zinataka kutangaza. Hapo
- Best hotels in Serengeti
- Serengeti National Park
- Tanzania adventures
- Best hotels in Tanzania
- Luxury resorts in Tanzania
Tuseme wote mmechagua maneno hayo juu. Wewe ukaweka dola mbili per click, mshindani wako akaweka dola nne kwa kila mtu atakapo bofya tangazo. Hapa maana yake mwenzako atakuwa anaonekana zaidi kuliko wewe kwenye paid search results.
Mara nyingi gharama za malipo per click hupanda kutegemea na ushindani na eneo unalotaka kutangaza. Kwa mfano, wewe ni Hosting company au Insurance company katika jiji la New York, hapo ushindani kwenye keywords utakuwa mkubwa hivyo utalazimika kuweka pesa nyingi.
Lakini kwa nchi kama Tanzania, makampuni mengi hawatumii PPC advertising, hivyo linaweza kuwa chimbo zuri kwako wewe kunasa wateja. Unaweza kujikuta ni wewe tu unayetangaza katika sekta yako.
Lakini pia kuna vigezo vya ubora na uhalisia wa maudhui na jinsi tovuti yako ilivyoundwa. Hivi vinaweza kuathiri uwezekano wa kuonekana kwenye matokeo ya utafutaji. Ikumbukwe lengo la google ni kutoa matokeo sahihi kwa watumiaji wake na kuhakikish user experience ni ya kuridhisha. Hivyo unaweza kuwa na dau dogo kuliko mwenzako lakini bado ukaoneka.
Vipi kuhusu ufanisi wake?
Ufanisi wa aina hii ya matangazo ni bora zaidi kwasababu hapa unatangaza kwa watu ambao tayari wako interested na biashara yako. Yaani unalenga wateja ambao tayari wanatafuta huduma yako (customers who are actively searching for your product or service).
Kupata umaarufu (awareness and recogntion) wa biashara yako mtandaoni inachukua muda kutegemea na maarifa na jitihada ulizo wekeza. Lakini kwa kutumia matangazo mguso (PPC) unaweza ukajulikana na kuanza kuvutia wateja kwa muda mfupi sana. Ni jambo la siku au masaa tu.
Unahitaji kufahamu zaidi au kufanyiwa huduma hii kwenye biashara yako? Wasiliana nasi HAPA
