In order to create a successful campaign and maximize profit through social media marketing, it is absolutely vital to be able to access valid data and metrics. The issue of Facebook over-reporting conversions is nothing new, but is there any truth to those claims?
Today, we will try to explain the significance of accurate ad reporting and let you know how to deal with Facebook over-reporting sales, in order to create the best possible remarketing campaigns. Here are some of the reasons for concern and ways in which you can deal with it.
The impact of iOS updates on Facebook conversion metrics
It’s safe to say that the problems with Facebook over-reporting orders did not start just recently, as this has been a known issue for quite some time now. However, things have happened along the way that made it even worse.
Most notably, after the iOS 14 update, it suddenly became much harder for Facebook to track the conversions successfully, due to more strict data privacy policies. When you are unable to correctly monitor all conversions, it quickly shows the effect on all areas of marketing as well.
Not only that it became a lot harder to monitor the success of a single campaign, but it severely affected the remarketing strategies as well. Facebook was forced to learn more about statistical modeling and assumptions to estimate conversion. It goes without saying that this model does not always produce the most accurate results.
Does Facebook overstate the number of orders that come from ads?
The way in which Facebook reports and tracks conversions is somewhat unique. All users that decided to purchase a product by clicking on an ad are considered conversions, and that is perfectly fine. However, with Facebook, this process lasts for 7 days. During that time, even if the users decided to make a purchase without clicking on the ad that they previously saw, Facebook will still count it as a direct conversion.
Encouraged by the success they had on Facebook, users could be more inclined to invest more money in ads, which once again inflates these numbers even more. While this data is not inaccurate per se, it can hardly be recognized as ideal. That is why a lot of people decide not to place their trust in the hands of Facebook metrics and employ different tools for conversion tracking at the very least.
Facebook pixel is a powerful tool for those who know how to use it
This small code can be incredibly powerful when it comes to the optimization of ad campaigns, helping you to better understand the user behavior and allowing you to optimize your website to its full capability.
Still, it is important to note that even the pixel has certain limitations. The strict updates that protect user privacy are also getting in the way of the pixel, preventing user tracking when outside the platform. Without these valuable insights, it becomes much harder to define the reach and conversion of your ad campaigns.
Without the possibility to target specific audiences through remarketing campaigns, brands might be forced to leave significant amounts of profit on the table. By taking these limitations into consideration ahead of time, it is still possible to cut down the losses to a bare minimum. That is why the need for captivating ad campaigns is now greater than ever before.
There is no possibility of real-time reporting
In the world of business, time is of the essence, and immediate results are always to be expected from every marketing campaign. Naturally, in order to achieve good results, you always have to optimize campaigns and track the ways in which the users react to them.
Unfortunately, because real-time reporting is not always available from Facebook, this becomes a tricky task. This delay of data can last up to 3 days, which is an incredibly long time for those who are dealing with tight and stressful deadlines. In order to avoid this issue, it is best to leave some space for the ad to breathe, but we all know that that’s not always a possibility. Still, for the time being, it seems that we will have to learn how to live with these difficulties as we go.
Can you specifically identify where your orders are coming from?
Thus far, we have mainly talked about some of the shortcomings of Facebook analytics, but is that the only way in which it is possible to track down ad conversions? Fortunately, there is a solution for these problems, and it includes an audit of your social media marketing and your conversion funnel
At GrowMojo, we have a team of experts that specialize in advertising attribution and conversion rate optimization. We can help you to clearly determine where your orders are coming from, which will allow you to pursue that income stream and maximize your earnings. Contact us today so we can give you more insight into where your orders are truly coming from and how to get more!
