The Privacy Push. Not as fun as it sounds.

The Privacy Push. Not as fun as it sounds.

Earlier this year, Apple made a significant change to the operating system of its iPhone products. This change allows users to opt-out of all data collection by turning off data tracking in the phone’s settings or answering a warning popup that they receive when they visit specific sites and apps. This change was met with massive opposition by platforms like Facebook who use this tracking data to facilitate serving ads. 

Have you ever noticed that ads you see on social media tend to be very targeted?  If you golf, you will see golf ads. If you recently bought a car, you will see ads for car insurance providers. If you own an HVAC company, you see ads for headache medication (FYI, you also see headache ads if you work for an HVAC Marking company). This happens because when you use your phone to visit websites and use apps, information about what you like, who you are, and where you live is collected.  This data collection has fallen out of favor with the general public, and Apple responded with the change mentioned above.  Many companies are following suit. The movement is called the privacy push, and it affects everything.

Marketers took a collective gasp. Less data collected can mean higher costs per lead and lower quality leads. At least, that is what all the industry articles said. 

I’m sure a few CHANGE HVAC clients are reading this, so let me save you the panic and tell you that we have navigated this change with ease, and our lead numbers from social media are up 11% from 2020.  And I bet if you use one of our competitors, you are also doing just fine. The key to surviving this change is working with experts.  Because when I mentioned that we navigated this with ease, I meant more than a few sleepless nights, weeks of testing, and a solid financial and time investment for and in the CHANGE HVAC staff. 

More change is coming to digital marketing. The privacy push is not over. Here are a few steps you can take to help you stay ahead of the game, whether you work with a marketing company or not. 

1. Since you can’t rely on technology to collect the data for you, you have to get it yourself. Keep your databases up to date and find reasons to gather extra information. Asking your client’s date of birth to send out a special birthday greeting, or running a giveaway where folks need to fill out form submissions are a couple of ideas. 
2. New customer mailing lists.  If you are doing direct mail to support your marketing, share that list with your digital marketing team. Many digital ad servers can target physical addresses. 
3. Accept the privacy push. What is the old saying? If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.  Come up with statements, materials, and company policy that protects your client’s information and tell them about it. Earning that trust can go a long way. 

If you have any questions or want to bounce a cool idea, please reach out via email or social media. Jeannie@ChangeHVAC.com

The Privacy Push. Not as fun as it sounds.

Earlier this year, Apple made a significant change to the operating system of its iPhone products. This change allows users to opt-out of all data collection by turning off data tracking in the phone’s settings or answering a warning popup that they receive when they visit specific sites and apps. This change was met with massive opposition by platforms like Facebook who use this tracking data to facilitate serving ads. 

Have you ever noticed that ads you see on social media tend to be very targeted?  If you golf, you will see golf ads. If you recently bought a car, you will see ads for car insurance providers. If you own an HVAC company, you see ads for headache medication (FYI, you also see headache ads if you work for an HVAC Marking company). This happens because when you use your phone to visit websites and use apps, information about what you like, who you are, and where you live is collected.  This data collection has fallen out of favor with the general public, and Apple responded with the change mentioned above.  Many companies are following suit. The movement is called the privacy push, and it affects everything.

Marketers took a collective gasp. Less data collected can mean higher costs per lead and lower quality leads. At least, that is what all the industry articles said. 

I’m sure a few CHANGE HVAC clients are reading this, so let me save you the panic and tell you that we have navigated this change with ease, and our lead numbers from social media are up 11% from 2020.  And I bet if you use one of our competitors, you are also doing just fine. The key to surviving this change is working with experts.  Because when I mentioned that we navigated this with ease, I meant more than a few sleepless nights, weeks of testing, and a solid financial and time investment for and in the CHANGE HVAC staff. 

More change is coming to digital marketing. The privacy push is not over. Here are a few steps you can take to help you stay ahead of the game, whether you work with a marketing company or not. 

1. Since you can’t rely on technology to collect the data for you, you have to get it yourself. Keep your databases up to date and find reasons to gather extra information. Asking your client’s date of birth to send out a special birthday greeting, or running a giveaway where folks need to fill out form submissions are a couple of ideas. 
2. New customer mailing lists.  If you are doing direct mail to support your marketing, share that list with your digital marketing team. Many digital ad servers can target physical addresses. 
3. Accept the privacy push. What is the old saying? If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.  Come up with statements, materials, and company policy that protects your client’s information and tell them about it. Earning that trust can go a long way. 

If you have any questions or want to bounce a cool idea, please reach out via email or social media. Jeannie@ChangeHVAC.com