By Jowanna Daley
How Facebook changes impact your ad targeting and data collection capabilities.
Laws and guidelines always seem to lag behind technology. At some point, though, laws are developed to protect consumers, and companies are also choosing to put guides in place to protect consumers.
For instance, Apple launched the iOS 14.5 updates, which gave iPhone users control of sharing information with advertisers. It was a win for consumers—but it caused havoc for Facebook advertisers and left them scrambling. Micro and solo companies that may not have understood how to advertise on Facebook were also hit hard. For example, Facebook pixels, code that you place on your website to collect data to track conversions, from stopped working, and the events you could capture (the actions taken by users on your website) are now limited.
Meta (the Facebook enterprise is now Meta; however, the platform is still called Facebook) has been making changes to what information it collects. Some of these changes were done quietly, while others were announced.
As of February 19, 2022, Meta is removing some of its ad targeting options and expanding the users’ ability to control what ads they see. Now let’s focus on the new changes, what it means for your advertising—and what you can do to market effectively.
Ad Targeting Options
If you advertise on Facebook, you will find that you can refine who you want to see your ads in the “Audience” section in ad set creation. For example, you may want to target people interested in cooking and exclude college grads. Detailed targeting is an effective way to zone in on your audience, especially if you know your customer base well.
In November, 2021, the company announced it was removing detailed targeting options that users viewed as sensitive. This includes restricting advertisers’ ability to target people based on interests in causes, organizations or public figures that relate to:
Health (e.g., “World Lupus Day,” “Breast Cancer Awareness,” “Insulin”)
Race (“Black Lives Matter,” “Jewish Genealogy Portal,” All Things Native American”)
Political affiliation (“Republican”)
Religion (“Jews with Jesus,” Catholic Church”)
Sexual orientation (“LGBTQ Community”)
Taking away the ability to protect sensitive data helps give power back to the consumers and minimizes exploiting people based on the marketer’s agenda.
What Are Other Controls in Place?
The best thing that happened to me as a consumer on platforms like Facebook was to opt-out of specific ads and choose what information I did not want to see from friends. That’s because Meta introduced features that allowed Facebook users to see fewer ads on subjects like politics and alcohol. You also can now control more ad types like gambling and weight loss. It’s a win for consumers, but it, without a doubt, causes challenges for advertisers. Let’s not kid ourselves, it becomes more important to know your market and understand marketing concepts.
What You Can Do to Continue to Reach Your Audience
Meta’s Facebook platform is not the only game in town. There are still effective ways to grow organically, like blogging, networking, and using traditional marketing (it never went away).
But Facebook is still a great place to advertise. Some of my clients suffered before these rules mainly because they did not understand digital marketing or business. The business startup phase is called startup because you don’t know your business model yet. You are getting to know the company, and it starts with research and expands as you gain clients. The best information is what you gather and what you already know. Here are effective ways to market on Facebook:
- Advertise to people who have engaged with your business (e.g., “Liked” your page or watched your videos)
- Build lookalike audiences based on those you’ve already gone through engagement with on your facebook page or website.
- Target people in your location
- Target existing customers by using an existing opt-in list
The wild cowboy days of digital marketing are behind us. Expect to see more changes in how advertisers use consumer data, and, if you have questions, reach out and ask: ask@jowanna.com.
March Considerations for Your Content Calendar
The unofficial holiday calendar is filled with days that life coaches can utilize to share valuable information and increase sales. Look through this list and select a few to build campaigns that connect with people.
March 1
• Share a Smile Day is a fun holiday to encourage positivity and joy worldwide.
• World Compliment Day is a day to let others know you appreciate them, which helps the world a happier place to be.
• Zero Discrimination Day is a day to promote equality and recognize the progress made in achieving equality.
March 2
• National Old Stuff Day is a day to clean out the house and donate things you are not using to charity.
• Read Across America Day promotes literacy by encouraging people to read more often.
• World Teen Mental Wellness Day raises awareness about mental health resources and lets teens know they are not alone.
March 3
• I Want You To Be Happy Day encourages people to do something to make them happy.
• Simplify-Your-Life Day promotes balance and a better quality of life by remembering life’s reasons for existing, such as family, friends, happiness, and health.
March 4
• Courageous Follower Day is an excellent day to encourage people to follow their dreams.
March 5
• National Play Outside Day was created to encourage people to get out of the house and enjoy outdoor activities.
March 6
• National Day of Unplugging encourages people to disconnect from technology and all things digital and reconnect with themselves, family, friends, and their communities.
March 7
• Fun Facts About Names Day is a day to celebrate your uniqueness and name. You can put a twist on it by talking about your brand.
• National Be Heard Day encourages people to listen more, speak less, and understand the power of words.
March 8
• International Women’s Day is where we celebrate the achievements of women while also recognizing the need to fill the gender gap.
March 9
• Get Over It Day encourages people to get over their fears and anxieties.
• National Panic Day is an annual holiday to bring awareness to life stressors and ways to minimize the impact of stress. Some celebrate by also making it okay to let out steam.
