Navigating the Facebook ads landscape through iOS changes

When I create podcast content I really want to make sure that I’m helping you, my listeners. So when I asked in my free Facebook group what you wanted to hear, the topic of the recent iOS changes came up.

So this episode is all about navigating the recent iOS changes.

First, let’s take a look at what this actually means, because you may not be fully aware of it. 

At some point last year Apple released news that their new software update, also known as iOS 14 would allow people to opt-out from tracking on their iOS devices. 

What this means is that anyone with an iOS device, such as an iPhone or iPad, has the option to opt-out of having their actions tracked on the apps that are installed on their device. 

So this means apps like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn etc.

And while it might seem like the end of the advertising days, it’s not.

Tune in for more 🎧

Link: Facebook’s instructions for preparation

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Website: www.newschoolofmarketing.com
Facebook: @newschoolofmarketing
Facebook group: @newschoolofmarketing
Instagram: @bianca_mckenzie

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Transcript

Hey everyone, I hope you’re all well. 

When I create podcast content I really want to make sure that I’m helping you, my listeners. So when I asked in my free Facebook group what you wanted to hear, the topic of the recent iOS changes came up.

So this episode is all about navigating the recent iOS changes.

First, let’s take a look at what this actually means, because you may not be fully aware of it. 

At some point last year Apple released news that their new software update, also known as iOS 14 would allow people to opt-out from tracking on their iOS devices. 

What this means is that anyone with an iOS device, such as an iPhone or iPad, has the option to opt-out of having their actions tracked on the apps that are installed on their device. 

So this means apps like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn etc.

And while it might seem like the end of the advertising days, it’s not.

Firstly, plenty of people don’t use iOS devices, plus plenty of people don’t look at their Facebook account just on their mobile devices. It does not exclude people on desktop devices.

Also, it means that people’s privacy is better protected and us marketers will have a better job creating content and advertising content that is really focused on the absolute ideal client. 

Our marketing foundations are more important than ever. 

We have to make sure that what we do at a foundational level is solid. Plus we have to remember that we can’t rely on one marketing tactic. 

As much as it pains me to say this as an ads manager, Facebook and Instagram ads are not the be all and end all. 

Our organic attraction and engagement methods need to be working first. 

So how do we navigate these changes?

Firstly, like I said, your foundations need to be solid.

This was just as applicable before the iOS14 changes but they are even more important now. 

Before you dive into advertising, you really want to have a system, or funnel so to say, set up that takes your client from finding you, to getting to know you, to buying from you, to being loved by you. 

It’s my personal preference to have all of this working organically before spending money on advertising. 

It’s not to say that advertising won’t work, because it can, but it becomes a market research exercise. 

So the most important thing is that your funnel is working, ideally before you start running ads. 

Secondly, you need to prepare your business and Facebook ad account as best as you can.

There are some steps that Facebook has given us in terms of preparation.

1. Setup a Facebook Business Manager Account
2. Verify your domains inside of your Facebook Business Manager Account > Business Settings > Brand Safety > Domains
3. Configure your top 8 conversion events inside your Facebook Ads Manager Account > Events Manager > Aggregated Event Measurement > Configure Web Events. Prioritise your events in order of importance. E.g. for an ecommerce business I would prioritise the purchase event first, and then Initiate checkout, add to cart and then whatever other events you use.
4. Confirm existing campaigns are using conversion events that are in your configuration list Campaign > Ad Set > Conversion > Conversion Event
5. Setup Conversions API (Follow instructions for your platform or get a developer to help you)

These steps are what Facebook is telling us to do, and by preparing your account like this it will help Facebook do the best they can with the limited information they are now given. 

Third, you need to make sure that you can track your conversions off Facebook. Right now we’re seeing a lot of inaccurate results inside Facebook ads manager and it’s not tracking things correctly for a lot of my clients. It’s because Facebook is missing certain pieces of data because people opt out of tracking, so Facebook is filling in the gap and they’re not necessarily doing this correctly. 

So make sure that you are able to manually track your results and also use tools such as Google analytics

And fourth, you have to keep testing. This isn’t new because to run successful ad campaigns you should always be testing but right now it may seem that you are starting from scratch especially if you’ve run ads before. What you’ve done in the past may not work for you now, so you’ll have to go back to the drawing board. 

You may have to come up with different strategies to build or re-build your audience, such as running video campaigns or other ways to keep your audience ON facebook so that you are creating more reliable audiences. 

The secret to running successful Facebook ads is to know your audience really well and have an offer they want.

Seems simple right?

It is.

If you know who you’re selling to, and you have something they want, you’ll be able to sell to them.

By knowing your audience I also mean that you know how long on average it takes them to purchase your product, so you know how much nurturing you need to build into your strategy.

So, to wrap up, these Apple iOS14 changes are throwing advertisers a bit of a curveball but at the same time it’s a good thing because the industry gets a refresh.

Start by preparing your business for advertising, make sure that your offers sell without ads and then create a strategy that leads your audience on a journey.