As originally reported by CNBC, Facebook is preparing advertisers for the “clear history” tool that will let people erase their personal data from the social network, affecting ad targeting. This long-awaited feature will roll out in the coming months, allowing users to delete data that the social network gathers from websites and apps OFF Facebook, meaning that advertisers will no longer be able to use this data. In this post, we’ll explain what the clear history feature is, how it may affect your company, and provide tips for what to do next.
“When someone disconnects their off-Facebook activity, we won't use the data they clear for targeting,” Facebook said in a blog post on Tuesday.
This means that popular Facebook marketing technologies like the pixel and Custom Audiences could essentially be rendered useless if the clear history feature is used. With this in mind, the value of proprietary customer data has never been more important.
Email lists, past purchaser data, and website visitor information from your owned data sources will become an even more necessary portion of your advertising efforts than ever before. Do you have a CRM in place? How do you currently collect this data on your site?
Until the feature is fully rolled out and actively being used by Facebook users, this is still all speculation. But having the ability to target your customers directly without relying on Facebook for this information shouldn’t be overlooked.
“If people clear their pixel, they won’t be accessible that way again, unless they visit the website again and rebuild their history.”
Think about how you are leveraging Facebook as a part of your larger marketing and advertising strategy. Is Facebook used primarily as your prospecting channel or are you retargeting site visitors or purchasers with complimentary products or up-selling?
Other advertising platforms such as Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, and Google will be explored in greater frequency as additional viable alternatives. In return, they will become more competitive and difficult to advertise on. See what we mean? It's best to prepare your strategy for the changes that are likely ahead. A crucial step toward controlling the future of your digital marketing efforts is to find a good strategic partner that can guide you through the seemingly ever-changing platform updates.
Blue Wheel Media is able to provide strategic solutions and offerings to navigate this landscape with great success across many different industries including beauty, health and fitness, home improvement and business-to-business enterprises. Drop us a line to see how we can help you level up your advertising today!
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