Being as an online marketer, we are very interest in the tools we are using. The change of the functions will have great impact on our future marketing strategy. Last week, Google announces a new adverting targeting tool to compete with Facebook’s “Custom Audiences.” According to Google, “Customer Match helps you strengthen connections with your known customer base and forge new relationships across three of the web’s most powerful platforms: YouTube, Gmail, and search.” What will be the impact of the new function for the future direct marketing? And how can our marketers leverage this new function?
One article posted on acquisioblog.com written by Francis Shovlin, who worked as PPC lead in SEER interactive. He points out 5 quick tactics through leverage the new function. The first is boost retention and re-engage with customer, in this way marketers can find their old customers back through define them through email contents. Second, the new change can let marketers promote similar or updated products. This is like suggest the similar product you are interested in on Amzon.com. Third, in additional to targeting users by their email, you can find out the similar segment customers. Forth, through leverage the email, you can exclude existing customer in the campaign, in this way it can avoid customers negative emotion on redundant information. Finally, it can make marketer better understand their customer behavior across different devices. Marketer can target users regardless of their devices as long as they’re logged in.
Another article written by Michal Borowczyk on Email Marketing Tips Blog, is also discussing about how to reach the audience with the new function. In this article, the author pointed out the new function “will be able to display ads to those people who already signed up for your newsletter, bought a product from you, downloaded an ebook or in any other way gave your company their email address.”
Since the function of creating “similar audiences”, you can simply adding them to ad groups. In this circumstance the PPC can be more personal. “You can serve them personalized ads based on what type of action they performed on your website. You can use it to win back previous customers, exclude existing customers, up & cross-sell, suggest joining your new loyalty program or for dozens other purposes you can think of.” The author also lists out how to execute on Google Adwaords in her article.
After reading these two blogs, I totally believe the new function is helping us target out customer precisely. Now, you are able to use your first hand data to influence your messaging and target customer audience segments based on past online and offline behaviors across devices. This will result in more relevant ads that more accurately capture your customers’ individual needs, while providing more visibility into cross-device conversions. As a result, you’ll reach a much more qualified audience and be better able to streamline how you spend your marketing dollars.
During the time marketers are cheering for the new technology, one old topic--- privacy--- is still making people to consider. Although queried on the topic, Google so far responds that the company will manage the customer match program in a way that preserves safety and privacy, however analysts are still wondering how the firm will preserve the privacy and security of its user base.
Jennifer Wang is a MSc. Candidate in Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University with an emphasis on digital marketing and marketing analytics. She previously worked as a Marketing Communication Manager for Xiaomi.com. Follow her @jenluwang
