Released on April 26, 2021, Apple’s iOS14.5 update immediately generated waves among digital marketers, who soon discovered that their traditional methods of tracking ad performance were no longer reliable. The major change brought about by iOS14.5 was to turn data tracking, via the Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA), into an “opt in” feature for every user. Users must explicitly consent to providing their data for tracking purposes; they can do this by clicking the “Allow” button on a pop-up screen.
It’s true that many customers are, in fact, electing to opt in, which enables them to enjoy the benefits of targeted ads. However, the majority of iOS users are declining this option. Exactly how many are opting out of ad tracking depends on which source you prefer to believe, but even the most optimistic estimates place the number of decliners at more than two-thirds of users.
Consequently, the iOS update has had the effect of sharply reducing the amount of valid customer data available to marketers. More specifically, there’s a massive amount of over- and under-reporting going on with Facebook ads post-iOS14, and it presents a hazardously distorted view of customer behavior. This leaves many marketers wondering how to optimize a Facebook campaign without the customary data they’ve been able to use.
And that’s not all. Facebook (Meta) advertisers have been forced to cope with several additional changes brought about by the iOS14.5 release, including:
- There is now a limit of 8 conversion events per domain.
- Web conversion event data are delayed for up to 72 hours.
- The default attribution range has shrunk from 28 day click 7 day view to 7 day click 1 day view.
With Facebook ads not delivering correct data, what can be done? The good news is that marketers have options when it comes to counteracting the harm caused by the iOS14.5 update. Here are a few simple iOS optimization tips to improve the quality of your tracking data:
Verify Your Domain with Facebook – To help you minimize tracking disruptions, you should verify your Facebook domain by using Business Manager. This is best practice anyway, as it shows Facebook that you are the rightful owner of your domain, but it also provides the key benefit of enabling you to configure your conversion events. Which leads us to …
Configure Your Conversion Events – You should use your Events Manager to ensure that your conversion events are prioritized in the order you prefer. If you choose not to do this, Facebook will automatically configure your events according to your ads’ past performance. This may be much less than ideal for you.
Going forward, digital marketing professionals need to learn how to leverage the power of first-party data, so they don’t have to rely entirely on Facebook-generated info. There’s where AdBeacon enters the picture. With AdBeacon, you have ready access to a variety of tools to help you generate better ad data. Key AdBeacon features include:
- First click, last click, linear, and full impact conversion data and report modeling
- Extended user-defined attribution windows (longer than seven days!)
- Views of entire customer journey, beginning with the initial impression
We invite you to sign up for a free 14-day AdBeacon trial and begin exploring the benefits of this ad-optimization platform, made by marketers for marketers.