What iOS 14 Means for ToneDen Advertisers
Last updated
Last updated
Due to Facebook’s recent changes for iOS 14, the best way that advertisers can continue to leverage the benefits of the Facebook pixel and conversion tracking is to own their domains.
It's easier to run link-click-optimized ads than conversions in 2023.
If you want to run conversion ads now you need to meet the following reqs:
Own and verify the domain you're sending people to w/ FB Business Manager
Setup DNS TXT Records in your Domain Settings
Setup and verify pixel events via Aggregate Events Manager
Don't overthink it - we setup your ad to run best automatically.
By default ToneDen ads run with the "Link Click" objective. If you have the needed requirements setup, your ad will automatically run as conversion.
What does this mean for your ToneDen ads?
Without custom domain: Growth Suite Playbooks, Promoted Smart Links, and all other Advertising campaigns will only be able to report back on the # of link clicks happening on your ads. This may exclude important info on everything that occurs after viewers click on the link.
With custom domain: Growth Suite campaigns, Promoted Smart Links, and all other conversion campaigns will be able to measure events a step above the "Link Click" objective such as View Content, Lead (for pre-saves), Purchase (e-commerce), etc. ensuring that you are reaching more engaged audiences.
Prior to the iOS 14 changes, users were able to optimize campaigns for conversion events (ie higher value than a link click) without needing a custom domain. Performance wise in 2023, there isn't much of a performance difference between link click and conversion ads.
We've included a video & step-by-step guide of how to set up a custom domain below:
If you'd like a more in-depth explanation of other specific changes related to the iOS 14 update, you can continue reading below!
The latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 14, introduces privacy-related changes which require apps and websites to show users a consent prompt before being able to track users’ actions.
These changes will impact the way in which Facebook is able to receive and process conversion events from the Facebook pixel. Similarly, Facebook will not be able to identify people that are using iOS 14, meaning that it will be harder to personalize ads to the right target audience.
This will impact any advertiser that is driving ad spend towards conversion campaigns on domains that they don’t own.
Since the changes were announced in late 2020, Facebook has released a number of statements opposing Apple’s updates. The updates are expected to have a serious impact on the effectiveness of Facebook’s advertising platform, and therefore Facebook’s bottom line. Despite Facebook’s opposition, Apple has refused to back down.
Facebook has been forced to make several updates to their platform to keep up with Apple’s updates. This will impact any advertiser that is driving ad spend towards conversion campaigns on domains that they don’t own. The most drastic change is a limit to the number of conversion events that can be recorded on a given domain (like websiteyouareadvertising.com). Since each domain can now only have 8 different pixels installed at a given time, you will no longer be able to promote these domains in conversion-optimized campaigns.
Additionally, Facebook has reduced the maximum conversion attribution window on their platform from 28-day view, 28-day click to 1-day view, 7-day click. You may see a slight decrease in ROAS from your campaigns as a result of a smaller attribution window. However, many conversions occur within 7 days of interacting with an ad, and don’t anticipate a big impact.
The most immediate effect of these changes has been a wave of ad campaign errors across the ToneDen platform, primarily impacting Social Growth campaigns and other conversion-optimized campaign types. The error messages start with either Domain Required or Event Setup Required:
These errors occur because the campaign is optimized for a pixel event that has not been enabled by the owner of the ad’s destination domain.
If you’re a creator that sells a product online or runs social growth campaigns, we recommend using the Conversion objective if possible. Due to Facebook’s recent changes for iOS 14, the best way that advertisers can continue to leverage the benefits of the Facebook pixel and conversion tracking is to own their domains. Otherwise, campaigns will default to link click optimization.
Creating your own branded domain is a simple process that takes only a few minutes to create! This guide to setting up your custom domain covers:
Registering a domain name (with Namecheap)
Creating a Business Manager Account
Verifying domain within Facebook Business Manager
Connecting subdomain for use with ToneDen Smart Links
Configuring subdomain (using Namecheap)
Configuring events to use aggregated event measurement (Add View Content)
Explanation: Prior to the iOS 14 update, our Social Growth campaigns would send people who click on an ad to a landing page on our fanlink.to domain, where a pixel event would be triggered. This is no longer allowed by Facebook, since the advertiser cannot enable their pixel to record events on the fanlink.to domain.
Solution: Run your growth campaign using a custom domain. Otherwise, campaigns will default to link click optimization.
Once you've set up your custom domain and connected your subdomain to your ToneDen smart links using the guide above, you should now pause existing campaigns, duplicate, and re-launch, and our system will automatically use your new custom subdomain to run these campaigns as View Content conversion campaigns (how they were run prior to iOS 14 changes—if you do not have a custom subdomain, they will run as link click campaigns).
Explanation: Most ToneDen smart links live on a ToneDen domain, like fanlink.to, streamlink.to, or eventlink.to. Since each domain can now only have 8 different pixels installed at a given time, you will no longer be able to promote these domains in conversion-optimized campaigns.
Solution: Change your smart link to use a custom domain. Otherwise, campaigns will default to link click optimization.
Once you've set up your custom domain and connected your subdomain to your ToneDen smart links using the guide above, you should now pause existing campaigns, duplicate, and re-launch, and our system will automatically use your new custom subdomain to run these campaigns as View Content conversion campaigns (how they were run prior to iOS 14 changes—if you do not have a custom subdomain, they will run as link click campaigns).
Solution: Varies
Explanation: There is no one-size-fits-all solution here, unfortunately. Since Facebook is now limiting domains to a maximum of 8 installed pixels, it’s unlikely that you will be able to record conversion events on domains that you do not own. If it’s possible to sell your products on your own website, either via custom code or an embedded version of the platform you normally sell products on, you can install your pixel on your own site and record purchases there. Otherwise, you will need to pause your errored campaigns and re-launch them using Link Clicks as the optimization goal.
The Untold Story of iOS 14 – One of the best technical deep dives into the changes coming with iOS 14 and the various ad networks’ responses.
Facebook Pixel Updates for Apple's iOS 14 Requirements – Facebook’s instructions on configuring pixel events for your domain.
Data Privacy Day at Apple: Improving transparency and empowering users – Apple’s overview of the changes coming in iOS 14.
