In exciting news for marketers, Google has introduced the ability to target customers directly using first-party data. Like Facebook’s Custom Audiences, Google’s Customer Match lets advertisers upload their email database to AdWords, for the search engine giant to correlate with users of its various platforms. Once the users are identified, advertisers can then deliver them tailored ads via Google search, Gmail or YouTube.

While you might expect Google’s product to lag behind Facebook’s at this early stage, a recent test by Larry Kim of Business 2 Community actually showed Customer Match outperforming Custom Audiences, based on a database of almost 360,000 emails. Google matched 50.4% of addresses compared to 48.99% on Facebook and a mere 10.2% on Twitter’s Tailored Audience feature.

Boosting the power of first-party data

Customer Match is about more than just reaching your existing customers though: it’s about reaching them wherever they are. In particular, it trumps the standard remarketing lists for search ads because it can recognize signed-in users no matter what device they’re on.

And with Similar Audiences, your reach can even extend beyond your own database. This feature seeks out users whose interests and characteristics match those of the users from your database, and allows you to tailor your message to them too – a tool that’s particularly useful if you’re looking to build awareness or grow your network.

Maximizing your resources

One key thing to note about Customer Match and similar targeting systems, is that successful campaigns will rely heavily on segmented audience data. That means identifying audience behaviors and characteristics that single them out for very specific targeting, whether it’s delivering special offers to reward loyal customers, luring back those identified as most at risk of churn, or picking up a customer who traditionally returns for a browse every Black Friday.

To do this effectively, marketers must have the systems in place to capture, organize and analyze first-party data. censhare's integrated platform enables businesses to manage data streams from multiple sources, condensing them into one accessible dashboard that delivers vital real-time audience insights. Explore our solutions to find out more.