Are Facebook Ads Broken?

A question I’m asked often is, ” Are Facebook Ads Broken ” and my answer… not quite!

But, there are a few things up in the air at the moment following the iOs14 shake-up earlier in the year.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FACEBOOK ADS?

Apple’s new iOS14 device updates mean that anyone using an iOS 14 device will receive a notification asking if you would like the app to track your data.?If users select ‘No – don’t track my data, limits Facebook advertising functions and its tracking for app and web conversions events.

This update also means when running Facebook ads it will now limit personalized audiences and performance reporting. This is because of changes in European Data Protection Law (GDPR).

The most important thing about GDPR is transparency.

Everyone must know what they are signing up for!?Especially with click-through consent pages?being displayed?upon first use of apps or websites.

WHAT’S DIFFERENT?

• I am noticing reporting is out, no doubt due to the new attribution window and conversion events.?Most accounts are only seeing around 40%- 60% of their leads and sales reporting in Ads Manager.
• Conversions campaigns are costing a lot more now, but we are hoping this will soon settle back down.
• Audiences have reduced, so the ability to retarget is a challenge.

OTHER FACTORS TO THINK ABOUT...

The weather

One of the biggest factors in reduced results on Facebook, often overlooked, is the weather.?When the temperatures rise, people head outside, meaning they spend less time browsing on social media. Hot temperatures and weekends often see fewer results (depending on your service)

Easing of lockdown restrictions

Did you find your results came in thick and fast during a lockdown? Having the opposite effect to the weather??During the lockdown, we were all spending way more time on our phones, browsing, and shopping, because, what else was there to do?

According to?www.statista.com, During coronavirus lockdowns in 2020, many UK adults resorted to social media.?Facebook and Messenger were the apps with the largest audience reach throughout the year.

Summer holidays

Depending on your services, the summer holidays are always a time to review your data and make significant changes. July-September is the school holiday.?This means the majority of people are either juggling work and fun or, taking some well-earned time off. Another thing to factor in when running your campaigns?

Seasonal Events

Special occasions like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or Christmas are all times to either avoid running ads. Or think about increasing your budget for this period. This is the time when big brands are throwing a lot of their marketing budget into paid advertising.

Do you run local campaigns? This shouldn’t affect you as much. Although you may see an increase in your cost per click amongst other metrics. Bear these times of year in mind when planning your next campaign.

No matter how good your services are, or how good your ads usually perform, the things above?will?have an impact on the performance of your ads.

Over 200 million businesses use Facebook! Facebook has long been one of the most popular platforms for businesses, and this stat proves it. A fifth of a billion businesses use Facebook to connect with customers, grow their brand presence, drive traffic, and boost sales.

Source: Facebook About Page

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO IMPROVE YOUR FACEBOOK ADS?

Once you are running your campaigns, cross-reference your ad manager reports.

To do this I use google analytics and my website dashboard.

Because of the new attribution window amongst the iOs14 updates, reporting is a little out now.

That’s not to say your leads will be out or reduced, but what is being attributed in your Facebook ads campaigns may be.

Despite things changing from one day to the next at the moment with ads, Facebook ads are still the best way to get your company in front of the right people. Your potential customers ARE still on Facebook and Instagram and DO still want to hear from you.

So, Are Facebook Ads Broken?

Have your ads taken a nosedive recently?

Has your cost per lead skyrocketed?

I’d be more than happy to arrange a chat and do an audit of your ad account.?Get in touch here.