The iOS tracking update, slated for early 2021, is going to have a massive impact on the world of advertising.
The iOS 14 update requires all apps to explicitly ask for permission to gather data and track users across mobile apps and websites. This includes Facebook’s app, and it impacts Facebook ads conversion attribution, (re)targeting audiences, and more.
Here’s a recent Tweet from Apple’s CEO, explaining their reasons for doing this and how things are going to work when the iOS 14 update is rolled out:
That actually sounds innocuous, and even positive. But if you are a business that relies on Facebook Ads to increase your bottom line, then this “harmless” tracking prompt is a concerning thing.
Not only the “Ask App not to Track” is the first option presented to users, but in current times it is probably safe to say that the prevalent sentiment towards tracking people’s online behaviour is a negative one. Especially after documentaries like the “The Great Hack” and “The Network Dilemma” came out.
So, we dare say that the “Ask App not to Track” will be the preferred setting for the majority of users.
And the result: Targeting options and information will become more limited on Facebook (and likely other platforms).
If you work inside of a Facebook Ad Account, running your own ads, you probably already have seen the following warning:
Though at this stage things aren’t crystal clear, we have managed to gather some of the most important information to help you keep a finger on the pulse of these changes and also prepare ahead of time.
How it’s going to work:
The biggest impacts for most DR advertisers are:
Facebook says, “Once Apple requires the prompt and it’s shown on Facebook and Instagram, advertisers running campaigns that optimize, target or report on web events from any of our advertising tools will be impacted by limitations on data sharing.”
This statement translates to, more specifically:
What marketers/businesses should do to prepare for iOS14 and its impact on Facebook ads
- 1Verify your domain - https://developers.facebook.com/docs/sharing/domain-verification
- 2Install Facebook’s Conversions API (CAPI) - Link
More to come as things unfold in the coming weeks. Keep an eye out for more email updates!
Pixel-based audiences are practically dead with the iOS 14.5 update. This is serious.
This week Facebook advertisers woke up to a surprising world...
? Demographics data is being replaced with "Uncategorized"
? Pixel-based audiences quickly and steadily shrinking
? Ad stats not updating (or they’re inaccurate)
Advertisers are asking each other:
"Is this a bug… or is this our new reality?"
No matter how much you read about what would iOS 14 mean for Facebook Ads, real-life problems with Apple’s Tracking Transparency rules seem to be bigger.
There are a thousand and one problems.
And there seem to be a million and one steps to solve them all.
But there’s ONE solution that is simpler and more effective than the rest:
Let me share what I found… so fare (5/521)
There’s ONE solution that is simpler and more effective than the rest:
Video Audiences
This is a audience type that’s readily available inside your Facebook Ads Manager.
But when you discover how to create Video Audiences, it’ll open your eyes to a whole new world of opportunities.
Let me explain:
Pixel-based audiences are practically dead with the iOS 14.5 update.
Sure, there are ways to fix this problem…
Video will solve much of your retargeting problems that are caused by the iOS 14.5 with Facebook Ads!
All WITHOUT any technical mambo jumbo or complicated steps…
And WITHOUT changing anything major in your daily workflow.
Sounds too good to be true?
First of all, you'll publish videos on your Facebook business page and/or Instagram business account as usual.
There’s absolutely nothing to change in how you run your social media accounts.
Then you'll use Video to create a Video Audience.
This special audience type will include everyone who has watched any of the content videos you've already posted in the past, as well as all the videos you’ll be posting in the future.
After creating these Video Audiences, then you can use them inside Facebook Ads just like any other custom audience.
Just use these Video Audiences in some of your ad sets and you will be surprised to see how well they perform.
Would you like us to create a video strategy for your business?
And in 2022 you have to keep your eye on Google tracking
After Apple announced App Tracking Transparency (ATT), we’ve all been wondering when Google would follow suit. Well, we have some good news and some bad news…
The bad news: Google has announced plans to eliminate cross-site identifiers (such as advertising IDs) on Android.
The good news: Unlike Apple, Google plans to provide a privacy-friendly alternative once this is rolled out. Although they haven't provided specifics on the alternative, they have definitely indicated their intent to do it, indirectly calling Apple a "blatantly restricting existing technology". Way to be subtle, Google…
What this means for you: Tracking individual users on Android will become impossible in the near future. Unlike Apple, Google does not intend to eliminate tracking; they just plan to replace it with more privacy-friendly alternatives, which is good news for us marketers.
18/02/2022 Update: Mozilla and Meta team up to solve the attribution problem
It’s an unlikely combination of companies, but hey, we won’t complain if it works.
More details: Mozilla and Meta have joined forces on a new proposal to hopefully solve the conversion measurement problem. The proposal has been named Interoperable Private Attribution (IPA).
How does it work? In a nutshell, IPA is a proposal that uses a bunch of complicated algorithms like (Multi-Party Computation (MPC), user aggregation, and more) to preserve attribution while not allowing advertisers to track individual users. In addition, IPA also has cross-device and cross-browser options to provide more robust attribution capabilities.
What’s next? Mozilla and Meta proposed IPA to the Private Advertising Technology Community Group (that’s a mouthful!), or PATCG for short. Let’s see the PATCG response.
