Content-Based Marketing Appears to Stop Third-Party Cookies (Photo by Hal Gatewood on Unsplash)
Ask any marketer what their favorite superpower is, at least in a business context, and the answer is probably mind reading. As we await the next millennium of human evolution (perhaps Neuralink), marketers are scrambling to discover the perfect time to connect with consumers.
Third-party cookies have long served to help advertisers better understand their audiences. But now that its value is approaching in 2024, the importance of content marketing has actually increased this time. This brings marketers back to the basics of impact, finding high-intent consumers and reaching them at the potential point of purchase.
The key to a content-based marketing strategy is to let your content tell you where your customers are, not your cookies. Marketers are overly dependent on cookies and third-party data solutions to manage their campaigns and tell consumers where they are in the purchase funnel. However, this often ignores the value of low buyers. In other words, those who are most likely to buy your product.
Marketers have a valuable opportunity to reach these highly targeted consumers by displaying ads on sites where they are most likely to shop, ideally at the right time. This process begins with understanding high-intent buyers and identifying sites that serve as beacons for them.
A shopper's paradise with lofty goals
The difference between the average consumer and the highly targeted buyer starts with awareness. When someone begins to thoroughly research a product, explore alternatives, and compare prices, they become a buyer with high intent. The time between being a high-intent buyer and making a purchase varies significantly across industries. To use an extreme example, higher priced products such as cars or insurance take longer to convert than lower priced purchases.
Of course, content marketing starts with knowing the best traffic sources to find this target audience. For example, someone who follows and browses an influencer's Instagram page will appreciate their curated content and rank lower for featured products than someone who gets there via search. In addition to influencers, there are many channels that target high-intent buyers as important segments of their audience.
For example, deal comparison sites are an often overlooked source of traffic. These sites are a valuable resource for shopping-minded shoppers who go the extra mile to find a product at a price that works for them. Other traffic sources for highly targeted shoppers can include directories, review sites, and comparison engines that allow you to quickly and easily see the pros and cons of specific products. By placing ads on these pages, brands reinforce messaging at moments that matter to consumers who are actively searching for their solutions, increasing the chances of conversion.
Content-based interests
Many brands are concerned about a content-based marketing approach. These concerns often hinge on how their current attribution model works. The model likely overestimates conversions from high-funnel efforts, such as search marketing, while underestimating low-funnel conversions (purchases from comparison sites). Many attribution models are designed to evaluate the first click. Search campaigns often find direct conversions through a brand's website more valuable than conversions from an independent publisher.
In addition to the perceived value of the conversion method, there is a common misconception that bargain-hunting shoppers would not make a purchase without a discount offer. However, these consumers are often the ones who thoroughly research a product or service before purchasing. Although it takes them longer to convert, they do so with greater confidence than first-click buyers. It is important that brands do not underestimate the value of these consumers. You must recognize the opportunity to create an ongoing sense of brand loyalty.
Brands also need to recognize the influencer power of the affiliate in the consumer research stage. If managed well, their ability to cross-sell product options to consumers can be a determining factor in the purchase decision and ongoing brand loyalty. Conversions from affiliate shopping should be weighted equally to conversions from search marketing efforts.
Use content-based marketing
Content marketing provides a valuable opportunity to connect with low- and high-intent buyers and drive conversions. Influencer content, especially from affiliates like influencers and other independent publishers, can go beyond converting to increase brand loyalty. Therefore, marketers should ensure that attribution models equally weight conversions through both searches and clicks to membership sites.
Deborah Kilpatrick is the co-founder and vice president of marketing at SourceKnowledge
