Our #PPCchat discussion on April 10 dealt with how advertisers are responding to Facebook’s recent targeting changes.

If you aren’t familiar, #PPCchat is a weekly Twitter chat that occurs Tuesdays at 12 PM ET.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal has resulted in the removal of third-party audience categories, as well as the elimination of reach numbers and audience insights for custom audiences. For a full rundown of these changes, check out Facebook’s updated product terms.

Many digital advertisers who manage client or in-house ad spend on Facebook are curious about how the changes will impact performance and how to proceed next.

In this article, we’ll recap a few highlights learned from the discussion.

Advertisers Aren’t Worried

While there’s disappointment over losing features, experienced PPC professionals have survived frequent upheaval across ad platforms over the years. Changes just mean adapting to different strategies on a platform that is still delivering a return for many.

In general, the consensus was that the hit to the potential user base would be insignificant. When participants were asked if they thought users and advertisers would leave Facebook, here were some responses:

A3 – I don't see it happening. Maybe 1-2%, but not a significant amount. #PPCChat https://t.co/ZOrxRVjOXc

— JD Prater (@jdprater) April 10, 2018

Advertisers won't leave out of moral principal – they'll leave when it stops working for them. As for users, I expect a small percentage of the already diminishing younger demos to leave, most likely to just engage less #ppcchat @nmpi_digital https://t.co/jUQodqeAuc

— Andy Warby (@AndyWarbyPPC) April 10, 2018

A3 – I don't – A few advertisers have left already, but I don't see users leaving Facebook en masse, it's too connected to our lives. If Gov't regulation happens though, that will shake things up #ppcchat

— Nate Velazquez (@NaciVela) April 10, 2018

A3: I will be very curious to see what happens when the next quarterly update happens, re: time spent on the platform. If those numbers are way down, I could see some wanting to refocus $$ elsewhere. More opps for those who stay though!#ppcchat

— Julie F Bacchini (@NeptuneMoon) April 10, 2018

In addition, budgets are not moving away from Facebook solely due to the recent changes. As long as opportunity remains and the return on investment stays strong, ad dollars will stay in Facebook’s platform.

A4. If anything, we are actually shifting toward FB since performance has been improving in 2018 (possibly due to changes or just organic lift). As everyone's saying, we base on results…so for now it's still going strong. #ppcchat

— Emma Franks (@akaEmmaLouise) April 10, 2018

What Tactics Can We Use Now?

We also talked about next steps to adapt to the changes. Despite the removal of third-party data, Facebook still retains a wide range of targeting capabilities, including interest targeting, custom audiences, and lookalikes.

Thankfully, lookalike targeting is still available. Facebook’s machine learning has an incredible ability to find users with similarities to custom audiences you’ve built. Even if third party data is taken away, Facebook’s own system still holds a wealth of data about individuals to identify potential prospects. Continuing to feed Facebook with data from audiences in your sales funnel will contribute to building better lookalikes.

A5. Lookalike audiences have been killing it for us this year, so we haven't been feeling the targeting changes too much…except the audience reach predictions but that hasn't been inhibiting. #ppcchat

— Emma Franks (@akaEmmaLouise) April 10, 2018

A5 – specifically, shifting to more LAL audiences over interests/behaviors. Let FB control the audience to get the results. #ppcchat https://t.co/WTYv5ZKTOI

— JD Prater (@jdprater) April 10, 2018

A5: We're starting to use the database more and more. Enrich the database & pull custom audiences. #ppcchat

— Heather Cooan, MBA, NTP, FDN-P (@HeatherCooan) April 10, 2018

What Will Happen Next?

Looking ahead to the future, many people seemed confident that Facebook would on some level restore some of the features taken away once the press attention wears down. Ultimately, Facebook depends on ad revenue to keep their business model alive, so giving advertisers a robust platform is in their best interest.

A7 I think they'll come back in a new form, or a so-called new form, which is just the old form but with a new name. #ppcchat

— It rhymes with eyes. 🇨🇦 🏝️🌲🌴🌊 (@JuliaVyse) April 10, 2018

A7: Facebook will quell the uprising and go back to providing an awesome advertising platform, because that's what drives the revenue and ultimately keeps the platform "free" for users. #ppcchat

— Robert Brady (@robert_brady) April 10, 2018

https://twitter.com/timmhalloran/status/983752625500934144

Links to Resources

I also asked participants to share links that they’ve found helpful in understanding the current situation and its impact on advertisers. Here are some articles, covering both the marketer’s standpoint and a general overview of the situation.

• Facebook Marketing: What’s Changing, What’s Not, & What To Do (Portent)
• Facebook’s removing third-party targeting data: What marketers need to know (Marketing Land)
• As Fallout From Facebook And Cambridge Analytica Continues, Marketers Shrug (AdAge)

What are your thoughts on how advertisers should proceed on Facebook in light of the recent events? Share in the comments below!