Why Have My Facebook Ads Geographic, Demographics, and Placements Disappeared?
By: Trapica Content Team
Tags: Facebook Marketing, Advertising, Facebook, Marketing, Artificial Intelligence

Over the years, business owners and marketers have watched nervously as various prospective laws and regulations threatened the very existence of Facebook Ads. Yet, they continuously passed without so much as a whimper and everything went back to normal. As a result, most people have just assumed that these threats will pass each time. However, we’re on the precipice of one of the biggest evolutions in the history of Facebook Ads. As expected, this change hasn’t been caused by Facebook itself.

Instead, Apple and its iOS 14 update are responsible for all the panic and confusion currently happening in the marketing world. In this guide, we want to talk about how the iOS 14 update will affect Facebook Ads as well as how you can potentially overcome this turbulent period.

Read More: How to Set Up Successful Facebook Ad Campaign

Facebook Ads and iOS 14

After the Apple update, many businesses will log into their Facebook Ads accounts only to find that geographic, demographics, and placements have disappeared (or are now uncategorized). If you haven’t been keeping up with the news, this is because iOS 14 completely changes the way that Facebook uses the pixel and other tools designed to process conversion events.

If you currently advertise using mobile apps, you’re going to feel the effects of the change. Additionally, anybody who optimizes for or reports on web conversion events will also notice the difference. The biggest change you will see is that all apps will ask users for permission to track activity the first time they launch the app after the update.

When shown the prompt, users have an option to either ask the app not to track or allow tracking. Marketers and experts are very concerned that most users will tap against tracking, which means limited access to data and sharing.

For those who have been in the industry for some time, you’ll know that this change is familiar. Not so long ago, after the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), websites had to ask users whether or not they could track cookies. In much the same way, users now have a clear opportunity to tap against tracking.

Read More: How the GDPR Contributes to Healthier AI Marketing

What if the user taps against tracking? What if the user decides not to give permission when opening the Facebook app for the first time after the iOS 14 update? Suddenly, Facebook loses the ability to track that user’s behavior. End of story. The user has made their choice. With this, the tracking pixel loses value and reports are no longer as accurate. Eventually, conversions suffer, and remarketing is more difficult.

This is the reason why advertisers are clicking into their Facebook Ads accounts and seeing a lack of geographic, demographic, and placement data. Consequently, targeting options are more limited when creating a new campaign. For some time, Facebook has been one of the best platforms for advertising because of the hyper-targeting opportunities. We’ve been lucky enough to target niche audiences and narrow them down precisely depending on the audience we need. With no tracking and limited data, this opportunity shrinks.

With fewer targeting options, advertisers risk wasting more of their budget and losing accuracy. There’s also the potential of losing our ability to personalize with ads — something that is essential in 2021.

How Has Facebook Responded?

Like marketers, Facebook has also stayed calm in the past in the face of adversity. As the world talked about potential changes to legislation, Facebook went about its business with little change. This time, it’s clear that the company feels threatened. Head over to the Help Centre and you’ll see all sorts of articles and guides addressing their approach to the iOS 14 update.

Why is it so important for Facebook? Because it has potentially the largest advertising network on the internet, and the company knows that a significant percentage of this network comes from mobile traffic. With the iOS 14 update disrupting how data is collected on mobile devices, it gives advertisers a genuine reason to stop using the advertising platform for the first time.

Statista recently stated that around 80% of all users only use their mobile phone for Facebook. On the other hand, the percentage of users only using a desktop or computer is just 1.7%. Facebook knows that mobile is the future, you know that mobile is the future, and this Apple update is causing headaches for a company that has had a relatively simple life until now.

Of the 80% of users who use Facebook exclusively on mobile, a sizable group uses an Apple device. Of all the Apple users, another sizable group will choose against tracking when prompted after the iOS 14 update. Although nobody knows which button users will hit, it’s fair to assume that enough of the user base will click against tracking to cause concerns for advertisers and Facebook. Especially for those users who don’t understand tracking fully, the easiest solution is just to reject it on their account.

In terms of a response, various representatives from Facebook have spoken openly against the change. According to Facebook, it’s an attack on small businesses more than the platform itself. Though an inspirational sentiment, small businesses contribute a relatively small percentage of ad revenue, so some believe that the platform is appealing to the masses with this particular statement. Instead, Facebook relies on the ad spend of larger businesses.

This being said, there’s no denying that small businesses may suffer. Is Apple upset because it doesn’t get any revenue from advertising models like that seen on Facebook? Whereas it would receive revenue if small businesses switched to in-app payments and subscriptions. Small businesses may also suffer from fewer conversions, less effective advertising, and less personalization.

Read More: Marketing Tips for Facebook Messenger

Dealing with the iOS 14 Update as an Advertiser

Whether you’re a small business or a large corporation, the iOS 14 update is likely to cause some problems (this is an understatement for some). The good news is that there are solutions, and Facebook has already offered help to advertisers.

Updated Facebook SDK

Firstly, Facebook has announced a new software development kit (SDK), which is recommended as you try to overcome the repercussions of the new Apple update. With the Facebook SDK updates, you’ll have support for the SKAdNetwork API from Apple. Additionally, Facebook recommends launching a new ad account for those wanting app install campaigns specifically for users of iOS 14.

Be Flexible

Facebook is so worried about the new change that it has already admitted fears for the Audience Network. With a ‘heavy dependence’ on app advertising, Facebook suggests that Audience Network may not survive the iOS 14 update. If Audience Network becomes ineffective, Facebook says that it will no longer make it available for iOS 14. With this, you need to be flexible in your approach.

Seek External Solutions

With so many restrictions on where you can and can’t gather data, it no longer makes sense to do this manually. More than ever, you need to compile all insights and data quickly and efficiently. With access to conversion data reducing on Facebook, you’ll need a tool that gathers insights on your behalf.

For example, Trapica helps businesses to gain visibility and insights into age, location, gender, and more. Suddenly, you access geographic data, demographics, and placements — the very areas that disappeared after the iOS 14 update.

What’s more, Trapica automatically optimizes ad campaigns and ensures that your ads are in the right place at the right time. You’ll even benefit from automated A/B testing so that your audience sees the right creatives and message (the one that encourages them to convert). Utilize Trapica and other third-party solutions to stay on top of data collection and insights. They provided value in the past, but they’re about to get even more valuable as you fight against the growing winds from Apple.

Plan Carefully

As we’ve discovered, pixel tracking is the biggest area hit by the Apple change and this means conversion events, remarketing lists, and various other features. With careful planning, you’ll find workarounds (even if only temporary) such as removing iOS devices from conversion-based campaigns.

Additionally, use web visit campaigns or another goal rather than the conversion objective. Of course, choosing a web visits campaign means tracking visits internally to determine whether the ads caused the visit or another source. With a UTM or a third-party tool, you won’t need to rely solely on the pixel to determine the ad, ad set, and campaign that generated a click.

Summary

Why have your Facebook Ads geographic, demographics, and placements disappeared on Facebook? Why are they now uncategorized? This is a result of the most recent update from Apple, iOS 14. Despite the many problems that the update presents for Facebook and advertisers, solutions are available including those from leading platforms like Trapica. You’ll still get the geographic, demographics, and placement data you need to create effective advertising campaigns and rise above the competition while they struggle with similar problems!