In 2021 it’s hard to imagine a day without technology. It runs our business, helps us advertise, cook, book, search, study and socialise! With more and more people spending more time online, Apple began to consider their responsibility in keeping personal data, well… personal!
The latest technology iOS update means increased privacy settings on what data is shared with advertisers and third-party apps.
Why would they do that?
Have you ever been talking to a friend about something you want to purchase? Say, red cowboy boots (don’t judge us, they’re smokin’!) and suddenly, as you scroll through Facebook, you see an ad for cowboy boots. You think “no way… that is one crazy coincidence”. Except, there’s nothing coincidental about it. Your phone saves your data; whether that’s your microphone picking up keywords and phrases, or your phone saving your recent search queries. Apple has decided that sometimes you don’t mind sharing this information, but you should have a choice.
What does this mean for me?
If you own an iOS device Technology, it means you can choose to ‘opt in’ or ‘opt out’ of tracking in third-party apps. If you’re happy for targeted ads to continue using your data to present you with options specific to you and your needs, that option is available to you. However, if you decide that you’d prefer your personal business to remain your business, you can easily ‘opt out’ and keep your data more secure.
What does this mean for my business?
In short, targeting is now less effective on iOS devices. A year ago we were able to narrow down an audience to specific targets – things like annual earning capacity was one of these! Now, we can’t do this as effectively, because we don’t have access to the same information we used to. But it is important to note that Facebook advertising is still a major player in the game. Although some targeting capabilities have been reduced, other very important and useful targets remain, such as age, location, interests and more.
Important things to remember when advertising on Facebook
Facebook and Instagram advertising are still great tools for small businesses and large companies alike. With over 59% of the world’s population on Facebook, it beats advertising in the local paper, if your aim is to increase reach! It is also important to note that not all users own an Apple device. Google has not yet followed Apple’s lead and other major tech companies are still on that side of the fence.
Interested in social media advertising? Get in touch and we can chat through your options. We lead the advertising for many clients around the world and will be happy to answer any questions on the tip of your tongue!