New updates to Apple iOS devices will have some effects on Facebook advertising.
Starting in early 2021, people using Apple iOS devices will see a prompt on their apps asking them whether they want ads to be personalized for them.
For the first time, some people will be able to opt-out of tracking, reducing Facebook’s ability to collect as much website data on users compared to before.
How will this affect advertising?
Targeting - now that iOS users can opt-out of tracking, the precision and power of targeting tools may be reduced.
Optimization - some of the tools we use to optimize ads (like breakdowns, and real-time data) will be more limited than before.
Reporting - reporting may be delayed up to 3 days. Attribution windows (how data is reported) will be narrowed; however, this change will not affect actual results.
Conversion events - your business will no longer be able to optimize for more than 8 conversion events. This should not negatively impact any of our clients.
There has been speculation among digital advertising experts about how these changes will impact Facebook Advertising results, (for example, if conversion-reliant Facebook advertisers shift their digital budgets to other digital ad platforms will CPMs drop?); however, the conclusion seems to be that it's too early to tell. Facebook appears to be developing new tools to reinvent some of the features that Apple’s move is restricting. We’ll keep you updated.
What actions can be taken to prepare for these changes?
Facebook recommends proactively verifying your website so that we maintain the ability to configure and prioritize conversion events. We will be sending out more information about website verification to our clients who advertise on Facebook.
Have questions? Get in touch and we'll work together to continue crushing the digital advertising game together!