Flashback to that moment where an advertisement popped up on your phone displaying the exact thing that you were talking about just a little while ago. How did you feel? You either felt like your privacy was being invaded or you appreciated the suggestion that was personalized to your needs. A lot of consumers who feel the prior have been pushing back and fighting for privacy, and Apple has answered them with an uppercut to Facebook.
Fighting out of Los Altos, California, weighing in at 45 years of existence with the new iOS 14.5 update to drop kick apps that track your data and make them become transparent about their tracking... APPLE! If you have seen a message show up on your phone that says “Ask App not to Track,” then you are someone who is seated in the nosebleed seats. The first option is to ask apps not to track and the second is to allow them to track. What apps aren’t allowed to know anymore is the identity of your device or pass along other personal data they gather outside of your actions on the app to other businesses. They are no longer able to pinpoint every store or place that you have walked into or collaborate with other businesses to build a better idea of who you are. Though this may be good for your own personal privacy, businesses, especially small businesses, are seeing a hit to their social analytics because they relied on Facebook to assist them in targeting specific audiences with their advertisements. They are the ones getting knocked out when it comes to being able to personalize their ads and track the performance of their ads.
And now entering into the ring as the number one social media platform weighing in at 17 years of existence with a reach of 2.85 billion users is... FACEBOOK. Apple started the fight off strong, but Facebook is not giving up so easily. The two companies used to be team players when Apple developed IDFA. It stands for “Identifier For Advertisers.” Apple created this to allow customized advertising by identifying and tracking the user of a particular device, but now they are limiting the capabilities of IDFA and it has caused a hit to many apps and businesses that use those apps to reach their target market. And so the rivalry was born. Facebook comes back at Apple with a jab and puts them in a headlock by creating a message prior to their users being exposed to Apple’s message explaining why tracking is beneficial to them and what not tracking could lead to; having to pay for a subscription as a consumer for Facebook and Instagram, which are currently free apps. They are transparent with what their data is used for; creating a more personalized advertisement experience.
As a business looking into the ring, before this blog you may have wondered about what all the commotion is about and are trying to peek your heads around that one super tall guy sitting in front of you. This is your VIP pass to staying in the know and we have suggestions on how your business can avoid the blow of this change. By no means should you cower in fear from this piece of news. You may have to use a more inclusive target audience or use Facebook’s Targeting Expansion when advertising to iOS 14.5 users. Educate your consumers and write a message that indicates what data you are seeking and reasons as to why tracking their data would be beneficial for them in the end. The world of data can be intimidating to your consumers and you need to show them why they should trust you and that you are on their side. We suggest that you keep your explanation succinct and easy-to-understand so as to not throw your consumers off balance and knock them off their feet. You can also do more research to understand your consumer through primary research. Listen to what their needs are and what strategies would be most beneficial to them in order to become a loyal fan of your business.
Finally, come into contact with fuze32, and we can give you some tips and tricks to expand your range of motion and reach in the advertising world. fuze32 offers inbound marketing, digital marketing, and much more that you can add to your skill set. Give us a call today because as the great Rocky Balboa said, “Every champion was once a contender that refused to give up.”