The arrival of iOS 14 has meant we can no longer see accurate purchase data on Facebook Ads Manager. iOS 14 users have been granted greater transparency and choice with data sharing, and we are now unable to track users’ activity outside Facebook-owned apps if they opt out of ads tracking. 

 

This means the efficacy of Ads Manager has dropped as regards to audience targeting and hence measuring ad campaign performance. Ads Manager doesn’t always include purchase values which means ROAS is calculated incorrectly, at a lower value than it actually is. In addition, delayed attribution means we can be without a truly accurate performance report for around three days.

 

In order to grow your business’s profits, we are making sure to observe complete results and revenue. Instead of being restricted by Facebook ROAS, we’ll be using MER. By using platforms such as Triple Whale, we can include any additional marketing costs which will give us a more accurate ROAS. (We’ll use Facebook ROAS for reference if needed.)

 

To compare, as an example, Facebook ROAS was calculated at 3 for the same client achieving a ROAS of 16 with Triple Whale. An incredibly significant difference in accuracy that we’re making sure we attend to while tracking your ad campaign performance.

 

Key data measurements we’re looking at to optimise ad performance, explained :

  • MER (Marketing Efficiency Ratio) provides higher level analysis of ad spend than simply focussing on the ROAS of individual ads. It’s calculated by dividing total revenue by total paid ad spend from all channels.

 

  • CPM (Cost Per Thousand) helps us see how effective our audiences are. If this is higher, it means Facebook is having to work harder to find potential customers, and hence we need to optimise within the ad group, or test new audiences.

 

  • CPC (Cost-per-Click) helps us determine the efficacy of creatives in driving website traffic. If this is higher, it means that Facebook is working too hard to get users to click on ads – hence we need to switch up the ads we’re using.

 

  • CPA (Average Cost per Action) is calculated by dividing the total cost of conversions by the total number of conversions. For example, if your ad receives 2 conversions, one costing £2.00 and one costing £4.00, your average CPA for those conversions is £3.00.

 

So, there you have it. Our updated reporting practices to ensure your ad campaigns are fully optimised and high performing. If you need any help navigating your ad reports or wish for more information about our reporting changes, get in touch with us. We have an expert in-house team of paid ad specialists who would love to help you with ads reporting, ROAS, optimisation, and more.