Just when you thought you couldn’t take any more changes from 2020, Facebook announces a number of them. Not to worry, some of these are actually quite cool and helpful to small businesses.
From ad limits for Pages, a new business suite, and expanded brand safety options for in-stream ads, we’ll go through the the new Facebook updates and explain what they mean for you.
While Facebook has announced several updates, today we focus on those that are most relevant to small businesses and entrepreneurs. So, here we go!
New Ads Limit Per Page
Almost a year ago, Facebook announced that they’d be imposing an ad limit on each individual Page, restricting the number of campaigns they run.
By restricting volume, Facebook says it will help advertisers keep costs down and performance up because the system’s learning and personalization options mean that high volumes aren’t necessary anymore.
The ad limits will roll out between February and the summer months in 2021.
While we expected that only organizations with over $100k budgets per month would be impacted, it’s now clear that this isn’t quite the case.
These will be the new ad limits that determine how many ads can actively be running at a single time:
👉 250 ads per Page for small to medium Pages—pages with less than 100k in ad spend in their highest spending month over the past twelve months
👉 1,000 ads per Page for medium and large Pages—pages with ad costs ranging from $100k to $1M in their highest spending month over the past twelve months
👉 5,000 ads per Page for larger pages—pages with $1M to $10M in their highest spending month over the past twelve months
👉 20,000 ads for “largest” Pages—pages with over $10M in ad spend in their highest month over the past twelve months.
While machine learning, improved algorithms, and options like dynamic ads make it possible for businesses to run fewer campaigns—and maybe restrictions on ad volume will make it easier for ads to be approved faster or more reliably—some of us know how unreliable the system can be.
Overall, it’s counterintuitive to be excited about limits, especially if you’re looking to scale. However, the adjusted ad spend would presumably increase the volume potential over time.
One thing to note now: if you’re nearing the next tier and want extra ads, pay attention to that now. You’ve got until at least February.
Facebook Prepares Partners for iOS 14
The internet has been buzzing about the upcoming iOS 14 update, which, among other changes, will ask users to opt-in to data collection instead of requiring them to proactively figure out how to opt-out themselves. While this is good for user privacy, it’s not so much for advertisers.
The reason is that if a large number of your audience automatically opts-out of anonymous data collection, it means that you won’t be able to show them retargeted campaigns based on actions taken on your site or landing pages.
Website-based retargeting will likely take a massive hit as this update rolls out, especially since mobile usage has proved the more popular than desktop for browsing.
Facebook is preparing businesses for the update, and have said that they won’t collect identifiers for advertisers (IDFA) on their own apps.
They’ll also remind users about how their information is used on Facebook, and highlight their Off-Facebook Activity feature. This shows users a summary of their off-Facebook activity that businesses send to Facebook and allows them to disconnect it.
Here’s how Facebook recommends their partners prepare:
👉 They ask that relevant businesses create a new ad account dedicated to running app install efforts for iOS users
👉 They remind advertisers that Audience Network monetization will likely decrease
👉 Facebook stresses that ad performance will likely take a hit in some places, so keep an eye on your campaigns during the change so you can adapt quickly if you need to
Facebook Business Suite
Facebook’s new Business Suite has been announced and rolled out. In fact, you may have already seen it!
The Business Suite is a single dashboard for your linked Facebook and Instagram accounts that allows you to post, message, advertise, and view insights all in one place.
It’s designed to improve the experience of managing a business across their apps.
So, if you want to schedule posts that will go out to both your Facebook and Instagram followers at the same time, now you can.
The combined insights feature is also helpful for getting the big-picture on your performance for the two platforms, allowing you to easily compare what’s working and what’s not.
To access the new Business Suite, you’ll be redirected when you visit business.facebook.com (if you’re eligible).
On mobile, if you’re using the Pages Manager App, you’ll see the option to opt-in. Otherwise, the Facebook Business Suite App is available on Android and iOS app stores.
Final Musings
Facebook’s latest updates are ultimately about giving more control to advertisers and users.
It’s essential for businesses and marketers to stay up to date on everything that could impact their organic and advertising campaigns moving forward.
It will be interesting to see how these changes are received by users and whether they accomplish what Facebook says they will. 🤞 Stay tuned!
Which of these Facebook updates are you anticipating most? What were you hoping we’d see, and what do you want to see next? Share your thoughts and questions in the comments section below!
