There’s no doubt: customer privacy has taken center stage as one of the top concerns for many consumers today. With the increasing number of people using the Internet, the ease of invading privacy and breaching security has become a significant concern. The same issue is now plaguing the world of mobile apps. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that both iOS and Android have introduced privacy-focused updates and policies to address this concern.
While this is undoubtedly a positive step taken by tech giants, it is not without its challenges, particularly in the realm of mobile ads. The shifting privacy norms have made it more challenging for mobile app marketers to gather data and obtain crucial insights that could enhance ad delivery.
Privacy Updates that Impacted Mobile Ads
The COVID-19 pandemic triggered an unprecedented surge in online shopping, creating a goldmine of e-commerce data for marketers to tap into for future campaigns. Yet, as the saying goes, “With great data comes great responsibility,” and leveraging this wealth of information has become an arduous task due to a wide range of challenges.
Here are some of the most notable privacy updates that have dramatically changed mobile ads:
Data Privacy Regulations
The introduction of stringent regulations like the EU’s GDPR and the California Consumer Privacy Act has placed formidable constraints on how companies handle consumer data. These laws limit the ways in which marketers can use and transfer this vital information, curtailing their strategic options significantly.
Death of Third-Party Cookies
Just when marketers thought they had weathered one storm, Google announced the phasing out of third-party cookies in Chrome by 2022. This move, while a boon for user privacy, has further muddied the waters for data collection and tracking, leaving marketers grappling with innovative yet ethical alternatives.
Apple’s Privacy Updates
With the advent of Apple’s iOS 14.5, a seismic change has rippled across the digital marketing landscape. This update mandates users to opt-in, sharing their Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA) with apps. Although seemingly innocuous, this move has sent shockwaves through the industry, severely impacting personalized ad delivery and tracking capabilities, upon which platforms like Facebook heavily rely for revenue.
In the wake of these transformative shifts, marketers find themselves navigating a complex digital maze. The very essence of how they reach and engage with their target audiences has been fundamentally altered.
How privacy updates affect mobile ads?
Privacy updates have significantly transformed the landscape of mobile advertising, fundamentally altering how advertisers collect data, target audiences, and measure ad performance. Here’s how privacy updates have affected mobile ads:
1. Limited tracking and targeting
Privacy updates, such as Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) policy, have made it challenging for app marketers to track users’ activities across websites and apps. For instance, iOS apps are now required to request user permission to access the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA). However, due to privacy concerns, most users deny this request, limiting marketers’ ability to track and target effectively.
2. Decreased ad personalization relevance
The restricted access to user data has hampered advertisers’ ability to personalize ads effectively. With fewer insights into user behavior and preferences, ads have become less tailored to individual users. Consequently, this limited personalization results in ads that are less relevant to users, leading to decreased engagement rates.
How can Mobile Ads be Adapted to Effectively Respond to Diverse Privacy Updates?
Adapting to privacy updates requires a strategic shift in mobile advertising practices. Here are effective ways to adjust mobile ads to cope up with various privacy updates:
1. Utilize Contextual Targeting
In a world where tracking user behavior has become increasingly challenging due to privacy updates, contextual targeting emerges as a viable alternative. This method delivers ads based on the context of the content users are viewing, ensuring relevance without relying on intrusive user tracking.
2. Direct Data Gathering from Users
Engage with your audience proactively by sending out surveys and questionnaires. Understand your customers better by incorporating a Know-Your-Customer (KYC) process within your app. Directly gathering specific data from users, with their consent, allows you to personalize experiences without compromising their privacy.
3. Transparent Communication and Consent
Provide users with clear and concise information about how their data will be used. Transparency is key. Clearly explain the purpose behind data collection and the benefits users can expect. Obtain explicit user consent before collecting any data. By fostering trust through transparent communication, users are more likely to cooperate willingly.
4. Use A/B Testing
A/B testing allows you to experiment with various ad formats, helping you identify the one yielding the best results. Analyze performance data from real-time tests and then optimize your ad campaigns. This approach reduces the need to heavily rely on individual user data.
5. Invest in Creative Ad Formats
Though it demands more time, energy, and resources, creative ad formats can effectively engage a broader audience. These formats capture attention even if the ads might not be entirely relevant to users. Explore diverse options such as playable ads, gamified experiences, and interactive videos to enhance user engagement.
Learn More About Mobile Ads
In an era where privacy policies are becoming increasingly stringent, tech platforms are prioritizing the safety and security of their customers and users. It’s essential to recognize that privacy policies are unlikely to ease up anytime soon.
Given this landscape, it’s crucial to make your mobile ads privacy-proof. This means designing your ad strategies today to withstand any future privacy updates. Regardless of the changes made, your mobile ads should endure the test of time.
If you’re interested in mastering the art of creating and running mobile ads successfully, connect with ShyftUp. They specialize in assisting app developers and marketers in enhancing their ad delivery, ensuring it leads to higher conversion rates.
Ready to elevate your mobile ads to the next level? Book your demo with ShyftUp today and future-proof your advertising strategies!
