How Apple Privacy Policy Change Will Change Marketing

posted byMuse Media Marketing2/3/2022

Although data-driven marketing plays a central role in advertising in our digital climate, this may change as large technology companies, like Apple, begin changing their privacy policies.

There have been concerns about data collection through social media applications and the monitoring of online activity, placing large tech companies in hot water.

The future of marketing is going to change as Apple privacy policies change. As marketers, we must adapt.

In this article, we will discuss:

What Apple is Changing in Their Privacy Policy

To adapt to the concerns surrounding user privacy on its apps, Apple has introduced a new Apple privacy policy that will be implemented on iOS 14.

The update includes the “ App Tracking Transparency feature ,” which allows users to disable tracking features on applications.

This prevents users from being tracked without their consent. This does not mean tracking will be fully disabled as a feature, but rather that app developers must ask users for consent before tracking them.

Large technology companies have raised concerns about how this feature will affect the function of their applications.

The most prominent dissident, Facebook, believes that these changes will inhibit effective advertising, which is based on data collection.

Facebook argues that without this data smaller businesses will not be able to provide targeted advertising and will be drowned out of the market by larger players.

In fact, Facebook suggests that this update would mean a 40% drop in advertising revenue .

However, the developers at Apple suggest that the new update will not hinder advertising, but rather ensure that it is done consensually and ethically.

So, you might be wondering, “How does this update work in practice?”

Users who download the iOS 14 update will be able to “disable ad personalization based on first-party data in the Settings app.”

However, users can also opt-in for personalized ads but Apple aims to further protect the privacy of these users.

How this New Policy Effects Marketing Efforts

Although Apple has released a statement ensuring that their new privacy policy update will not hinder marketing efforts, app developers, and big tech, like Facebook, feel otherwise.

Facebook suggests that personalized advertising can still work as a promotional tool without violating the privacy of users.

So, how does this policy affect marketing efforts?

The new update is mainly limiting data sharing, one of the drivers of personalized advertising.

Therefore, Facebook argues these changes will hinder many aspects of digital marketing, such as measuring user engagement and collecting performance analytics.

For many marketers who rely on this data to build a succinct digital marketing strategy, these changes may disrupt their ability to make certain decisions.

Additionally, a restriction on personalized advertising could hinder the marketing efforts of small businesses that rely on the data provided by social media managers.

For some businesses, a restriction on data collection may make it difficult to budget marketing campaigns since the ROI cannot be measured without knowing the number of conversions an advertisement produced.

Finally, without data measuring user engagement with your products and advertising, developing advertising for your target audience or defining your target audience in the first place may become challenging.

How You Can Adapt Your Marketing Efforts

As the digital environment shifts, so much marketing efforts. Policy changes will inevitably occur.

Especially as privacy concerns surrounding social media advertising and digital marketing increase, marketers should be ready to face these new challenges.

First, focus on maintaining customer loyalty and satisfaction.

Since targeting new customers through demographic data may be more challenging after the new policy has been implemented, focus your attention on existing customers.

These existing customers have already shown interest in your product, and therefore, marketing to them to encourage re-purchasing your product or service could help maintain your profit margins.

Second, since Apple is not fully getting rid of the tracking feature, rather making it optional for customers, market the benefits of data collection so that your customers opt-in to tracking.

Explain to your customer that targeted advertising is not only for businesses to make more money but also for consumers to receive relevant information and advertisements that suit their needs.

Third, find other ways to directly engage with your customers, such as developing an email marketing campaign.

Similar to having your customers opt-in to tracking, you can also ensure they opt-in to email communications.

Since the targeting function of social media advertising is being compromised, maintain top-of-mind awareness with consumers through emails.

Conclusion

Social media advertising contributes to greater leads and sales. However, advertising on these platforms may become complicated with the new Apple privacy policy changes and the introduction of the App Tracking Transparency feature.

Our team at Muse Media Marketing will not only help you create an engaging social media campaign but will also work directly with you to create a customized marketing strategy that adapts to the new challenges presented by the changes in Apple privacy policy.

The marketing experts at Muse Media Marketing will ensure that your campaign demands the attention of consumers and engages with your target audience, while also respecting user privacy.

If you are a business looking to shift your digital marketing strategy, book a consultation with Muse Media Marketing today.

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