Sue Prentice

Creating a business growth plan is essential for any company that wants to increase its revenue and expand its reach. It helps to establish clear goals, identify potential challenges, and implement strategies to overcome them. 

As an entrepreneur, you certainly have a bigger picture of where you want your business to be in the near future. Before any growth planning happens, it’s vital to know what success means to you. To achieve a set of business goals, you’ll need alignment with your team. Having a growth plan that defines the strategies to implement helps achieve your goals and keeps you true to your purpose, becoming the inspiration for your employees and other stakeholders in your business.

With a detailed business growth plan, you can achieve clarity knowing where to focus and what the profitable opportunities are to prioritize first, how to  recognize the lessons from past experience and what to avoid to prevent future losses, to further penetrate the market, minimize future risks, and increase revenue streams. Keeping you accountable, a business plan helps monitor progress at every step affording measurable accountability and to ensure no stone has been left unturned in the effort to reach the agreed goals. Planning and preparation is to power your business for unmatched growth.

That said, here are six steps to follow when creating a business growth plan:

Assess your current performance

Evaluating your overall business performance and target market gives insights into where your organization currently stands. One of the ideal ways to do that is by conducting a SWOT analysis which defines your key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Essentially, this gives you a clear picture of your current and future potential. This way, you can plan how to capitalize on various business opportunities using your strengths and methods to eliminate threats by rectifying weak points.

Work with the right growth partner

Growth is a process, and making complex decisions on your own can be overwhelming. Therefore, it’s best to alleviate future barriers to growth by working with professionals who can help you achieve your desired business objectives faster.

A growth partner has the technical expertise to support your growth plan by ensuring you choose and implement effective strategies that make sense for suit your business growth stage. For instance, a partner like Beyond Points can actively work with you to identify the right marketing opportunities and craft creative and original campaigns suited to your specific product or service. With a wealth of experience behind in the organisation, they identify what makes sense strategically for your growth goals, growing your ability to grow returning customers and engaging and memorable brand experiences, profitably.

Outline and get clarity on targeted growth options

Unlike the typical business plan, a marketing plan addresses growth opportunities. Deep diving into a customized SWOT analysis is a start to identifying opportunities and key areas of expansion. Here are some business growth strategy examples for your consideration:

• Diversification: Product line expansions or development of new commodities to meet demand.
• Channel Strategy:Strength of brand visibility, community and responsiveness.
• E-Commerce Economics: Understanding profit, cash flow and inventory management.
• Market expansion:You may want to introduce your product or services in other regions to target new customers. This requires efficient market penetration strategies to win prospective buyers and drive sales.

Note that some of these initiatives are mutually beneficial. For instance, intensifying your marketing paid and organic campaigns will attract more customers and increase revenue.

Proof of Product and MVP

Knowing you are providing a solution for a real-world problem is key and of course, contributing to a relevant cause. today this is becoming vital by consumer demand. Market research and audits to leverage existing data are excellent ways to determine whether this is true or false. It’s possible to gather information using small scale paid social media tests, surveys and interviews, and analyze the data to unveil industry trends or learn more about customer behavior. Being clear of your competitive analysis and how it’s received by your target market will have a strong influence on your product market fit. Generally, the findings you uncover at this stage influence the strategic direction and type of goals.

Write attainable growth goals

Based on the above findings, you can clearly define objectives based on reality. Outline your short-term targets and long-term growth goals knowing in today’s economy one needs to be fluid and flexible, ready to pivot and adjust to the changing macro environment. Goals are key to actualizing and accomplishing your growth plan and should be smart and measurable:

• Measurable:Quantifiable goals should be measurable and trackable – hint numbers to shoot for so you can recognize when the team gets close to or completes the milestones.
• Achievable:Set realistic targets that you’re able to deliver and specify any roadblocks.
• Relevant:Ensure your goals relate to the core growth objective or a particular skill.
• Time-bound:This gives you a timeline for attaining a specific goal. For instance, you can set quarterly targets for acquiring new clients.

 

Include information on your growth tools

Next, list the growth tools you’ll leverage to fuel your expansion. They include:

• Funding requirements:The capital you’ll need to fund your expansion and how you’ll get it. For instance, you can elaborate on ways to connect with potential investors or consider the need for partnerships.
• Technology tools:The digital tools you’ll require to improve efficiency. You’d want to collaborate with e-commerce growth partners with long-term experience supporting online brands’ growth for a clear and strategic roadmap.
• Marketing tools:How your marketing strategies evolve as you scale to ensure increased levels of customer engagement.
• Human Resources: Ensure you have the human capital to grow.

