What the Apple iOS updates are and what changes to expect.

Apple has implemented a new update for its devices called iOS. Put it simply, Apple is requiring all apps in the App Store, including Facebook and other Social Media platforms, to show a prompt to Apples’ devices asking for Users’ permission before collecting data. So that any Apple’s iOS User can opt-out from behaviour’s tracking – meaning that apps such as Facebook would not be able to collect data about his interests, link clicks and so on. This is a huge deal for Marketers, or small business owners that manage their marketing,  as the knowledge of whom to target is crucial to cost-effective advertising.

If you don’t have information about those Apple Users that have chosen to protect their privacy, how can you find out if the Facebook advertising you’re paying for is working? Many are wondering: will still be worthy to use Facebook Advertising ? According to the Data Specialists at Adcraft Studio, Social Media Marketing is still extremely effective – here are some of our insights.

3 reasons why Facebook Advertising is still effective, despite the iOS update.

1. Social Media Marketing is about being updated with trends and changes

Everything changes, especially within the Marketing and Advertising field. Adaptability, resilience and a bird-eye view are the best approaches to adopt in Business at any time. Facebook, indeed, is already actively working on adapting to those changes and we have no doubts that the company will come up with more and more effective solutions. Assumed that diversify your Marketing Strategy (e-mail marketing, SEO, Google Ads, Facebook Ads) is always better than putting all your eggs in one basket, you don’t have to quit Facebook advertising, but just smart-adapt your way to do it.

2. Facebook Marketing still works effectively with Androids Users

According to Finances Online Androids outnumber iPhones 3 to 1 in the worldwide market”. Yes, the update negatively affects small businesses’ ability to target Apple users. However, you can still effectively personalised your Ads and target the behaviour of the remaining 75% represented by Androids users.

3. Value is the new Marketing metric

Facebook is the most used social media in the World, with 1.79 billion daily visits. It is still the largest window towards the world and the largest platform for Advertising. It is simply something you cannot dismiss. According to GWI, each generation uses Facebook for various reasons, beyond be in touch with family and friends: from entertainment to memes and parody accounts, following news, sports, brands and so on. But the underlying trait is that people on Facebook are extremely perceptive of what they see – compared to traditional advertising such as billboards. And therefore, shareable, engaging content will always pay off – independently from your ability to track Apple Users responses.

It is true the smart data are fundamental to Marketing, and as a data-driven agency, we will always be supportive of it. However, we cannot ignore that value has become a metric on its own – especially for Social Media algorithms. Clickbait, intrusive, spammy Ads that do not show valuable and genuine content, not only are penalised by the Facebook algorithm but are no longer trendy among the viewers. Content that interests and creates a connection with a potential prospect is an indispensable condition for any successful campaign – whether your object is brand awareness or lead generation.

3 ways to work around Facebook ads after iOS updates:

In addition to having some Ads targeting only Android Users, you can also:

1. Create a campaign’s external conversion objective

This would mean utilising your website’s internal tracking to measure the success of a campaign – when the campaign is set to increase your web traffic – and to monitor if a conversion comes from it. For instance, if you are running a lead generation campaign that redirects to your Business’s website, you can then determine if people are visiting your website and performing the desired action: such as filling a form or giving your Business a call. This does not neglect the importance of retargeting, but it reinforces the importance of having an internal tracking system and not rely solely on Facebook’s pixel.

2. Rely more on internal data such as Google Analytics and CRM

You can use your Website visitors as a lookalike audience for your Facebook advertising. Although this is not precise as Facebook retargeting, is still an awesome way to maximise the success of all your Ads, even those present in Facebook advertising.

3. Know your Audience

Instead of relying on Facebook to know your Audience, do your market research and build custom lists that can reach even those Apple Users who have opted out. Collecting more first-party data will allow you to personalise the customer’s journeys. For instance, consider adding an extra landing page in your conversion flow. You can then ask users to enter their info here, which will allow you to use this data to create a custom audience for your Facebook advertising.

Ultimately, retargeting is a middle-man of your Facebook advertising and you can cut it through by investing more in market research and owning your data, and by closely monitoring the results from Facebook advertising to customise your Audience without broadening it too much. Don’t forget that although Facebook is the most popular place for people to hang out, it is the mean of Advertising and not the end goal.

If you are not sure of how to handle your Facebook advertising, our Team is available for a free online meeting to help you better understand where you’re at and implement effective solutions to your Social Media Marketing.

Why is it difficult to obtain results through Facebook Advertising?

The reason why it can be difficult to obtain results through Facebook advertising is due to the platform’s nonlinear equation. This means that many variables can make the solution unpredictable.

These variables include:

• The Bid

The Facebook Advertising platform works through bidding auctions. Which means that the highest bid gets the most visibility. The amount you bid for a click, is not what you’re going to pay. It’s the maximum you’re willing to pay. If you bid $10 and your competitors bid $2 you will only pay $2.01. However, if you try to bid too low you might not get any exposure. Knowing how competitors bid, and what amount is purposeful for your goals is something you learn from experience.

• Ad Quality

Ads with higher quality perform better. Ads with lower quality ranking tend to cost more. The metrics that the algorithm follows are explained by Facebook itself. As mentioned before, Facebook algorithms don’t like clickbait ads – or misleading outrageous offers.

• Campaign Goal

Defining what your goal is, is crucial to be on the same page with your results. For instance, if you set your campaign goal as “reach”, Facebook will try to show that Ad to as many people as possible – outside the range of people that are the most likely to take action. If you expect this campaign to increase the sales or even the likes on your page you might not think it has been effective, even though the reach might have been very ample.

• The Targeting

One of the biggest factors is targeting. How broad or detailed depends on your strategy, your product, and your goal. There is no one formula for Facebook advertising and it’s something you need to research – or get professional help to understand your audience.

• Ad Duration

In regards to ad duration here are two main things to consider. Firstly, you must factor in the time taken for the logarithm to optimise your ad. The ad may take some time to learn where to place your ad and who to show it to. The time it takes to optimise an ad will differ for every campaign. Secondly, running an ad for too long may cause “ad blindness” that could lead to the opposite result, such as users hiding your ads.

• Your Ad Itself

If your ad itself is boring or too salesy, it’s most likely not going to perform well. People get interrupted with ads all of the time and unless they are already interested in your product they are unlikely to click. It’s not easy to convert somebody from a cold to a hot customer. Not even with discounts or offers.

How the iOS updates have affected Facebook Ads?

So what effect does the iOS update have on the already complex Facebook advertising system? Apple has released a new feature to the operative system which allows Apple users to choose if they want Facebook to track their data or not.

Meaning that the main effect that these changes have is in regards to retargeting. Retargeting is now not so effective for iOS users, because the algorithm can no longer track users’ behaviour towards the ads, including; engagement, clicks, and so on.

So, what should you do now?

Let’s start by saying that this is a complex matter and that Facebook itself is the best source to discover how to best adapt to these changes. Because it’s in Facebook’s best interests to have successful advertisers paying for it, Facebook is already trying to tackle the issue themselves.

This might take time, but there is no doubt that Facebook will do all in its power to evolve accordingly. In the meantime, remember these five things:

• You can still re-target Android users. You might want to actively exclude iOS Users from your retargeting;
• Try to broaden your re-targeted audience;
• Collect more first-party data yourself to personalise the customer’s journeys. For instance, consider adding an extra landing page in your conversion flow. You can then ask users to enter their info here, which will allow you to use this data to create a custom audience for your Facebook ads.
• Base your Marketing strategies on true value;
• Remember, you can always advertise on other platforms such as Tik Tok or Instagram;