Best Practices, Industry

Apple iOS14 Privacy Update – How to prepare your account and campaigns

Apple’s iOS 14 update will require all iPhone Apps to show a tracking permission prompt. Apple’s policy will prohibit data collection and sharing unless users opt-in to tracking on iOS14 + devices.

To briefly recap, iOS 14 will require all iPhone Apps to show a tracking permission prompt. Apple’s policy will prohibit data collection and sharing unless users opt-in to tracking on iOS 14 devices. In a public response, Facebook outlined the expected changes caused by Apple’s stance with iOS 14.

As users opt-out of tracking on iOS 14 devices, ads personalization and performance reporting will be limited for both app and web conversion events.

According to Facebook, mobile app installs as well as targeting, optimization, and reporting of web conversion events will be affected.

Tim Cook’s response to Facebook.

This page intends to outline what we know, and steps to take in preparation for changes caused by iOS 14 as well as highlighting some features available in the StitcherAds platform to navigate these changes.

Please note: there are areas of uncertainty and the StitcherAds team is working closely with Facebook to confirm and fully understand the implications of outlined changes to best inform, and prepare our business partners.


Account Setup Steps:

Action 1. Domain verification in Business Manager

  • Facebook is requesting advertisers verify their domain using the steps outlined in the linked Help Center. Verifying domain is critical for businesses with pixels used by multiple Business Managers or ad accounts. 
    • Note: Domain Verification must be done at the effective top-level domain plus one (eTLD+1 ). For example, for www.books.jasper.com, books.jasper.com and jasper.com the eTLD+1 domain is jasper.com.
    • StitcherAds has recorded a 3-minute video on navigating Business Manager to prepare for Domain Verification. For further details please visit the Facebook Help Center.

Action 2. Plan for 8 Conversion Events per domain

  • Facebook will only optimize for a maximum of 8 conversion events for each domain. Advertisers will be able to configure and rank the conversion events under a new interface in Events Manager. 
    • For example:
      • Buy Online Pickup In-Store (Custom Conversion Purchase)
      • Web Purchase 
      • Add to Cart
      • View Content 
      • Email Signup
      • Category 1 Page View
      • Category 2 Page View
  • Ad sets that were optimizing for a pixel conversion event that is no longer active, will be paused. Advertisers will be able to change & update their 8 events, but updates will cause campaigns to be paused for 72 hours before using the new events. 
Facebook Web Event Configurations – Illustrative Example. Subject to Change

Action 3. Prepare your Catalog for Dynamic Ads. 

  • Prepare to use only 1 pixel per catalog to optimize for prioritized conversion events across all catalog items.
  • If you use multiple domains in your catalog, verify each website domain that you use as a product URL and avoid using any product URLs that redirect to another domain.   

Action 4. Decide if your account will use Value Optimization 

  • Advertisers will be able to activate Value Optimization for conversion events, such as Purchase. Value Optimization will allow Facebook to seek higher Value conversions and unlock Value-Based Bidding. 
    • Due to Apple’s limitation in data sharing, Facebook will use Value Sets for ranges depending on customer AOV’s. Using Value Optimization will count to a minimum 4 of the 8 allotted Events. 
    • Consider how Value Optimization will limit your ability to optimize and report on other conversion events per ‘Action 2’ noted above.

Targeting and Delivery Steps

Action 5. Prepare for default conversion window changing from 7-Day Click, 1-Day View to 7-Day Click only. 

  • Expect changes to the default conversion window. Check all active ad-sets for 7-Day Click, 1 Day View optimization window, and consider making the change now to allow for optimization before Facebook updates the default conversion window.
StitcherAds Platform – Delivery and Conversion Window Settings

Action 6. Expect a decrease in Audience sizes

  • Website and App Custom Audience sizes are expected to decrease due to the loss of events for iOS 14+ users as they opt-out of tracking. Naturally, this may cause a larger overlap across audiences due to Facebook’s inability to properly exclude through the use of Web or App Custom Audiences. 
    • StitcherAds Solution: 
      • Monitor your audience size closely. If you see a significant drop, consider grouping your audiences together. For example, Add-to-Cart and View-Product audiences may need to be grouped together. Leverage audience liquidity to keep costs down. 
      • 1st-Party Data such as your CRM lists will still allow you to target users. Consider uploading CRM lists to prospect & retarget from. Reach out to your Success Manager for capabilities in automating this process.

Measurement and Reporting Steps

Action 7. Expect delays in performance reporting and changes to Attribution Windows

  • Real-time reporting will not be supported as data may be delayed up to 3 days. 
  • Conversion Events will now be reported on the time the conversion occurs, not the time of the associated ad impression.
StitcherAds Platform – Attribution Window
  • StitcherAds Solution:
    • Begin monitoring performance in Time of Conversion to understand your performance in the new attribution window. 
    • Leverage StitcherAds’ Third Party Stats capability to integrate Google Analytics or Adobe Omniture into your dashboard for real-time reporting. Reach out to your Success Manager for assistance with set up.
StitcherAds Platform – Third Party Integration

Action 8. Changes to account level attribution window settings

  • The attribution window for all new or active ad campaigns will be set at the ad set level, rather than at the account level. This will align the attribution setting that measures conversions with the same one that informs campaign optimization. 
  • Going forward, 28-day click-through, 28-day view-through, and 7-day view-through attribution windows will not be supported for active campaigns. Check and update your rules if they rely on any of the unsupported attribution windows listed above. 
    • StitcherAds Solution:
      • Our platform will allow you to pull historical data in the attribution windows that will no longer be supported. 
      • If you’ve previously measured performance with the unsupported attribution windows, you can calculate your Delayed Attribution Multiplier (DAM) to use as a multiplier with Custom Metrics for direction on performance reporting. This will help you calculate what performance would look like in a 28-day click-through or 7-day view-through environment. Example:
        • Calculate: (28 Day Click Purchases) / (7 Day Click Purchases) = Purchases DAM
        • Calculate: DAM x 7 Day Click Purchase
          • To Calculate Revenue multiply Purchases by AOV. This will help account for any seasonal changes or promotions currently affecting performance. 
        • For better accuracy, calculate DAM across multiple date ranges and use the average. (Last 30 days, Last 60 days, Last 90 days)

Conclusion

Apple’s Privacy Update will create hurdles for Facebook’s ability to measure and attribute conversions and will be reflected over time with dips in performance. Account Managers will need to keep this in mind when reviewing YoY performance trends and may need to adjust their attribution windows for a more accurate comparison.

StitcherAds will continue working closely with Facebook and will provide updates on this sheet as we learn more and explore solutions to help our partners.

Are you looking to maintain or even grow your performance during this tumultuous time? We are offering a free 1:1 performance consultation with our Director Media Strategy, Bryan Cano. Book your spot here.