March 10
• Harriet Tubman Day celebrates the life of abolitionist and humanitarian Harriet Tubman.
• International Day of Awesomeness is best celebrated by encouraging people to be awesome!
March 11
• Debunking Day is a fun holiday to poke holes in the myths or untruths that trigger you. You can also use it to educate people about urban myths.
• Dream Day promotes a vision for a better world and how to achieve a better world.
March 12
• Plant a Flower Day encourages people to beautify the Earth and their world by planting flowers at home or in public.
March 13
• Good Samaritan Involvement Day shines a light on those who have helped people in need and inspires others to do the same.
• National Open an Umbrella Indoors Day challenges people to open an umbrella in the house and see if they suffer any bad luck. It’s a day to challenge this superstition and your mindset on why “bad” things happen.
March 14
• International Ask a Question Day sets out to change people’s views about questions and help encourage them to ask questions.
• National Napping Day takes place the Monday after Daylight Savings begins. It encourages people to get extra rest to make up for losing an hour from the time change.
• Write Your Story Day encourages people to share their uniqueness through their stories.
March 15
• National Everything You Think is Wrong Day is a day every life coach should honor. It’s a day to bring awareness that our opinions and beliefs can be wrong.
• True Confession Day encourages people to offload the burden of keeping haunting secrets.
March 16
• Kick Butt’s Day was created as a day of activism to speak out against “Big Tobacco.” It’s also a day to raise awareness of the benefits of kicking the smoking habit.
• National Everything You Do Is Right Day encourages people to feel good about what they do and that things are fixable.
March 17
• St. Patrick’s Day is a day of celebration and festivities in Ireland and the United States (wear that green).
March 18
• Forgive Mom and Dad Day is to acknowledge the challenges in parenting. It encourages people to let go of the grudges they have against their parents so they can live happier and lighter lives.
March 19
• Let’s Laugh Day is a fun holiday that encourages people to laugh. It’s a great day to remind people why laughter is the best medicine.
March 20
• World Storytelling Day encourages people worldwide to celebrate the art of listening to and telling stories.
March 21
• Act Happy Day encourages people to act as if they are happy. Life coaches can use this holiday to show people how they hold power to realize happiness (now).
• National Memory Day encourages people to exercise their memory muscles and debunks the myth that you can do nothing to improve your memory.
March 22
• National Goof Off Day is a day where people are encouraged to goof off and have fun.
March 23
• National Organize Your Home Office is a day of action that encourages people to organize their home office. Encourage people to share ideas on making their home office more organized.
March 24
• International Day for Achievers is a day to celebrate the achievements of people who have overcome adversity and achieved success.
March 26
• Be Mad Day raises awareness about mental health and encourages people to speak up about their feelings.
• Live Long and Prosper Day encourage people to consider the Vulcan blessing and see how they can apply it to their lives. Star Trek fans need no explanations.
• Solitude Day is a perfect day to encourage people to reflect on their lives and appreciate the benefits of alone time.
• Walk in the Sand Day is a great day to share the benefits of walking in the sand (alone or with friends) and enjoying nature.
March 27
• Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day celebrates country music and the unique way of telling stories. The lyrics and the titles can be heartbreaking and funny simultaneously.
March 28
• National Hot Tub Day promotes self-care by encouraging time away from daily stressors by enjoying a fun day alone or with loved ones in the hot tub.
• National Triglycerides Day raises awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle to minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Virtual Advocacy Day is a day where various advocacy groups go to Capital Hill to raise awareness and support for their cause. Since the pandemic, this day is now virtual.
March 29
• National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day celebrate small business owners by showing appreciation for people who work tireless hours to serve their community.
• Smoke and Mirrors Day focuses on celebrating and being aware of things that arent’ as they appear. The term “smoke and mirrors” is a rich [magical] history that leaves how to approach this quirky holiday up to YOUR imagination.
March 30
• Grass is Always Browner on the Other Side of the Fence is a day to show appreciation for what you have and do something for someone else.
• National I am in Control Day encourages people to evaluate their lives and take control by assessing what things are within their control. It also is a day where the then Secretary of State, Alexander Haig, famously told the press, “I am in control, “after John Hinckley, Jr. shot President Ronald Regan.
• Pencil Day is a day to honor the pencil though it has been replaced other writing and digital writing tools.
• Take a Walk in the Park Day encourages people to get out and enjoy nature.
• Virtual Vacation Day is a day where you can spend time in the metaverse going on a virtual vacation without leaving your home or office.
March 31
• World Backup Day is an international movement to make people aware of the importance of backing up data.
Jowanna is a business and personal coach, consultant, freelance blogger, and personal brand photographer. Jowanna uses her 20-plus years of business, information technology, business analysis, and project management experience to serve solopreneurs, microbusinesses, and professionals through consulting, coaching, training, and workshops. She is also a freelance blogger who serves corporate and non-corporate clients. Visit her website at https://www.jowannadaley.com/about/.