Facebook iOS 14
What’s happening?
OMG has been closely following, and preparing for, the changes expected early this year when Apple rolls out an update to iOS 14.
What are the changes?
Apple will require iOS 14 users to opt-in to sharing their data between apps. IDFA, a series of numbers used to track app activity, will be zeroed-out by default. App developers have one chance to deliver a prompt to ask for a user’s permission to share their IDFA. As of mid-December, Apple reports iOS 14 is installed on 81% of iPhones & iPads.
How does this impact Facebook?
Facebook gets a lot of data on it’s users based on the other apps they have installed on their devices. Facebook ads utilize FB tracking pixels, and completing the domain verification will help ensure these pixels continue to function properly after iOS update is deployed.
What are they going to do about it?
Facebook will start processing pixel conversion events from iOS devices using Aggregated Event Measurement. This allows for measurement of web events from iOS 14 devices, albeit with limitations, to bridge the gap between user privacy and effective campaign management.
Notable Changes:
Campaign Setup
Pixel Limitations
- Websites will be limited to one Facebook pixel.
- Advertisers will be limited to a maximum of eight Facebook events per website domain.
- They must be ranked in order of import.
- For people who opt out of tracking, only the highest ranked event will be tracked.
- For people who opt in, Facebook will return a maximum of eight events.
- When selecting a new event, or changing the configuration of events, it will require three days to take effect. OMG is managing this process for our clients.
OMG has prepared our clients with updated tracking in preparation for these changes. Majority of real estate property websites are not impacted.
Reporting Limitations
Shortened Attribution Window | The default for all new or active ad campaigns will be set at a 7-day click-through attribution window, in lieu of 28 days.
28-day click-through, 28-day view-through, and 7-day view-through attribution windows will no longer be supported for active campaigns.
Delivery & Action Breakdowns | Data breakdowns (segments) will not be supported.
This will prevent reporting data by age, gender, region, and/or placement.
Delayed Reporting | Realtime reporting will no longer be supported.
- Data may be delayed up to 3 days.
- Pulling reports any sooner than 3 days after month-end or campaign-end could exclude performance.
Next Steps
1. Domain Verification | We’ll need to verify the domain(s) where Facebook pixels are present.
- Your Account Manager will send a snippet of code.
- Advertisers, or their web developers, must implement this code by placing it on the hosting server.
- SITES OMG HOSTS WE HAVE ALREADY VERIFIED THE DOMAIN. FOR SITES WE DON’T HOST, WE HAVE PROVIDED DIRECTION TO OUR CLIENTS WHERE NECESSARY..
2. Monitor & Assess | Once the change takes effect, new baselines and best practices will emerge.
Potential Outcomes
- Timeline | While Apple has not offered a specific date for the iOS 14 update, it could occur any day soon. It has already been released in parts of the world.
- Limited Data | We’ll only have a partial view of the reporting and may be limited in the way we can slice the data.
- Conversions Decrease | As conversion events are limited and attribution windows shrink, we may see a sizable decrease in reported conversions. Inversely, eCPA will increase.
- Audience Size Shrinks | The size of targeted audiences may diminish as an increasing number of people opt out of sharing their IDFA. Retargeting and lookalikes will not be impacted as we know.
In Conclusion
- Focusing on Critical Conversions | This brings fresh opportunity to cut through the clutter and focus on the most important events. Other conversions are still happening; we just won’t have full visibility to report on them in facebook but GA will have no changes to conversion tracking.
- Reframing Facebook | Formerly a mid-funnel marketing solution, we can think about it differently – adjusting bid and optimization strategies so Facebook sits closer to conversion.
- Clarity Will Come | Facebook doesn’t have all the answers, at OMG we do have access to data and the ability to shift with trends. Products will adapt, workflows will change, and new best practices will emerge. Along the way, we pledge to keep our partners updated and informed at every step.
Connect With US!
We will continue to monitor events as they unfold, and share our point-of-view and recommendations. In the meantime, please reach out to your contacts at OMG to learn more.