 

Implement your business growth plan

Apply what you have on paper to your day-to-day business operations. Also, reviewing your growth plan from time to time is vital to track your progress and set yourself up for success.

Conclusion

A business growth plan brings the difference between success and stagnation. With the right business growth mindset, knowing the reason you wake up every day with clear strategic direction will keep you on track to domination and crushing the competition. Keeping yourself accountable as the business leader firstly, realistically evaluating current performance, preparing to take on growth opportunities, staying within realistic time frames, and supporting team with growth tools, should ensure your plan is successfully put into action.

There’s a lot to think about as a business founder or co-founder. Reaching that first million-dollar revenue goal and moving swiftly forward to manage the growth into multi-millions can be demanding as much as it is rewarding. Being supported by the right growth partners and a team who appreciate your long-term growth plans and goals can alleviate the pressure and allow time to enjoy the journey on your way to your success destination.

Remember, a business growth plan is a living document and should be reviewed and revised regularly to ensure it remains relevant and effective.

References

1. “The Importance of SWOT Analysis”, Source: https://medium.com/dlt-labs-publication/the-importance-of-swot-analysis-2ae85762f4b8/
2. “10 Business Growth Strategies: What, You Can GROW Out of Business?”, Source: https://medium.com/swlh/10-business-growth-strategies-what-you-can-grow-out-of-business-eb6032ea639b
3. “Market Research”, Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/market-research
4. “A Guide to Goal Setting”, Source: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/188454

 

 

 

 

 

 

Establishing a business requires hard work, determination and careful planning and strategy for it to hit the ground running. Business owners encounter various challenges, and their ability to overcome them determines their chances for success. As the business grows, it’s also essential for owners and decision-makers to adjust their strategies and be on the lookout for more opportunities for advancement. Through consistent efforts, persistence and patience, many attain the competitiveness and profitability they aspire to achieve.

The journey towards business growth is similar for many, with five distinguishable growth stages for businesses across industries. The business lifecycle begins with ideation, followed by the startup stage, which leads to growth and maturity. The final stages can be either rebirth or decline, depending on how each step was planned and executed. In many cases, the business owner’s ability to identify which stage the company becomes the key to success or failure is why they must know the signs to look for and take action as needed.

Can you identify the phase your business is in at present? Continue reading this article to learn more about the different business growth stages.

The ideation stage

According to 2022 data by Statista, Australia is one of the leading countries when it comes to producing startup companies, with a rate of 5.8%. Startups continue to thrive in the business world, with most beginning by identifying a problem and devising a solution they can distribute to the market.

This problem-solution framework will serve as the foundation of the enterprise. Hence, the earliest stage of establishing your company will focus primarily on formulating business ideas, testing models and strategies, and creating a framework for your organisation.

It’s essential to think about the execution of the planning stages to ensure that they’ll take form at the right time as this stage relies heavily on concepts and theories. Moreover, it’s possible to go off track and be distracted by too many ideas, so it’s crucial to remain focused on the problem and the solution you’re designing.

The startup stage

The startup stage is the best time to showcase creativity and competitiveness, but many businesses fail early on. For some, this may be due not only to financial constraints or lacklustre products or services offered which make them vulnerable targets for competition if they don’t expand rapidly into different markets with broadening offerings soon enough; For others, many employees take on more than one role as the corporate structure grows.

According to a 2021 global survey, 38% of startups failed because of fund shortage, while another 35% folded due to lack of market demand. The source mentions that there’s rarely one reason behind a company going bankrupt, it’s rather a mixture of several issues. Keeping check of operating expenses and profit margins is a key factor for survival in any business.

Cashflow is key at this stage, and business owners should work with their business model to grow revenue and become profitable enough to sustain and advance operations.

 

The growth stage

The growth stage of a company is all about building up your business. You might invest in strengthening the organizational structure, defining roles and responsibilities or training more personnel- so that you can continue expanding into new markets with confidence!

Other factors that would require a significant investment of time, effort and resources include product development, marketing and distribution. The growth phase allows you to improve the structure of your business with long-term growth in mind.

