Is Facebook Advertising Still Relevant?
Facebook has been one of the most revered advertising platforms in the past 10 years. The user base, targeting capabilities, and effectiveness was truly a marvel. But recently, with Apple’s iOS 14.5 update and a variety of other changes to the platform, opinions of Facebook as an effective ad platform have been wavering.
The Impact of iOS 14.5
Apple’s iOS 14.5 update has caused major disruption for businesses across the world. With the new update, users are now required to opt-in to share their data with apps, which has drastically reduced the amount of available data for online ads. This means that businesses and marketers can no longer take advantage of the extremely granular targeting options that were previously available, making it more difficult for them to reach their desired audiences and get better results from their campaigns.
That said, there is still hope for those who want to use Facebook ads as part of their marketing mix. Despite the new limitations on available user data, there are still a number of ways you can effectively target your campaigns on this platform. For example, you can use custom audiences based on CRM lists or website activity such as page visits or purchase history; lookalike audiences based off similar customer profiles; or even interest-based audiences that focus on users who have expressed an affinity for certain topics or interests relevant to your brand/product/service offerings.
Facebook is also continuing to invest heavily in its business which should impact it’s ad products. This will help the company remain competitive against other platforms such as Google Ads and Amazon Ads. Despite the future of Facebook advertising, business owners and marketers should spend their time right now uncovering more transparency around performance metrics such as return on ad spend (ROAS) to justify continued investments. Specific integrations with Google Analytics or Shopify can make this easy to use.
So, Should I Still Advertise on Facebook or not?
To sum up, although there have been some major changes to Facebook’s advertising ecosystem over the past few months—such as Apple’s iOS 14.5 update—the platform should still be considered by business owners and marketers who are looking for an effective way to reach customers online, create brand awareness, and maximize their return on investment (ROI). With its huge user base – 70% claiming they visit daily – Facebook remains one of the best ways to reach potential customers online today. Reach out today to learn how to gain true transparency in your Facebook advertising data so you can make the most of your Facebook ad budget.
