In the last year, online privacy and security have been important topics. As of late, Facebook has been attached to many controversial events related to their users’ data. These events came at a cost for Facebook users and for advertisers as well. Let’s talk about the major changes happening on Apple iOS14 and Facebook, and how they may be affecting your online marketing efforts.

Facebook users share videos that make us laugh, photos that help capture memories, and articles that spark conversations. The new data tracking policies and features allow people to opt-out of their data being tracked and give users more power. They can effectively choose if they want personalized ads or opt-out of having their data tracked. It is great for users.

As a result of privacy issues related to data leaks, companies like Apple have taken data privacy to a new level. They are now giving users a choice about having their data tracked across apps and websites. In particular, Apple iOS14 users must now be prompted to opt-in or out of data tracking by each app. When you allow apps like Facebook to use your app and website activity you get more personalized ads and content, but not surprisingly, more than 96% of iOS14 users have opted out of tracking. 

This means that many users are no longer seeing the same ads — at least on Apple iPhones. This is HUGE, especially since iOS has over 52% of the market, passing Android users in the US in 2021. Coupled with the fact that people viewing the internet via phone is over 54% in 2021, these changes are creating challenges for businesses large and small that rely on platforms like Facebook for advertising. Many companies with large budgets are still fighting for views and clicks, but it has been a major blow for small business marketing.

Facebook goes into great detail about the ways you can ensure people can see your ads (check out our Facebook domain verification tutorial), but they are also telling us LESS people will see ads now — and it may stay that way.

So what it looked like previously, was any standard user on Facebook, Instagram, and more could see ads that you created, depending on your targeting criteria. You could target audiences, deliver ads, and people could choose to either react or not. Simple as that. If they clicked on your ad the data was tracked for 28+ days, plus you had the ability to serve follow up or remarketing ads to encourage people to interact with the ads. 

Since Apple iOS14 rolled out in the first quarter of 2021, users are more alert about data tracking as a result of options to opt-in or out of tracking. Since Apple devices account for 52% of mobile devices, that means a HUGE amount of people can choose to opt-out of your Facebook ads. And your window to track people who interact with your ads is no longer 28+ days, it’s now 7 days with a 3-day delay to record that incoming data, which makes it more challenging to react and adapt.

So far when Facebook is accessed on an Android device or a computer, ads can continue to reach users, but the removal of the majority of iOS14 users cuts out a huge market. It is making ad spending and performance tracking much harder.

One thing we are seeing with many marketers and agencies is an increase in CPC (cost per click). What may have once cost $0.29 per click may now cost $2.30+ depending on your ads. The overall cost of advertising on Facebook has dramatically increased. It’s frustrating that you now have to spend more to reach fewer people. Unfortunately, you may be putting money in play that just isn’t working.

Without permissions from iOS14 users to track behavior when people leave Facebook, it can feel a bit like you are flying blind. You may be getting more views from unknown sources and that data can take more days to be tracked through your site. Facebook Pixels can be used to track clicks on ads, but if people have opted-out of all data tracking, there isn’t anything to track. 

• Make sure your domain is verified, we have a step by step article on how to do this.

• Set up and prioritize your web events (limited to 8) in the Event Manager section of your Facebook Business Ad Manager. These events are a way to help you track website clicks when people add something to their cart and purchases. You can rate the importance of the Pixels for Facebook to see what is the most valuable data you want Facebook Pixel to record.

• Work on creating broader campaigns. I’ve seen many discussions about how a single ad may work better right now than multiple more targeted ads. It is especially important right now to test your ads and see what earns better results.

• Retargeting campaigns may be shrinking due to people opting out of tracking, and may not be worth continuing. One idea is to restart with a lookalike audience based on your website visitors.

• Work on broader audiences. Your niche target audience might have opted out and fewer people are seeing your ads, so it may be time to think bigger. Go broad with your audience targeting so that you cast a wider net.

• In some cases, starting from scratch and developing a new ad strategy may be part of the process related to new data, since the old data may no longer be good.

• Work on your organic search reach. Create more engaging content that is searchable. Blogging is great for this. It is time to get creative and find more ways to push people to your site via search engine marketing (SEM), other social media channels, and email marketing.

Besides giving you access to make changes to your ad strategy, Facebook is rapidly making changes to how data is collected and reported through their own system. It is not clear what direction they are going right now. Unfortunately, Facebook is not in power on this decision. If they don’t allow users to opt-out of tracking, Apple can pull their app from the Apple Store, which would be a major blow.

Other strategies they have resorted to are bit more cringe-worthy and scare tactics.

No, we can take a breath on that for now. Tons of changes are happening right now in the digital ad space. I want to wait to see what Facebook and others have planned for users. Unfortunately, the change feels abrupt on their front, and unprepared. For now, we're in an experimental phase and focusing energy on rebuilding campaigns. People could be buying from ads on Facebook, but they are not tracked if they are buying through an iOS14 device so it’s hard to see what is effective. 

Digital ads in the last 10 years have given small businesses, like artists and photographers, opportunities to connect to customers in a way they never had before. I really don’t think Apple and Facebook are out to crush online advertising efforts, because why would that be?

It’s time to get creative and be aware of your ad spending.

TLDR, iOS users can opt-out of seeing your ads, the cost of ads has gone up, and you might have to start from scratch.

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