Are you pulling your hair out trying to make sense of the changes IOS 14.5 is going to have on your business? You aren’t alone! This change is affecting thousands of advertisers, we are all in this together!
So first we need to understand what is exactly changing, and then I'll walk you through two easy solutions to ensure you maintain your prior marketing success.
What is happening?
Due to the release of IOS 14.5, the amount of user information shared with Facebook has been greatly reduced.
With Facebook unable to view data regarding conversions, it will be more difficult to target individuals, as the new IOS update allows users to opt-out of tracking. This in particular will impact interest tracking and web conversion events such as click and form submissions. This will mean that retargeting ads will be significantly impacted, with the user base shrinking.
Major areas of change for your ads.
- Target audiences
- Advertising on mobile apps
- Track web conversion events (click and form submission, etc.)
As you can probably tell, this is not ideal for any advertiser. However, don’t panic! Before you run to your partners and business consultants to cancel all your current Facebook campaigns, take a moment, breathe, this is not the end of ads!
IOS is not the only platform in the marketplace, not by a long shot! In fact, Android has a far greater total market share with 73%. Furthermore, Facebook itself is frantically working to work around these changes. Advertising is the golden goose that projected Facebook to its commercial success, and they sure as hell ain't going to let this goose go!
Main Actions for Advertisers using Web Events
Facebook has created a new tool called Aggravated event measurement. Aggregated Event Measurement limits domains to 8 conversion events that can be prioritized for conversion optimization. This can easily be done in events manager, and while it restricts your advertising slightly, it should not impact your business much if managed correctly.
The next change you may be required to make is to verify your domain on Facebook Business Manager, this will allow Facebook’s Business Manager account has the authority to configure and prioritize the 8 available conversion events for a given domain
Potential benefits.
Despite the doom and gloom apparency of this update, there is some sun on the way. With major changes to the pixel, this will scare off fair-weather advertisers. With less competition, the CPM for your future ads is likely to drop, and if you can find creative ways to advertise despite these changes then this could be a period of profitability for you and your business!
Number 1 method to work around this change.
The number one method I cannot recommend enough is deceptively simple. If Facebook is losing the ability to track off-site websites, then we must adapt and track ON Facebook!
This may sound simple but there are untapped markets just waiting to be used, and we can capture the data from these individuals who interact with your socials.
Assuming you have videos on your Facebook (if you don’t, please check our latest post on the 5 essential methods to maximize your social presence through video, cannot recommend enough!)
First:
1. In ads manager
2. Audience under tools
3. Create an audience
4. Custom audience
5. Now click on video audience
6. Click Next
7. Select Content type - select 10 seconds
8. Choose videos - Can choose which page you wish to have active
9. Choose a 30, 60 or 90 day range - Unless you have a small audience, where you can go up to the last 365 days.
10. Select Video views - 10 seconds
By targeting these recent contacts, you can replicate the results of the pixel, and even create a lookalike audience from this, as Facebook can analyse these potential clients.
Number 2 method to work around this change
The second method is more of a broad-strokes approach, by targeting all who interact with your page, from those who like, those who follow or those who comment.
To do this simply select;
1. Custom audience
2. Engaged with Facebook page
3. Select the page,
4. Everyone who engaged
Now you have two large audiences that you can show ads directly to within Facebook.
I know that with some simple adjustments your business will be back to full strength in no time at all! For more tips and tricks subscribe to our newsletter, full of useful information and marketing advice.
If you're not sure how effectively implement IOS 14.5 into your business then that's something Elyptus Digital can help with. Elyptus Digital have dedicated Marketing and technical teams with expertise in providing business-changing results through Messenger Marketing. Offices are located in Melbourne, Australia. Auckland, New Zealand. New York, USA and also a digital presence for clients worldwide.