Data: It’s Personal!
Posted on July 31, 2018 by Daniel Farrell
With the Cambridge Analytica scandal plastered all over the headlines and increasing concerns regarding the use of our personal data, it was time for something to change.
Say hello to GDPR, new EU regulations set in motion back in May 2018 which look to limit the usage of our personal data and give individuals more choice in where and what their data is used for.
In the wake of GDPR advertisers are rightfully becoming increasingly worried about what impact the new regulations will have on data-based targeting. Within the industry opinions seem to be heavily divided, with some experts warning of a major decrease in the precise targeting of ads on Google and Facebook. Whilst others are determined to remain positive, looking at the increased level of trust we will see between advertisers and individuals.
With companies needing to obtain consent to process and share any data collected, it definitely makes sense that GDPR would deter data sharing. However, this also means that any data shared will likely be more precise and ultimately lead to better targeted ads as we see the full impact of GDPR over the next year.
But what does this mean for Educate? I’m sure we like most advertisers were worried about how GDPR would impact our ability to properly target audiences and give our clients the results they deserve. The key changes come to platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, with a major overhaul of targeting across both. For instance, Facebook used to be able to target ads to individuals based on income, politics and consumer behaviours but the changes brought an end to such specific targeting. However, with the downsides of GDPR come definite upsides. With the increase in data and ad transparency we are seeing platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter bring in new means of viewing all ads posted and the publication of specific guidelines for users to better understand exactly where their personal data is going. We will also likely see an increase in the popularity of keyword-based targeting campaigns and new ways to serve ads to viewers based on personal preferences.
In short, although GDPR has quelled the usage of personal data for ad targeting and allowed users to be able to opt out more easily, the clean-up of the data supply and increase in transparency and trust will ultimately be a good thing for online marketing. In the Education marketing sector, we will now need to concentrate even more on keyword targeting, keeping a close eye on the fluctuation of costs and utilise the new ad transparency tools to make comparisons with competitors and ensure our clients ads are the best out there!
Keep an eye on our blog section as we’ll be delving deeper in to GDPR and its affects on the market over the coming weeks