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Facebook Ads and the Impact of iOS 14
Within the Digital Marketing space, there has been a lot of talk around the impact of Apple’s iOS 14 update and how it’s going to affect Facebook Advertising.
Effectively, the latest iOS update will include new informational content featured within the app store, allowing users to view what an app will track before installing it on their device.
It will also feature a new permission prompt where the user will choose whether they want that specific app to track their activity.
We believe users should have the choice over the data that is being collected about them and how it’s used. Facebook can continue to track users across apps and websites as before, App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14 will just require that they ask for your permission first. pic.twitter.com/UnnAONZ61I
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) December 17, 2020
How does iOS 14 affect your Facebook ads?
Facebook has created an in-depth document outlining the specific changes, but we will cover it briefly within this Zelst blog.
Essentially, the new Apple update will affect how Facebook receive and process conversion events from specific tools such as the Facebook Pixel. Advertisers that specifically focus on advertising mobile apps, as well as those that want to optimise, target and report on conversions events, will evidently be affected by the new iOS 14 update.
Specifically, Apple’s policy will prohibit data collection and sharing if the user opts out of tracking via the prompt. As more and more people opt-out of tracking on iOS 14 devices, both ad personalisation and reporting will be limited when it comes to tracking both app and website conversion events.
An important distinction for people to remember: If the user opts-out of tracking, it will not stop them from seeing ads. It virtually means users will see less relevant ads, as advertisers will be unable to target you based on your interests and activities.
When we are looking directly at how your Facebook marketing efforts will be affected by the new iOS 14 update, we can see that these changes will limit your ability to:
- Effectively deliver ads to people based on the existing engagements they have had with your business.
- Track and report on specific conversions for certain customers.
- Ensure your advertisements are delivered to the most relevant people and at the right time and place.
- Predict and optimise your cost per action over time and efficiently allocate budget.
Although the above may seem daunting for many businesses, Facebook and digital marketing teams worldwide are doing everything they can to ensure they are as prepared as possible for the changes to take effect.
Facebook’s Response to iOS 14
If you’ve been following along since the Apple iOS 14 update was announced, you can see that it has created an even stronger rivalry between the two tech giants. In December, for example, Facebook removed the ‘verified’ tick from Apple’s page and took out a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal outlining how these changes will negatively impact small businesses across the globe.
Facebook is in full attack mode!
— Matt Navarra (@MattNavarra) December 16, 2020
It’s put out full-page ads in today’s New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal to attack Apple https://t.co/RiJ7VMJj2H pic.twitter.com/rXkMxYIlRs
In response to Apple’s changes, Facebook will now start processing pixel conversion events on these devices using Aggregated Event Management. At the end of January, Apple users reported that the new prompt had been shown; however, we are yet to see how these changes affect our marketing efforts.
What should I do next about the iOS 14 update?
We are still unclear about how big of an impact this update will have on Facebook advertising, tracking and results. We also can’t be sure how many people will choose to opt-out of tracking and how many will click that allow button.
Are you feeling a little overwhelmed by the iOS 14 update and still unsure how it will affect your marketing efforts? We have a highly experienced Biddable Media team on hand to help you and your business navigate the Facebook advertising world. Contact us today and say Hello!
