Last week Apple launched its' IOS 14.5 update which includes a new privacy tool that has been worrying digital advertisers for months now.
Why it's such a big deal.
The new update will allow iPhone and iPad users to opt-in or out of digital tracking in apps that monitor their behavior and share that data with third-party advertisers. The new privacy tool, called App Tracking Transparency, will be shown as a pop-up that appears as users open an app that wants to track online activity. Privacy advocates applaud Apple for this significant shift in policy as users will now have more control over who they share their browsing data with. While that sounds great to most people, advertisers and businesses alike have expressed concerns that this shift will cause catastrophic changes in the effectiveness of online ads.
The war between the Goliath & Goliath.
Facebook has been opposing this particular IOS update for many months now and it's no surprise why. Facebook's $105 billion USD digital advertising platform hinges on its ability to serve incredibly targeted ads to users based on the trove of user data they collect through app data. With these privacy changes going into effect, mobile advertisers are not feeling overly optimistic. They worry that people will not opt-in to have advertisers track their browsing data, which will cause ad targeting to suffer and will ultimately drive the cost per thousand impressions (CPMs) through the roof. While no one knows for sure what will happen, they will affect how ads are run.
How to prepare your Facebook Ads account.
While the outlook looks grim, it's not time to change your social advertising strategy just yet. The truth is that Facebook is still one of the best networks for advertisers due to its large user base and advanced targeting options. So how can you prepare your business for these changes?
Ensure your Facebook Ads continue to run properly.
Follow these four steps to optimize your Facebook Ads account for the new IOS updates.
1) Verify your business domain on Facebook. To do this, you'll go to "Facebook Business Manager", and then to "Brand Safety" and then "Verify Domain".
2) Set 8 preferred web conversions or actions you'd like Facebook to track data for. To do this, you'll go to "Facebook Business Manager" then to "Events Manager" and then choose which web conversions you want to have tracked.
3) Ensure your ad pixel is connected to the conversions API and not the old version.
4) Review your existing ads & ad sets to see if anything has been paused in the "Resource Centre" tab.
While these actions aren't a silver bullet, they will certainly help prepare your Facebook Ads account for the IOS update and ensure your existing ads continue to run smoothly.
I hope you liked this blog post. If you want a customized digital marketing strategy to help grow your business online, reach out to my team at Heather Emrich Digital to book a call.