FAQs

What is Private Click Measurement (PCM) and why it’s so important for your brand?

By August 4, 2023 No Comments

In recent years, there has been a growing concern about the privacy of user data. This concern has led to a number of changes in the way that advertisers track and measure the effectiveness of their campaigns. One of the most significant changes has been the introduction of Private Click Measurement (PCM).

First, let’s share the benefits:

  1. You can improve your ad targeting. 
  2. You can increase your conversion rates. 
  3. You can save money on your ad campaigns.

What is Private Click Measurement (PCM)?

PCM is a privacy-preserving framework for attribution and ad measurement on web browsers. It uses encrypted, ephemeral data to track click-through rates and conversions without compromising user privacy. This makes it a valuable tool for brands that want to measure the effectiveness of their campaigns without sacrificing the privacy of their users.

  1. Emphasis on User Privacy: As users become more aware and protective of their online data, maintaining user privacy has become not just a legal requirement, but a trust-building exercise. PCM enables brands to measure the effectiveness of their advertising while respecting this increased emphasis on privacy, helping brands build and maintain trust with their customers.
  2. Compliance with Privacy Regulations: With growing global regulations like GDPR and CCPA, non-compliance with privacy rules can lead to severe penalties. PCM provides a way for your brand to measure the success of ad campaigns while adhering to these privacy laws and regulations.
  3. Future-Proofing Advertising Strategies: With industry leaders like Apple taking significant strides towards privacy-centric models, it’s clear that digital advertising is heading in a similar direction. By adapting to these changes early on, your brand can stay ahead of the curve, effectively future-proofing its advertising strategies.
  4. Effective Ad Measurement: Despite its focus on privacy, PCM does not compromise on providing actionable insights for advertisers. While the data may be less granular, it still offers valuable information about the performance of your ad campaigns.

How does it benefit your Brand?

There are a number of benefits to using PCM for ad attribution and measurement. First, it is more privacy-preserving than traditional methods of tracking. This is important for brands that want to be transparent with their users about how their data is being used. Second, PCM is more accurate than traditional methods of tracking. This is because it uses encrypted, ephemeral data that is less likely to be tampered with. Third, PCM is more scalable than traditional methods of tracking. This is because it can be used to track millions of clicks and conversions without compromising performance.

  • You can improve your ad targeting. By tracking the effectiveness of your ads, you can learn more about who is clicking on your ads and what they are interested in. This information can be used to improve your ad targeting and reach more of the right people with your ads.
  • You can increase your conversion rates. By tracking the effectiveness of your ads, you can learn more about what is driving people to convert. This information can be used to improve your landing pages and other conversion-focused assets.
  • You can save money on your ad campaigns. By tracking the effectiveness of your ads, you can see which campaigns are performing well and which ones are not. This information can be used to optimize your ad campaigns and save money on your advertising budget.

Embracing the Future with PCM

The introduction of technologies like Private Click Measurement marks a new era in digital advertising, one where user privacy and effective ad campaigns are no longer mutually exclusive. It may represent a departure from traditional targeted advertising strategies, but it also paves the way for a more sustainable, privacy-centric approach to digital marketing.

In conclusion, Private Click Measurement, with its privacy-first approach, is not just an add-on tool, but a sign of the times and future of digital advertising. Adopting and integrating PCM into your advertising strategy today will ensure your brand is ready to thrive in the ever-evolving digital landscape of tomorrow. Respecting privacy, ensuring compliance, and gaining valuable insights – PCM is your ticket to navigating this new frontier of digital advertising.

FAQs

What is Private Click Measurement (PCM) and is it the same as SKAdNetwork?

No, SKAdNetwork and Private Click Measurement (PCM) are not the same. SKAdNetwork is a privacy-preserving framework for attribution and ad measurement on iOS devices. PCM is a privacy-preserving framework for attribution and ad measurement on web browsers. For more on SKAdNetwork read this article.

Here is a table that summarizes the key differences between SKAdNetwork and PCM:

FeatureSKAdNetworkPCM
PlatformiOSWeb
Data privacyUses aggregated, non-personalized dataUses encrypted, ephemeral data
AttributionTracks app installs and post-install conversionsTracks click-through rates and conversions
AvailabilityAvailable on all iOS devices running iOS 14.5 or laterAvailable on Chrome and Safari

Overall, SKAdNetwork and PCM are both privacy-preserving frameworks for attribution and ad measurement. However, they are designed for different platforms and have different capabilities.

How to use PCM with your Facebook Ads?

To use PCM and Facebook Ads together, you will need to:

  1. Set up your PCM server. You will need to set up a PCM server to collect and store your click and conversion data. You can do this by using the PCM software development kit (SDK).
  2. Configure your Facebook Ads account. You will need to configure your Facebook Ads account to send click and conversion data to your PCM server. You can do this by adding the following code to your Facebook Ads account’s conversion tracking settings:
pcm_server = "pcm.example.com"
pcm_key_pair = "private.key"
pcm_public_key = "public.key"
  1. Track your clicks and conversions. Once you have set up your PCM server and configured your Facebook Ads account, you can start tracking your clicks and conversions. You can do this by adding the following code to your website:
<script>
function trackClick(clickId) {
  var pcm = new PCM();
  pcm.trackClick(clickId);
}

function trackConversion(conversionId) {
  var pcm = new PCM();
  pcm.trackConversion(conversionId);
}
</script>
  1. Analyze your data. Once you have tracked your clicks and conversions, you can analyze the data using the PCM API. The PCM API allows you to get insights into how your ads are performing on Facebook.

Here is an example of how to get insights into how your ads are performing on Facebook using the PCM API:

import pcm

clicks = pcm.get_clicks(platform="facebook")

for click in clicks:
  print(click.click_id)
  print(click.conversion_id)
  print(click.conversion_time)

How to use PCM with Google ads?

As of March 8, 2023, Google has announced that it will no longer support PCM for Google Ads. This is due to the fact that Google is moving to a new attribution model called Attribution Reporting 360 (ARR360). ARR360 is a more privacy-preserving attribution model that does not require the use of PCM.

Keith Hubert

Keith Hubert

Fractional CMO