The maturity stage

The maturity phase of your business should display more stability and profitability compared with the first two stages of growth. You should see steady annual growth; your team should also have attained several years of tenure. Moreover, your relationships with investors and partners should have been strengthened and expanded in various aspects. As the owner, many of your responsibilities should be delegated to senior managers and other employees with an executive role.

Overall, the business should run smoothly apart from occasional disruptions or concerns. Your revenue should also be stable for a couple of years, and you can fulfill financial obligations without delay.

The renewal or decline period

You can tell if your company is headed towards a period of rebirth, renewal or decline based on how your business has performed for the past two years. For instance, one of the industry’s first signs of deterioration is reduced capital and revenue for two to three consecutive quarters. It’s common for declining businesses to experience a high employee turnover rate, exceeding 12%, the average for small to medium-sized companies. If you realise at this point that your current strategies aren’t producing sufficient revenue, then it might be time to consider cashing out or reinvesting.

Conclusion

Understanding the different business stages and identifying your progress can help you make strategic decisions that propel your enterprise to further growth. Moreover, you can avoid costly mistakes by addressing any issues head-on or adjusting your business approach when needed. Continue learning about the different business growth stages, conduct an honest assessment of your current position and reposition yourself to be more competitive.

 

 In 2023, it will be more important than ever for brands to focus on building a strong, authentic identity and reputation. With the proliferation of social media and the ability for individuals to share their experiences with brands online, it is crucial for companies to be transparent and responsive to customer needs and concerns.

One trend that will continue to gain momentum in 2023 is the trend towards sustainability and social responsibility. Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious of the environmental and social impact of their purchasing decisions and are more likely to choose brands that align with their values. Brands that can demonstrate a commitment to sustainability and social responsibility will have a competitive edge.

Another key focus for brands in 2023 will be the need to adapt to the evolving landscape of e-commerce and digital marketing. With the increasing prevalence of online shopping and virtual experiences, it will be important for brands to have a strong online presence and to be able to effectively reach and engage with customers through multiple digital channels. This will involve investing in SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, and other digital marketing strategies while looking out for logical pathways that transcend into Web3 and beyond.

In addition to building a strong online presence, it will also be important for brands to have a clear, cohesive brand identity and message. This will involve defining their target audience, identifying their unique value proposition, and consistently communicating this message through all marketing and branding efforts. While these are established marketing principles, clarity and conciseness will pay off long term with brand recognition across the very quickly consumed content formats today.

Another trend that will be important for brands to pay attention to in 2023 is the rise of experiential marketing. In a world where consumers are bombarded with advertising messages on a daily basis, it is becoming more and more important for brands to create immersive, interactive experiences that engage customers on a deeper level so that they are remembered and return again. This could involve anything from pop-up shops and events to interactive social media campaigns and other creative offline strategies.

If you want to get in on the rise of TikTok, or be prepared to navigate the complexity of the disappearing Cookies as we know it, learn what exactly tokens and NFTs mean and how to leverage generative AI for as a content creator, or understand the meaning of  Web 3 and VR for your brand or service, or how to communicate your brand story to the world, you’re in the right place here.

At Beyond Points, with over 55 + years combined experience on and offline, our talent is merging traditional and leading digital formats to create the best customer experience.

Brands should also be prepared to embrace new technologies as they emerge. This could include virtual and augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies that have the potential to transform the way businesses operate and engage with customers. Web 3 is the buzz word we hear and see early in the year however by the end of year, we predict it will become more mainstream as it makes way to be included in the marketing mix.

One of the biggest challenges facing brands in 2023 will be the need to navigate the increasingly complex and rapidly changing regulatory landscape. With the increasing focus on data privacy and cybersecurity, it will be important for brands to ensure that they are compliant with relevant laws and regulations and that they are taking appropriate measures to protect the sensitive information of their customers.

In summary, in 2023, successful brands will be those that are able to effectively build and maintain a strong online presence, establish a clear and cohesive brand identity, embrace new technologies and are nimble and adaptable with smart marketing strategies, ready to navigate the complex regulatory landscape. By paying attention to these key trends and focusing on delivering a high-quality customer experience, brands will be well-positioned to succeed and profit in the years ahead.

