Online privacy and digital data are hot topics right now and have been for quite a while. You might be wondering what the future holds for digital marketing and how our Houston internet marketing agency can continue to help you gain more business. It’s a changing world out there, but don’t worry – you can still make the internet work for your business. We’re here to talk about how the industry is changing based on privacy concerns and why online marketing is still crucial for your company.
How is Online Privacy Changing? Can it Harm Internet Marketing Efforts?
Internet marketing has been relying on people’s data for years to provide personalized advertisements and audience targeting. Yet, more and more people are becoming aware of this and questioning what it means. As the general public starts thinking more about their privacy online, the face of internet marketing may well change. However, we’re pretty positive that online marketing isn’t going anywhere. It’s still one of the most effective and economical marketing channels available. The key is to understand exactly what people think about data privacy.
More People are Concerned About Data Privacy Now than in the Past
Many years ago, if you asked the general public about the state of privacy they might say they feel very in control of their privacy. However, the internet has started to change that. In fact, surveys from Pew Research show that 62% of U.S. adults believe they can’t make it through the day without their information being tracked by companies. However, most people are also given the option to read privacy policies. The same survey found that few people actually read them before clicking agree.
Therefore, despite concerns over privacy and internet marketing, many people haven’t changed much about how they behave online. According to a 2018 survey, two of the most common actions people take to protect their privacy are to clear or disable cookies and to limit the information they share on social media.
Yet, the same study also found that many people are actually willing to give up a little privacy in trade for more convenience. The key, then, may be that people may want something in return for their data. For example, they may be willing to lose a little privacy for something that betters their lives in some way. Basically, if you’re adding value for them, it may not bother people when you use their data for your internet marketing efforts. There may also be pushes to be able to simply understand how data is being used and the ability to control what’s shared with whom.
People Still Want Personalized Content – Your Houston Internet Marketing Agency Can Help
Though many people are more aware and concerned about privacy online, many people still want personalized content. People don’t seem to want billboard-style ads online where everyone sees the same thing. Personalized content still gets a hefty amount of interaction, impressions, and conversions. So, creating good content that suits your audience is still crucial. You just may need to be a little more resourceful when finding audiences and tailoring that content. Many recommend taking a more balanced approach of marketing with data from your audience.
For example, our Houston internet marketing agency helps create content for ads, blogs, social media, and more based on your ideal customer. We use a few things to help identify your ideal customer, such as talking to you specifically about what customers you want, looking at your social media following, and just applying logic to who might need your products or services. Of course, individual user data can factor into this as well, but it’s not the end all be all of the strategies we design for your company. We use your target audience to craft content that suits their needs to help market your business in a personalized, but not “creepy” way.
You can think of our approach like buying a friend a birthday present they like. You get to know them and their interests and then pick something out that you know they will love. Compare that with many other companies’ marketing strategies. They would be more like giving someone a gift you know they want because you’ve been secretly following them while they shop and noticed they looked at the item for a minute or two. One is friendly and one is more like a stalker. Make sense?
Digital Marketing Isn’t Going Away: Work with Your Houston Internet Marketing Agency
If you’re concerned about how digital privacy concerns will affect internet marketing, don’t worry. Online marketing isn’t going away. In fact, our Houston digital marketing agency is constantly adapting to give you the best service. You see, the internet is always changing. So, adjusting is nothing new for us. We’re always changing, whether to suit Google algorithm updates or new features on social media. We are used to adapting and reformulating strategies for results-driven marketing. Therefore, there’s no need to worry about changes that come about from internet privacy concerns.
Your Houston Internet Marketing Agency Can Help Personalize Ads to Your Audience
One of the biggest questions for many is how privacy concerns will affect paid advertising. However, even with many big companies changing their privacy policies, there isn’t much cause for concern if you have the right team for your paid ads. Our Houston internet marketing agency can absolutely still optimize ads and target potential customers online.
Remember that birthday gift example we used earlier? Well, we can actually help personalize ads without making them invasive by using what we know and what we can infer. For instance, if you’re a B2B company, then you likely are selling to key decision makers at other businesses. We know that typically these audiences are comfortable with industry-specific terms and that they often want to talk to a consultant before making a purchase. We can also infer the approximate age based on where decision makers typically are in their careers and the industry you’re primarily marketing to. So, just because some data might be harder to access, that doesn’t mean personalized advertising is going away. Not by a long shot.
Many Businesses are Gaining a New Appreciation for Houston SEO and Organic Social Media
As we mentioned, paid ads on search engines and social media are here to stay. However, if you’ve been neglecting organic growth, it might be time to re-think that strategy. Houston SEO helps you rank well in searches directly related to your business. This means you appear at the top of the results when people are looking for your products or services (or the pain points they solve). Social media is another great way to help drive organic growth with followers that fit your demographic.
You see, these are ways you can bring customers to you. It’s almost a “build it and they will come” phenomenon. In some cases, those customers who come to your site may also give you access to their info for a more personalized or convenient service. For instance, they might sign up for marketing emails and give you some basic information. This can help offer insight on your target audience.
These organic opportunities may become more important than ever as people start being more cognizant of their online data and want to be more in control of who has access. Good quality content found on a relevant search or a compelling post found on their social feeds may be just the ticket to build credibility and gain trust. This can help convert prospects to customers who may also share important first-party data with you. There are many ways to go about internet marketing for your business, even with many people worried about online privacy, and we’re here to help you find the right strategies.
Marketing Solutions from Bizopia – Leading Houston Internet Marketing Agency
Having a team at your side dedicated to innovation and results can help you grow your business. Our team at Bizopia offers just that through our advanced digital marketing strategies. As a leading internet marketing agency in Houston, we are here to help your business thrive online. Fill out our free website and digital marketing analysis to learn how your current strategies are performing and whether we can help improve your results.