When we talk about online marketing, social ads are one of the most important tools for companies to reach their target audience. Despite recent privacy changes, such as the iOS 14 update, social media ads remain an indispensable factor for growth. Below, we explore how Shopify platforms can still benefit from social ads.
Impact of Privacy Rules on Social Ads
The recent introduction of stricter privacy regulations and tech updates has significantly changed the way you can collect and use user data. With iOS 14, for example, apps must ask permission before collecting certain types of tracking or data. This has led to a reduction in detailed user data, which poses a challenge for targeted ads.
Despite these challenges, social ads remain valuable. They still offer interesting targeting options based on user behavior and demographics. Platforms such as Facebook and Instagram remain essential channels to increase brand awareness and boost conversions.
Social ads based on Shopify Product Catalog
For e-commerce platforms such as Shopify, social media ads remain a vital source of traffic and sales. With a Shopify tower, you can link your product catalog directly to ad campaigns, which speeds up and simplifies the process of reaching potential customers. Although the data is less specific, insights from ad performance analytics can still be used to optimize campaigns and increase ROI.
Adjust your ad strategy to accommodate privacy restrictions
As a brand, you need to adjust ad strategy to comply with new privacy restrictions. This shifts the focus to still remain effective. This can include:
- Increasing focus on content quality in ads to capture users’ attention.
- The use of so-called contextual targeting. This is data based on the content in which the ad is shown, rather than personal user data.
- Exploring new forms of engagement, such as interactive ads or experiences, that can help increase interaction.
Contextual Targeting in Shopify
Shopify stores can target their campaigns to specific customer segments based on previous interactions within the Shopify environment. By using a page’s content as the basis, advertisers can increase the relevance of their ads without using direct personal data. This makes it possible to remain effective in an era where privacy is increasingly important.
Facebook Ads Manager and Contextual Targeting
Facebook has also expanded options for contextual targeting. With Facebook Ads Manager, advertisers can now create ads that focus more on the context of the user experience than on personal information. By using characteristics such as pages visited, interactions with content and similar behavioral factors, companies can tailor their ads to the audience’s likely interests.
Placing ads on Instagram or Facebook
Social ads on Instagram often show a different dynamic than those on Facebook, especially given Instagram’s visual focus and user behavior. Instagram ads typically attract a younger audience and deliver higher engagement for brands focused on lifestyle, fashion and other visually-oriented sectors. In contrast, Facebook offers broader demographic reach and is more effective for detailed targeting based on behavior and interests. For this reason, it is important to understand the strengths of both platforms and use them to effectively reach your target audience. That while keeping in mind the constant shifts in privacy policy.