Apple’s newest operating system – iOS 14 – now gives users more control over how their data gets used and this could impact your social media marketing. The latest update, announced in June 2020, includes more personal and helpful functionality along with some major changes in privacy and data transparency.
These changes will affect brands’ social media marketing efforts.
You now have the option to review an app’s privacy practices before you choose to download:
Image source: Apple
Other privacy changes include:
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- Photo Privacy: With iOS 14, when apps ask for access to your Photos app, you can choose to only give them access to select photos rather than your entire Photo Library.
- Recording Indicator: Whenever an app has access to your camera or microphone, a recording indicator is displayed at the top of your screen
- Approximate Location: Rather than having to share your exact location, you can share your approximate location with an app (ideal for apps like news or weather)
The iOS 14 privacy changes will change Facebook advertising effectiveness
If you’re an iPhone user, then you’ve probably already noticed a lot of these changes. But Facebook recently released an article criticizing these changes to policy and how they will impact small businesses and their future marketing efforts.
Facebook said, “Apple’s policy will make it much harder for small businesses to reach their target audience, which will limit their growth and their ability to compete with big companies”.
Facebook is specifically taking issue with how these changes by Apple will prevent tailored ads from being presented to potential customers.
So, what exactly has changed?
Apple IDFA (Identifier for Advertisers) is a device identifier assigned to a user’s device which essentially follows you around the web. Until now, advertisers have been able to use IDFA to track user data (without revealing private information like name and address) in order to target and deliver customized ads.
With the newest update, apps now have to ask permission to track you across apps and websites:
Image source: Apple
We predict most people will click ‘Ask App Not to Track’ as concerns around privacy have increased.
How the iOS 14 privacy changes could impact your social media advertising
- Conversion Campaigns: This update will impact the Facebook pixel and everything connected to it (conversion tracking, targeting and optimization).
- Location-based targeting: Targeting consumers based on precise locations will become more difficult.
- Reporting: Due to the reduced ability to accurately measure ad campaign performance, it may be difficult to gain a clear understanding of what marketing efforts are working which will inevitably drive up marketing costs.
A lot is still unknown about exactly how these changes will impact the future of social media marketing, so as of right now, this is simply speculation.
There are still a few ways in which you can effectively market to your audience:
- Focus on collecting emails and email marketing
- Focus on Desktop placements for Facebook ads, when applicable
- Review your Facebook ad reporting data to keep informed on how the changes are affecting campaign performance
- Put more effort into organic social media marketing to lessen the requirement for paid advertising
