​Recently, Apple launched its upcoming iOS 14 updates, and many small-to-medium (SMB) size businesses are worried about the future of their marketing dollars.

Apple’s new software update will allow users of the company’s iPhone to select their privacy settings upon opening apps like Facebook. Whereas iPhone users would once have to dive deep into their phone’s settings to choose their privacy levels, the new software update will prompt a response from users before engaging with different apps.

So, what does this mean for your online ad spend? If you’re one of the countless numbers of small business owners who advertise on Facebook, it could be tricky.

Keep reading to better understand what’s going on and what you can do to offset the impact these Apple updates will have on your social media game.

How Facebook helps you target your ideal customers

Facebook’s platform uses advanced data collection technology to customize its user’s experience. Typically, this happens in concert with background tracking and user activity.

As one of the world’s largest social media platforms, Facebook’s data collection efforts have produced some of the most predictable Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the planet. The result is that anyone spending money to advertise on Facebook will benefit from reaching a highly targeted and personalized audience.

What these changes mean for your small business

Apple’s iOS 14.4 update was released to the public on January 26^th and the 14.5 update is in beta testing as of February 1^st. The 14.5 update, according to MacRumors.com, “is the update where Apple will begin enforcing its App Tracking Transparency privacy feature, which will require app developers to ask for and receive a user’s permission to access their random advertising identifier (known as the IDFA) to track user activity across apps and websites.” If all goes through as planned, users will be given the option to select privacy settings that prevent this AI from gathering data.

In that case, you may see an entire segment of iPhone users who are beyond your marketing reach in the following ways:

• Your Facebook ads may not reach users who engage with your business
• Conversions may become harder to track and measure
• Optimization may become a game of roulette, meaning your budget may explode
• You could lose control over how often your ad gets shown, which could lead to brand burnout

Here’s what you can do to even your marketing spend

For its part, Facebook has urged Apple to reconsider and is fighting back on behalf of the small businesses using their platform to reach new customers.

As a small business, you may not have time to process what all these things mean, so we’re giving you some helpful tips to weather these upcoming changes.

1. Spread out across different platforms. Does your business thrive on B2B connections? Or perhaps you’re attempting to reach a segment of professionals who would be ideal clients. If so, we recommend the LinkedIn Insights Tag. It’s a powerful way to hyper-target the individuals you need to make contact with so your business can thrive.
2. YouTube is a solid bet. Anyone working in the real estate industry knows there’s no shortage of things to talk about. Why not turn this into clickable content on a YouTube channel? Do you have expertise in a nearby city or town? Are you a rockstar with new buyers or property investors? Maybe you know what it takes to get a home sold ASAP. Whatever your genius zone, think about translating it into videos that will help your audiences get familiar with you.
3. Not that tech-savvy? Give us a call. Artificial intelligence is great, but nothing beats a human touch, especially when it comes to online marketing. We have a proven track record of helping people connect with their audiences, no matter the digital platform. We do the heavy lifting for you so that you can focus on what you do best.

Don’t let the iOS 14 update keep you out of the game

We get that these changes are confusing. If you’re a small business, you have enough on your plate. Worrying about the new iOS 14 update shouldn’t be how you spend your time.

A professional marketing agency will help you save money in the long term by maximizing your online reach so that you can meet your clients where they are. We do this work for small businesses every day.

Are you ready to see what our team can do for you?

Book a free call with our CEO today and stop stressing and start strategizing.