Blockchain will bring transparency to advertising
Blockchain is the basis of many of the technologies currently being developed. TechCrunch mentioned that Maersk and IBM pooled their resources to build a blockchain specific to shipping, showing the extent to which this technology has disrupted established industries and enterprises. Search marketing seems like the least likely place where blockchain would be utilised, but understanding the benefits of the blockchain suggests that search advertising might be precisely where the technology is expected to shine.
In recent years, search marketing has grown into quite a lucrative field. As Shopify notes, more than half of online shoppers across the world buy from overseas retailers. Directing customers to a product is the core of search marketing. To ensure that we do this properly, we need to bring new technology in (like blockchain) to bolster our SEO efforts. From a cursory glance, it’s easy to imagine how blockchain will affect the world of search marketing.
Giving trust back to the consumer
Few people enjoy ads. The art of getting to know if someone wants a product is an invasive act sometimes. Blockchain offers a means of returning trust to the supply chain and offering customers peace of mind. Inc states that as much as 96 per cent of people don’t trust ads, and in a business where ads enable functionality, being able to bring that trust back to the consumer would be priceless.
Blockchain, thanks to the nature of their construction, ensures all records are unalterable. Supply chains can benefit from this by keeping their inventory numbers up to date, but customers can also benefit from this as they get to see where their product is in the shipping process. Additionally, it adds a layer of transparency to the transactions so that consumers don’t have to be mistrustful about the company or website they’re buying from.
Bringing transparency to advertising
Among the most significant problems consumers have with companies is how opaque some of their advertising is. By nature, a company’s advertising hinges on convincing the buyer that they need a product. Over the years, there has been a tendency for companies to rely on collecting user information to fuel their marketing efforts. The obvious downside is that users’ information sometimes leak to the internet, leading to scandals and potential lawsuits.
The blockchain offers a secure, safe, and trustworthy location for data collected from the customer. Additionally, to increase the consumer’s trust, the blockchain can even provide information about the company that one is dealing with and their impact of the business within the local economy. The more companies invest in the blockchain, the stronger and safer the technology becomes.
Blockchain-based advertising methods
The methodology of using technological advancements to fuel advertising is as old as technology itself. The blockchain is among the most recent adoptions of disruptive technology to change the face of online advertising. Block Geeks state that some companies are already incorporating cryptocurrency into their ad delivery system, paying customers that view ads through a blockchain-based currency system.
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Cryptocurrencies, when taken in the context of advertising, offer a secure method of payment that can make ads even more powerful. By combining this secure payment method with advertising, consumers can see a product they want and immediately buy it without having to go through a series of long verification processes for payment to be transferred. Furthermore, the blockchain actively records each transaction that takes place so neither party can falsify the information, ensuring a lower incidence of financial fraud.
Ad payment systems through blockchain
The blockchain’s power lies in its ability to develop custom agreements in the form of smart contracts that are scheduled to execute at a pre-determined time. Leveraging these contracts ensure that businesses can keep traffic coming to their sites without having to worry about if their payment system for ad delivery is being affected. The blockchain is likely to be a benefit for both ad buyers as well as ad suppliers, giving both more security in their business processes.
Blockchain browsers can change the face of ad delivery
Browsers that incorporate blockchain technology can increase user security online. Additionally, they can offer a more secure advertising experience. Ads that invade the privacy of the user will be a thing of the past as these browsers put user security first.
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As more users adopt a blockchain-based browsing experience, unscrupulous pop-up ads, and dangerous websites that erode the trust of the consumer will begin to die out. The removal of these questionable ads serves to help legitimate businesses appeal to customers. In turn, this increases consumer trust in the advertiser.
One technological advance among many
The blockchain has already made its way into several different industries across the world. and while it may take a while for blockchain to impact the online advertising world massively, its impact is inevitable. Blockchain-based technology is likely to change the face of the internet over the decade, and search marketing is one of the areas that it is expected to cause a massive shake-up. Knowing where the blockchain fits in search marketing helps us to deal with the incoming waves of technological change before they occur.
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