The iOS 14 Thing

There is a major buzz around the iOS 14 update and what that means for marketers and targeted advertising. Users should have the right to choose what data is being collected and how it is used, and this update requires your organization to ask for permission first.

So, what exactly does that look like to the end-user, and how will that affect marketing departments? This blog will dive into the details of iOS 14, including what it is and how it may affect your brand.

Understanding the iOS 14 Update

Apple’s new iOS 14 updates were released in early 2021, and it created a requirement for apps to ask for permission before embedding tracking scripts or similar monitoring tools. If someone says they don’t want their data to be tracked, you cannot collect or process that information.

Facebook ads took a hit when the new operating system was released. Many individuals are opting out of data tracking, which means that you can’t leverage big data in the same ways to track their behavior, location, shopping history, and more.

If you don’t run Facebook or social media ads then you will likely not be as affected by this change, but the reality is that most businesses will need to revisit their marketing strategy. Facebook will no longer track its users in various ways without consent, so scaling your business with these ads will look different moving forward.

Before this update, Facebook would install a code on your device that created and aggregated data – which could later be used to categorize you as a consumer and present you with targeted advertisements.

On the back end, marketers could log into Ads manager and identify users that were interested in certain topics, lived in a specific area or behaved in a particular manner. For example, you could send custom ads to viewers that visited a competitor’s website or searched for keywords linked to your brand.

iOS 14 changed this though, and the data available to marketers is much less granular and harder to come by!

Targeted Ads are Still Possible

Even though we can’t target people in the same ways, Facebook still allows us to get some data and narrow down our audience. In other words, you can still reach an audience – which is crucial for successful marketing.

So, what do you need to do to achieve your marketing goals despite these changes? One of the most important things you must do is verify your domain. You can do this directly within Facebook Ads Manager, and the process allows you to validate your business website.

Next, create new events that tell Facebook what you are looking for when it comes to targeted ads. You can have up to eight events per domain, and they could be anything such as viewing a landing page on your website or making a purchase.

Attribution settings will only allow you to track up to 7 days, but an advanced way to address this is to make yourself a first-party reporter. Compared to third-party reporters, you will get significantly better data if your business is a first-party reporter.

Similarly, you can leverage lists of users that have already visited your site by sending ads directly to them. Make sure that your images and copy are tailored to this audience before you start doing that, though!

Facebook and Instagram ads are still cost-effective and are here to stay – you just need to be more intentional with your ad design.

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