How to plan around the iOS 14 update

We recently blogged about the iOS changes and their impact on Facebook Advertising. If you are across this, you will know that Apple’s June 2021 release is going to have a big impact on how we can advertise, and we all need to be prepared.

While the changes apply to all Apps, it’s true to say that Facebook Applications like Facebook, Instagram and Messenger, will be more affected as Facebook advertising relies heavily on pixel tracking to create remarketing lists, conversion events, and so on.

Advertisers will know that when you create a conversions campaign in Facebook, the algorithm learns and optimizes in a way to drive more of the desired action for you. Which of course is great for Facebook advertisers because we get highly targeted ads and minimal budget wastage. It’s also good for users as they receive ads that they are more interested in.

So the bottom line is that when the changes are introduced, things are going to be flipped on their head. So what can we do?

What can we do now?

Some simple workarounds for the update in the immediate future would be:

Complete domain verification

All businesses should verify their domain as a best practice. However, it's important to prioritise verifying your domains if your domains integrate pixels that are owned by multiple businesses or personal ad accounts.

Domain verification is not a new process for businesses and it can be completed from your Business Manager. The key difference is that domain verification needs to be done at the effective top-level domain plus one (eTLD+1), but the process is otherwise the same.

Contact us if you need any help with this.

Plan to operate with eight conversion events per domain

Under the changes, you will only be able to configure up to eight unique conversion events per website domain. Ad sets optimising for a conversion event that's no longer available will be paused. It’s time to review your conversion events, and put in place a revised strategy as appropriate.

GET ACROSS IN-APP SHOPPING

Start listing your product catalogues in Facebook and Instagram Shop, so you can sell directly to your customers on the app. When your audiences are encouraged to shop on the platform, you’ll have a greater ability to retarget those who have shown interest in your brand.

Create campaigns outside of the conversion objective

This would mean running web visit campaigns (or others) and using your website’s internal tracking to determine if a sale or conversion occurred as a result of the ads. UTM’s and a variety of other tactics can be used to determine which campaign, ad set and ad that a conversion took place from without having to rely 100% on Facebook’s tracking pixel. Lead ad campaigns can be used as well. This strategy will not negate the impact on retargeting audiences but will aid in your ability to drive results from prospecting campaigns.

Create strategies for fast database growth 

What I mean by this is to require that users give you information about themselves earlier in the conversion process. First name, last name or email addresses can be retroactively uploaded back into Facebook to generate custom audiences for retargeting purposes. This is a very roundabout way of approaching the issue but may allow you to rely more on folks who are willing to give you some information rather than the pixel fires from simple page views.

Explore other channels

We have long been advocates for not having all of your advertising eggs in one basket, and now more than ever is the time to look outside of the square to see what’s possible for your business. B2C brands who offer a lifestyle product or service should consider looking at Pinterest, which is rolling out some interesting retargeting potential. B2B brands should look closely at LinkedIn.

ADJUST AD BUDGETS

Unfortunately, the reality is it will become more expensive to advertise on social media. And so, once you’ve done your placement testing, you’ll need to revisit your overall budget strategy. Allocations of ad spend will ultimately come down to which platforms perform best at which functions, and also how much administration is required to sustain results.