things that ecommerce marketers can do with their first-party data

Data from the first-party is an essential and valuable resource that can be used across PPC advertising platforms.

This feature was a “nice to have” in Google Ads, especially for ecommerce marketers who had limited use of interest audiences and audiences created from these lists.

In this age of automation, data can enhance the quality and effectiveness of your targeting whether it is used directly or indirectly.

Here are five fundamental steps you can take to increase the quality of your account by using first-party data.

1. Integrate your data into your advertising platforms

How to add first-party data is more important than just getting it added.

Start by exporting and uploading data.

Your audience will evolve over time. The best way to keep up with the latest information is to integrate your web platform and your advertising accounts.

First-party audiences segments will be added to the optimized targeting criteria for audience expansion as a result of the deprecation in Google Ads.

It is therefore important to have high-quality data from first-party audiences.

Direct integrations are available in the major advertising channels for all the top ecommerce platform.

Some require more effort to install and some can be temperamental, dropping off at times.

Most are simple and well worth the effort.

Dig deep: Capture first-party data: The new imperative for search marketers

2. Google Ads: Turn on conversion-based lists of customers

This technically counts as an integration of first-party data into Google. Instead of your web platform feeding Google data, this time they create it using the enhanced conversion tag.

Google creates automatically a list of customers based on conversions when the tag is implemented correctly.

This feature can be enabled at the account level.

This will enrich your audience data just as you would with your own data.

You can add additional data to your platform integration if you set it up in a certain way.

It’s still a good idea to have a backup in case there are any issues with platform integration. Beware of the custom platform!

3. Metafocus on First-Party Lookalike Audiences

Meta’s lookalike audiences feature is still available, even though Google no longer has similar audiences.

The importance of these lookalike audiences has increased with the audience reductions after iOS 14.

In the last year or so, with fewer options for interest audiences available, I have relied on them more than ever.

I always preferred to use the interest audience over any variation of lookalikes.

After iOS 14, I have noticed that lookalike audiences are the most effective.

The larger the audience of the customer list, the more reliable will be the lookalike.

4. Performance Max campaign signals from first-party audiences can be tested

This has worked well for me with clients who have large enough audiences. (Minimum 10,000 people per list before you import into Google Ads).

I combine the first-party data audience with their third-party audiences for remarketing and run only with this combined signal.

No specific intent. No affinity, in-market or demographic audiences.

Only your own data

The results are not conclusive but I have noticed that around 60% of the asset groups I run alongside an asset group that has a more stacked signal of audience perform better on ROAS and revenue. (I can see this because of Mike Rhodes Performance Maxim insights script).

I haven’t seen any problems with fewer clicks or impressions. So, the smaller audiences do not seem to affect reach.

The impact of audience signals in Performance Max campaigns is yet to be determined, particularly those that use Shopping feeds. This is because the main targeting weapon for these campaigns are the attributes of the product feed, such as titles and description.

They are said to be used for a kickstarting a campaign, and to guide the algorithm.

If you want to get that 1% extra in performance, test out audience signals from first- and third party data sources – not just for PMax campaigns.

Learn how to track Performance Max campaigns using Google Apps Script

5. Segment your data for different user intent

You should segment your lists if you have multiple lists that are large.

You will need to consider the type of data that you have. You should still be able filter by user quality, i.e. users who spend more than X dollars or have purchased more than X dollars.

These parameters can be used to create VIP lists and segments within your ecommerce system. You can create lists with high quality and high intent that you can use for audience signals or lookalike audiences.

What about customers who bought your product, but have not returned to purchase again in X months?

Create a custom remarketing campaign using a promo code in order to engage the customer and get them back into the brand.

What about those users who requested a sample of a product but have not yet purchased it?

Use some creative tailor-made and unique incentives to attract their attention.

If you want to increase retention rates and lifetime values, it is important to separate these high-intent audiences from the rest and cultivate them with different strategies.

You probably already show users at the top of the funnel different messages and creatives based on where they are within the funnel.

The bottom of the funnel is where the intent is higher, so extra care must be taken.

Don’t waste your data points if you have enough.

Data will continue to grow. Make sure you have a data channel that matches your retention strategy.

It’s likely that you paid for traffic to acquire customers, so make the most of it.

You can also use these data profiles for email surveys about your product, customer service or other topics.

Find out why the customer has only purchased a product once, but not returned to purchase it again.

If the list is small, but you have the phone numbers of the customers and a good sales team in place, then go the old-fashioned route and see if it’s worth the effort to follow up.

You can achieve much more than just targeted advertising.

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