If you would like to take us up, we have just opened space to work with 5 select, purpose-driven brands so book in here to start the conversation and take this opportunity to get some creative and objective views on how to build your road map for profitable growth in 2023. Book a 45 minute slot and we’ll invest a further 45 minutes with our compliments to guide your growth journey. Go to Calendar Link

 

Google’s newest campaign type is a revolutionary step in fueling automated ads, Google Performance Max Ads, roll over display ads, search ads, display ads!  The question being asked is how will it deliver? Is the reliance on automation and intelligent algorithms the best decision, allowing Google to do the thinking and spending of your digital advertising budget?

In this blog post, we will discuss some of the crucial aspects that make Google Performance Max Ads a vital ingredient for your paid advertising campaigns.

What are Google Performance Max Ads?

Performance Max is a campaign type in Google Ads where you outline a roadmap with a specific goal, give some indication on the ideal target audience that Google will expand on and provide all the necessary assets what you are going to advertise. On the output end, Google auto-generates ads that serve the purpose with utmost efficiency across all the Google ecosystems. It means you can trigger impactful paid ad scenarios on SERPs, Maps, Display, YouTube, Gmail, etc. all via a single campaign.

5 Reasons Performance Max Can Help Scale Your Brand Fast

The prime focus of Performance Max is to make your advertising efforts on Google’s networks easier and more impactful, maximizing the intelligent intent and user data of Google’s algorithm to deliver ads to the right person, at the right time, sometime before they knew they even needed your product or service and thereby shortening the path of conversion. Yes, Google is smart! Performance Max does the heavy lifting when it comes to finding the customer, combining the perfect content by pulling the most resonating ad together from the assets and driving the user to the goal. The catch is you need to provide enough content for Google in assets. These assets should be generated for the intended avatar or audience. Like Tiktok ads, there needs to be a prolific volume of fresh media or content for the system to work with to the max.

If you’re an ecommerce brand, doing Google Shopping, Performance Max will changeover to listing groups (product groups) which are essentially the same groups used in the current shopping campaigns.

Once set up correctly Google Performance Max ads will help you locate and compete for your ideal customer when they are in the market to buy. Using Performance Max Google Ads, you can evaluate and test all these things from a single place, enabling you to craft better and more robust PPC strategies.

Centric Around Strategic KPIs

Strategic optimization, strategy building, and advanced PPC reporting are the core focus points of Performance Max Google Ads. Performance Max is like running a multi-campaign approach in a single campaign, with the assets in place, Google serves up responsive search and display ads, Gmail, discovery and more across its network. The interesting challenge is Google is in control, deciding on the destination URL to get to the goal, serving up ads through understanding the target customer journey and number of actions needed to get them to convert.

Audience signals have replaced keywords in the campaign – these are the intended audience to kick start the campaign before Google does a better job of finding likely similar audiences that convert. Knowing your avatar to inform and build a well-constructed ad campaign on every channel has always been critical, and Performance Max planning is no different. A sneaky maneuver we just love, is you can target a brand’s competitors by brand name signaling to Google where to find your ideal customers.

Evaluating campaign KPIs you will overtime home in on key performance indicators to help you scale profitably.

Provide Promising Outcomes When Used Correctly

Planning and strategy do count for an effective campaign. With the correct input values and information in place and crystal clear and predefined goals, Google Performance Max Ads can be your most impactful utility. With correct and relevant inputs, you’ll achieve a faster result and greater return on investment. In this regard, it is highly recommended to use first-party data. For instance, if you have a list of existing customers or clients, leverage this data instead of completely relying on the AI or ML algorithms to understand your buyer persona. Know the competition and leverage it. Supply Google what you can and then let Performance Max do the rest.

Address Omnichannel Needs Via a Single Campaign

Performance Max Campaign also capitalizes using the potential of AI and ML just like its sibling campaigns, but moreover, it allows you to run a single campaign to ensure productivity across all Google Ads platforms like:

• YouTube
• Gmail
• Google Display Network
• Google Maps
• Search Ad Network, etc.

Performance Max enables retailers to skyrocket their eCommerce or omnichannel sales by unleashing the true potential of all Google ad platforms leveraging a single campaign. For instance, a B2C eCommerce brand can transform its video ads into a digital storefront to showcase its best or featured products and services on YouTube. It helps them hook their high-quality prospects who spend a significant part of their time watching relevant videos.

