There are massive changes happening that will affect how businesses advertise on Facebook with Apple's rollout of iOS 14. It is important that business owners and marketing managers understand these changes and how they will affect the way we advertise across the Facebook platform.
If all this has you feeling a little anxious, I have some proactive tips to help you and your business prepare and transition to this new system, whilst minimising its impact.
Introducing Apple’s iOS 14
Apple have begun rolling out their new iOS14 changes that will impact how we receive and process conversion events from tools such as the Facebook pixel. Specifically, Apple will now begin to require that apps in the App Store that engage in what Apple defines as "tracking" to show a prompt to iOS 14 users, in accordance with their AppTracking Transparency framework.
How will iOS 14 affect Facebook ads?
Targeting limitations
Apple's policy will prohibit certain data collection and sharing unless people opt in to tracking on iOS14 devices via the prompt. So basically what this means is that as more people opt out of tracking on iOS 14 devices, the size of your app connections, app activity Custom Audiences and website Custom Audiences may decrease. Ads personalisation and performance reporting will also be limited for both app and web conversion events as well.
Reporting limitations
it is important to note that the iOS 14 update will also bring the following limitations across Ads Manager, ads reporting and the Ads Insights API.
- Delayed reporting: Real-time reporting will not be supported and data may be delayed up to three days. Web conversion events will be reported based on the time the conversions occur and not the time of the associated ad impressions.
- Estimated results: Statistical modelling may be used to account for results at the ad set and ad levels, unless the campaign is composed of a single ad set and ad. For web conversion events, statistical modelling may be used to account for conversions from iOS 14 users.
- No support for breakdowns: For both app and web conversions, delivery and action breakdowns, such as age, gender, region and placement will no longer be supported.
- Changes to account attribution window settings: The default for all new or active ad campaigns will be set at a 7-day click attribution window.
How do I prepare for iOS 14 on Facebook?
There are actions business owners can take to prepare for these changes - and it is not too late to start implementing these changes now!
Verify Your Domain
The first step is to jump into your Business Manager and verify your website's domain to help avoid any future disruption of your website campaigns. To verify your domain you will need access to your Website host account, so you may need to reach out to your developer for some help here.
You will be given three options to verify your domain, there is no option preferred by Facebook so just go with the option that works best for you.
Setup Your Facebook Pixel Right
If you haven’t been using a Facebook pixel, this next bit of information may sound a little foreign, but I would also suggest contacting us about setting up your pixel as it is a vitally important tool when it comes to advertising!
But for those of you who have set-up your pixel, it’s important to check how the tags were added to your website. If you've already set up your pixel using IMG tags, Facebook are now recommending that you follow their developer documentation and add its base code between the opening and closing <head> tags on every page where you will be tracking website visitor actions.
Placing the code within your <head> tags reduces the chances of browsers or third-party code blocking the pixel's execution. It also executes the code sooner, increasing the chance that your visitors are tracked before they leave your page. Visit Facebook for Developers for more information.
Aggregated Event Measurement
Facebook has also started processing pixel conversion events from iOS 14 devices using Aggregated Event Measurement. This will now support your efforts to preserve user privacy and help you run effective campaigns.So once you have verified your domain and ensured your pixel is added per Facebook’s recommendations, the next step is to configure eight preferred web conversion events per domain in Events Manager as part of their Aggregated Event Measurement.
Facebook will initially configure the conversion events that they believe are the most relevant to your business based on your activity. But it is extremely important that you configure your priorities because if you try to optimise for a website conversion event that you haven't set as one of the eight prioritised website conversion events for your domain, your campaign's ad set will be turned off.
When you do update your conversion events in Events Manager it may take 72 hours until the update is complete. Once the update is complete though you can turn on your paused campaign, but please note that paused campaigns won't restart on their own after the changes are applied.
What else can business owners do to track performance?
There are other tools out there that you can use to track your digital advertising performance.
If you haven’t already be sure to go and get yourself the following free accounts:
These accounts will not only allow you to track your Facebook marketing efforts, but provide greater insight into your digital marketing efforts and your overall digital presence.
Author Bio
Michelle Trimble is a degree qualified marketing specialist who is passionate about breaking down the barriers business owners face when it comes to digital marketing!
After nearly 10 years working in the industry, Michelle decided to start Poppy Seed Media with the mission to provide more accessible marketing services.
Every business has the right to incredible marketing!
Michelle has provided marketing training to hundreds of individuals, working with businesses around the world to improve their overall strategies. Outside of the working world, Michelle is a mum to three young boys and loves any opportunity to get outside and enjoy the fresh air.
If you would like to book a free discover session with Michelle, please reach out.
