30 June 2021 will see the end of Facebook Analytics. In their announcements, Facebook has not openly shared with us the reasons for shutting down the Analytics tool. But, one can’t help but notice the coincidence in timing to Apple’s iOS 14 update. Speculation is rife that the shut down is a response to increased privacy features on smartphones. Regardless of the reasons, did you have time to prepare your business for this change? How can you adapt?
With the iOS 14 update, Apple users have the ability to disallow apps to track their internet usage. This affects the marketing process, especially targeting options. For example, If a user disables tracking, then you are unable to target and re-target the user with ads online. In fact, the conversion data will also be lost when tracking is not made available.
Is it the end of Facebook? Fret not because you still have access to alternative Facebook marketing tools for your business.
Prepare Your Business For Change With These Alternative Tools on Facebook
1. Facebook Business Suite
This is the latest tool introduced on Facebook. It was actually designed for small businesses to help them manage their Facebook, Messenger and Instagram accounts from one place.
In short, the Facebook Business Suite allows you to post on all 3 platforms at the same time. You can also receive notifications, messages and alerts all in one place. More importantly, the tool also provides you with important insights at the post, platform as well as account level.
It is also good to note that you can see data for both paid and organic posts. This allows you to analyse content, engagement, reach trends, demographics and even ad spend for different types of posts. While Facebook Business Suite is designed for smaller businesses, it will soon be available for businesses of all sizes.
2. Ads Manager
Most marketers who are already using Facebook as an advertising platform should be familiar with Ads Manager. This is a place where you can set up your campaigns and see how they are performing. Ads Manager is a powerful tool as it shows you various metrics and data that you can use for your analytical work, such as reach, engagement, click through rates, and even video plays.
3. Events Manager
Events Manager is a place where you can set up and manage essential business tools, such as Facebook Pixel and Conversions API. This is also an important tool that connects your Facebook Page to your website. With this connection, you can see how many times your pixel was fired and also the actions that users are taking on your website.
Conclusion
Digital marketing is an ever changing industry. The nature of digital platforms is that they are always undergoing some form of change. This is why it is important to stay relevant and keep yourself up to date to the market changes. While Facebook is an important way for you to connect with your audience, create a presence in other platforms as well. This will help you to diversify and shield you from sudden changes that might occur in one platform.
