With Cookies Going Out Of Style... What Now?

Yea, I know that image isn't of website cookies, but I couldn't think how to find an image to convey those, so I went for the more delicious variety.

For better or for worse, web tracking cookies are getting the boot from the 'net. Google is trying to come up with another method of tracking, after its failed FLOC attempt and marketers are scrambling.

A very smart friend of mine, Marty Focazio, of Coherent Ways, warned me this was coming way back in 2018. Like many of us he's seen the writing on the wall for a while. People, generally, don't like be tracked across the web. It's pretty bad when you buy shoes at Amazon and then for the next week see those shoes all over the place online. YOU BOUGHT THEM ALREADY!

To be honest, I like personalized ads, especially over ads that have nothing to do with me and my interests. Yes, they can be creepy at times and surprisingly on point, but that doesn't bother me. Am I in the minority? Maybe.

As a marketer, a world without tracking cookies can seem rather dystopian. But fear not, there are some tool that can help. Tools like Merged Analytics and ZoomInfo that use different technology to help marketers figure out prospects online and who is viewing their site. For Goldstein Media I've been using Merged Analytics. I'm friends with Joe Singer, one of the co-founders of Merged Analytics, and have even had him on my Entrepreneur's Enigma podcast.

The tool is very cool and above board all the way. It gives me referral information and contact information if it's available. If you're a business, definitely check it out. Tell them I sent you.

An what's more, cookies aren't the only thing being threated.

With GDPR and CCPA out there, and recently the Austrian data regulation authority declaring Google Analytics illegal, marketers have to start thinking outside of the box even more on how they engage with our potential clients.

By the way... to solve the Google Analytics issue, I recommend Fathom Analytics (affiliate link), which I use on all of my sites. They avoid the whole fiasco with the European Union by keeping the EU data in the EU.

With All This, What's A Marketer To Do?

Is all this turmoil around cookies a bad thing? No. Does this leads to more innovation in the space, since we're not relying on web tracking cookies as much? Maybe. Will cookies ever go for good? I don't have that answer.

What do you think? Hit reply and let me know .

Web Finds Of The Week

Neiman-Marcus $250 Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe Recipe - Food.com

I received this recipe from a friend

Food.com•Betty

• Yes, I know we're talking about tracking cookies here, but all this talk has me drooling. So, I asked my wife what recipe she uses for her "famous" chocolate chip cookies. Apparently they're not "hers." 😏 Regardless, these are dynamite.

How to tackle the challenges of running successful hybrid events

Interest in hybrid customer-facing events is high, but businesses are still learning how to run smaller scale hybrid meetings.

MarTech•Kim Davis

• I hear the groans of people who love meeting people in person and dread the next online Zoom event. But when events come back, and many are, they're going to be different than their counterparts in pre-2020 space and time. One of the few good things to come out of this pandemic is the idea of hybrid events. Those events where you can go in person, but you also have the option of attending virtually. This allows the event to reach more people, be more accessible, and have more of an impact.

Instagram Increases Response Options in Stories Polls, Facilitating Expanded Engagement

Some handy new updates for your Instagram Stories polls.

Social Media Today•Andrew Hutchinson

• I know they're owned by the same company, but I loathe Facebook and really enjoy Instagram. Instagram is becoming a tool no only for personal sharing, but also for my many hustles. As Instagram grows in popularity, the toolset Meta is incorporating is getting more robust. I'm excited to see these new additions and put them to good use.

YouTube Generated $28.8 Billion in Ad Revenue in 2021, Fueling the Creator Economy

YouTube’s creator funding models continue to solidify its position as the top online video platform.

Social Media Today•Andrew Hutchinson

• You can't ignore TikTok, but YouTube isn't a place to scoff and write off. YouTube is a great place to put your content and also to advertise your business. I will say this until I'm blue in the face, YouTube is the 2nd biggest search engine after it's Alphabet sibling Google. For better or worse, it's a force to be reckoned with.

To disavow or not? Getting it right, 10 years later.

Determine whether a link disavow is needed and avoid costly mistakes.

Search Engine Land•Internet Marketing Ninjas

• In this op-ed on Search Engine Land, the team over at Internet Marketing Ninjas, has a great writeup about links and whether or not to disavow some or any of them at all. It's a quick read and well worth it. The biggest take-away is don't rely only on the SEO tools' opinion of a link and whether or not it's toxic. Think outside of the box and evaluate it using the tool as context, but with your judgement.

Is This a Twitter Thread or a Blog Post? - SparkToro

Eureka! I just had a great idea for a blog post... or wait.. maybe it’s short enough to be a Twitter thread. Y’know what? Twitter’s easier. I’ll just post

SparkToro•Rand Fishkin

• Rand is at it once again. The co-founder of Sparktoro has written a blog pontificating on the power of the Twitter thread and how to properly use the tool. It's insightful and thought provoking.

Twitter Expands Test of Downvotes on Tweet Replies to Glean More Insight into User Behavior

Twitter says it’s learned a lot from its initial test of downvotes on tweet replies.

Social Media Today•Andrew Hutchinson

• Twitter has released a downvote option on Tweet replies. It's their attempt to get more insight on users behavior. I'm not sure how I feel about this. Yes, it came be used to figure out sentiment, but it can also be misused. I guess time will tell.

Someone Is Recommending Influencers Purchase Followers? Publicly!

Jason Falls found an article encouraging people to buy Instagram followers. His reaction is as entertaining as you might expect.

Jason Falls

• My good friend, mentor, and executive producer of the Marketing Podcast Network, Jason Falls has an epic rant back in November against the purchasing of Instagram follower by influencers trying to bulk up their following. Though the episode has been out for a few months, it's a must listen. What it boils down to is... DON'T BUY FOLLOWERS.

Fix this SEO mistake, Fix your frustrations.

Early in my SEO Days, I constantly made the mistake I see many people still making to this day. Where this disappointment comes from is the belief that SEO is some kind of weird magic wand type of approach.

LinkedIn•Shawn Swaim

• My good friend Shawn Swaim is a SEO genius. And clearly something or someone struck a chord here, because this is an epic explainer on how to get your mind around SEO and how it's not magic.

Could Facebook and Instagram Really Be Removed from Europe?

Reports have suggested that Meta could consider removing its two biggest social apps from the EU - but is that really a possibility?

Social Media Today•Andrew Hutchinson

• I'm no fan of Meta and especially not of their Facebook property. I do like Instagram. I can't from a personal standpoint and a marketing standpoint imagine Facebook not being in the European Union. I understand why the EU regulators are concerned, but banning Facebook et. al from the EU would certainly be groundbreaking precedent.

Marketing Quote Of The Week

Podcast Of Note

Dave Delaney is genuinely nice. It could be that he's Canadian, but I think it's because nice scorches through his veins. Having had the pleasure of chatting with him as well as being on the same podcast network (Marketing Podcast Network, FTW) I can honestly say he's quite a nice chap.

All this is burying the point, his podcast Nice highlights some of the most notable leaders who manage and lead with niceness at the forefront. Dave chats with his guest about how communication, collaboration, community, and kindness factor into being great leaders. Dave is a keynote speaker and the owner of Futureforth. Give the Nice Podcast a listen.

What do you think of this issue? Don't be shy. Hit reply and let me know!

Until next week (or sooner if something pops up 😄)

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