More than ever, Facebook ads are critical to the success of your digital marketing efforts. It is important, then, that any changes made to how those ads are delivered are understood so that you can continue to get the most value from your investment.
If you are already using Facebook ads, you may be aware that iOS 14 is set to release soon and will include some new privacy features that limit Facebook ad tracking. With iOS 14, Apple is making it more difficult for apps and websites on Apple devices to track user behavior. Apple is doing this by giving iOS 14 users the ability to turn off tracking at the device level and putting limitations on event tracking, regardless of a user’s settings.
When these tracking changes go into full effect, apps and websites on Apple devices may be blocked from sending the conversion event information (purchases, leads, add to carts, etc.) that businesses usually track in Ads Manager. Fortunately, the impact on ads should be minimal assuming you take each step recommended by Facebook in order to mitigate any ad delivery interruptions or performance impacts.
Conversions API (or CAPI as it’s sometimes called) is Facebook’s solution to this new challenge, although it is not a new way of tracking. Previously called Server-Side Events, it allows the website’s server rather than the browser to track the user as they visit your website. The server notes what actions the user takes (add to cart, purchase, lead), and then the server sends the information back to Facebook. Social Media Examiner provides a step-by-step guide on how to set up the Conversions API for tracking website events after the iOS 14 updates.
In reality, most of the new limitations are only relevant for a subset of websites with more than 8 conversion points, and the changes are only applicable to conversions from visitors using iOS. UTM code tracking and on-Facebook lead gen forms will still function in exactly the same way. So while it is important to understand what the updates will do for the performance and tracking of your Facebook ads, be assured that the sky is not falling.
If you have additional questions about how these changes may impact the performance of your Facebook ads or would like to prepare for the iOS 14 rollout, MJ2 Marketing can help. Contact us today to schedule a brief chat.