Industry-leading eCommerce platforms like Shopify, BigCommerce, & WooCommerce have already partnered to leverage Google Performance Max Ads. Performance Max surely sounds like the solution for brands needing to be omnipresent.

As Performance Max Google Ads are centric around performance, all you need to do is craft a single campaign objective (sales, leads, clients, customers, etc.). Once you do that, your campaign and performance across all channels will be automatically optimized under the supervision of advanced ML models simultaneously.

Improve Customer Acquisition Costs & Boost ROAS

As we have discussed above, the Performance Max Google Ads model enables us to implement an effective PPC campaign across all Google inventory services. It allows us to attract more prospects while reducing time, effort, and money by leveraging omnichannel engagement. More engagement directly translates into higher conversion rates.

According to early results and available statistics, Performance Max Google Ads can increase conversion rates by 10-15%, on average.

How Google Performance Max Is Different from Google Smart Shopping?

By offering you insights into Google-native data, Google performance max gives you a bigger perspective of how prospects interact with your products or services on a single platform.

While Google Shopping plays a vital role in boosting the performance of eCommerce businesses, it eventually becomes complex to ensure and optimize the outcomes it offers. As a result, it ultimately comes amidst limited success & less control in the longer run.

Google recognized such limitations and tried to upgrade most of its features related to Smart Shopping that solely depend on Google data and the key upgrade was to replace Google Site Search with Google Performance Max.

Another shortfall of Smart Shopping is the absence of comprehensive keyword reports. Performance Max restored this crucial aspect for its users. You can now leverage valuable insights related to your keywords categorized according to their search intent. Additionally, Google Performance Max also offers valuable insights into your customers’ demographics.

Leverage Advanced Functions & Utilities

Performance Max Google Ads also incorporate ad extensions. After identifying and evaluating your goals, the Performance Max model recommends different ad extensions such as price extensions, site links, callout extensions, and call extensions.

Why Choose Beyond Points for Your PPC Strategy?

Outsourcing an authentic PPC advertising agency helps you streamline most of your paid advertising efforts and focus on core business areas. At Beyond Points, we are passionate about helping entrepreneurs achieve success online.

Our team got its start in Google Ad campaigns years before the privacy crunch of 2021 when Google truly emerged as a powerful platform for digital marketing. Through our extensive experience working with clients at all stages of brand growth, from start-ups to established global brands, we have gained a deep understanding of how people use Google and other social media platforms.

Whether you have just launched a business or scaled a growing brand, our team at Beyond Points will help you navigate the ever-changing world of digital marketing and reach your desired audience with confidence and precision. Let us help you tell your story and grow your brand to its full potential!

Ready to perform to the max! Message to book in for a chat here.

It happened. Facebook Ad account administrators received the ads notification update on the 19th January 2021 or the 20th if you’re living ‘down under’:

“Apple has announced changes with iOS 14 that will impact how we receive and process events from tools like the Facebook SDK and Facebook pixel. In response to these changes, we have replaced the existing account attribution window with a new ad set attribution setting that will default to 7-day click and 1-day view starting on January 20, 2021. While these changes won’t impact ad delivery, the new default attribution setting may result in a decrease in the number of reported conversions.”

The Apple iOS14’s ripple effect on Brands and Advertising.

By Sue Prentice.

Depending where you are in the world, you’re experiencing a new view in your Facebook ads manager and it’s all thanks to Apple’s latest iOS update and their privacy legislation that impacts how users on iOS devices are tracked and their user data is shared. Or should we say not shared!

The fact is it does impact more of us than people may think, it’s no ordinary update. This time people need to think smarter.

If you’ve been following Beyond Points on Facebook you’ll have noticed that we’ve been keeping a keen eye on how privacy laws are changing and very much anticipating knock on impact they will have on marketing. We have all seen the ad blocker options pop up on Google ads and You Tube as we surf the web and as developments continue on web browsers, more and more user tracking in the form of pixels or cookies will be phased out diminishing the view an advertiser has on what is working best to deliver return on ad spend.

