iOS 14.5 App Tracking Transparency & Paid Social

iPhone users may have gotten a notification that a new update was available during the last week of April. Business owners may be aware of this update or have heard some online chatter about what this could mean for their advertising efforts because of a feature called App Tracking Transparency.

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This has caused some people to be concerned — but really, you don’t need to be! If your company or your marketing agency is on top of things, steps are already in place to help alleviate the concerns that can arise from updates like this one.

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Let’s take a closer look at what the iOS 14.5 App Tracking Transparency (ATT) update means and how it can affect paid social media tactics:

What Is App Tracking Transparency?

ATT is a new feature in the iPhone’s latest operating system update. It can impact data sharing and allows iPhone users to opt-in for tracking, placing friction between apps and the ability to track user behavior across other apps and websites.

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For users, this means they’ll get a notification for each app to grant access — or not. For businesses, it will require an extra step to ensure proper attribution for marketing campaigns.

How Does It Affect My Ads?

Well, to be totally honest, no one knows yet. It probably won’t affect your ads — or your sales — but it may affect attribution at first. But marketing agencies, paid social media experts, and the social media platforms themselves have been aware of this update for months and worked hard to make sure they understood the implications of such an update.

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Facebook has added new features, like the Conversions API, that will alleviate any issues. This gives marketers an opportunity to continue tracking leads and results from Facebook ads, as long as certain steps were taken in advance. Instead of tracking with a website or browser, it will allow for tracking via a server.

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Because of this, you may see a slight delay in attribution for social media ads. Many marketing agencies or teams have been working to get everything set up in Facebook Ads Manager, with the Conversions API and verifying domains.

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This should help reduce the amount of delay in attribution and reporting. If you need help getting your ad campaigns up to the new standard for ATT, the paid media experts at elk can help! Contact us to learn about the steps we can help you take to reduce the stress that comes with updates such as this one!