When Apple rolled out its App Tracking Transparency feature in April 2021, the marketing industry panicked. While user privacy is undeniably critical in today’s digital age, iPhone users were given the option to opt out of app tracking, significantly limiting advertisers’ ability to access user data and activity. Targeting, reporting, and optimization were put at major risk.
However, in the months since, we’ve gained more clarity and insight into the impact of Apple’s privacy-first features. Here are some answers to your top questions about Facebook ads in iOS 14.5 and beyond, including best practices, new strategies, and helpful tips and tricks.
With only 17% of iPhone users worldwide opted into tracking, a large chunk of Facebook’s features were now in disarray. Marketers reported that:
Retargeting and lookalike audiences became smaller, causing ads to underperform.
Facebook Pixel conversion metrics (such as ROAS and CPA metrics) and attribution data became wildly inaccurate.
Campaigns were no longer auto-optimized, causing lower ROIs.
Don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom: Changes happen to the marketing industry all the time. Here are some helpful Facebook ad tips and tricks for iOS 14.5 and beyond:
Target users who have previously engaged with your brand — those audiences aren’t affected by Apple’s changes.
Develop engaging and catchy ad creative to boost ROAS. Don’t be afraid to experiment with UGC, social proof, or influencer ads — and remember to A/B test!
Focus on building your first-party data, including email addresses and phone numbers.
Use a tool like AdRoll’s Cross-Channel Performance Dashboard to collect more reliable campaign data.
Make sure that you use UTM links and set up UTM tracking — check out AdRoll’s free UTM Link Builder Tool.
For more answers to your most-asked questions, check out this blog post.
Last updated on January 11th, 2022.