Around the peak of the holiday season, you may have heard about the very public war that broke out between Apple and Facebook, with Facebook making it clear it did not favour Apple’s latest compliance requirements, yet Facebook is not the only app that will be impacted by the change. In line with the constant focus and tightening of policies, it was only a few months earlier there was an outcry from Google about Australia’s Consumer Commission and a new law that fundamentally changes the way we Google. Google cried out for public appeal that ended on the 18th January, so we should hear more on this news soon. All the while this is more challenging than ever before for anyone trying to grow a brand on or offline anywhere around the world right now.

From a user standpoint, the iOS14 update gives more transparency and control on being tracked and how your data is used. Users opt in or out, blocking data sharing linked to their unique information known as the IDFA (identifier for advertisers) . To be fair, users have been able access a level of control for some time especially on Facebook, managing their visibility of contacts, sharing and advertisers. Now Apple has now fundamentally changed the game.

As of today, every user will see an auto prompt for any app that makes them aware of how they will be tracked where they need agree or disagree and are required before use, to update their preference. This is any app including Facebook, Instagram Snapchat, Uber, YouTube and others branded custom apps. And it impacts brand websites too! People, platforms, marketers and advertisers needs to make changes, similar to when the GDPR came in.

“Currently, about 70% of IOS users share their IDFA with app publishers, after this change it’s estimated that this number will drop to 10% to 15%.”

Liz Emery, Tinuiti

Below is snippet of Apple’s earlier notification on their privacy update this update:

Apple has called it ‘Apples Track Tracking Transparency” , or ATT.

It’s no big surprise this will massively impact Facebook advertisers who to date have relied heavily on data in order to optimize their paid advertising strategy, and for Facebook themselves, to deliver its users a personalised user experience delivering engaging content they are actually interested in.

Facebook advertisers are not just agencies. It’s all the SME’s and start-ups and more recently large global household brands who have realised it’s where they reach people waiting to be entertained and who are willing to shop online. It’s the ‘hang out’ by choice and a logical channel to promote on. Many of these businesses rely on the digital marketing experts who are au fait with the platform to optimise their return on ad spend (we all know the the widely used acronyms ROAS or ROI), well versed in Facebook Ads manager, insights and reporting.

Let’s talk Facebook™!

Tools, targeting, optimization and measurement have and will continue to change to accommodate one of the largest changes the industry has ever seen.

As of today we no longer can see:

• 28-day attribution – historically it’s gone too unless you’ve implemented conversion API (CAPI)
• 7-day view through attribution is gone
• Certain demographic data including age, sex or location
• More than 8 conversion events per website. Note not per pixel it is per domain.
  However as of today, I do understand from direct communication with Facebook that this is 8 events per SDK and per standard pixel events.
• It has been said any changes to events on running campaigns will be effective after 72 hour to ensure there are no reporting errors. (This is still early to be 100% certain.)
• Attribution will have no defined window and will be last click with no time frame
• Reporting events will be delayed by 3 days when an advertiser wants to change an event
• App installs will not report for 24-48 hours

What Impact Does This Have?

Unrelated to the iOS14 Apple update – we’ve been keeping a keen eye on this development having heard directly from the developer team last year that in 2021 we’ll see the Facebook pixel deprecated. We can now see why! Data is truly gold and how good advertisers make their optimisations.

It would be untrue to make a clear statement on what impact it has because tech platforms, advertisers, brands and franchises, in fact, all businesses who advertise, are scrambling unprepared in many cases, and in others, ready watching to see how they will need to adapt their strategy. The upside is it is an even playing field globally.

Of course, businesses who have been nurturing their email lists are in a strong position and brands who have formed strong customer relationships will be okay.

The bottom line is the lack of visibility to the success of what’s working, who for and when and why is the most impactful change for advertisers, curbing the previously tight control to optimise for return on ad spend.

Aggregated event measurement will limit the number of events that can be sent by a domain and used for ads. Ads will be paused if they are optimizing for conversion events no longer available in the top 8. These 8 conversions are initially selected by Facebook on what makes sense per ad account however ad account administrators do have control to adjust these inside Business Manager. You can read more about Aggregated Event Measurement from Facebook here

Good standing history and a consistent good data reporting processes historically, will catapault competitiveness over new advertisers and or product launches hitting the market when it comes to paid media.

Campaign Set Up.

• App campaigns limited to 1 ad partner per ad account
• Ad campaigns are limited to 9 campaigns and 5 ad sets per account
• 8 events account limitation ranked on priority will be reported
• Value optimisation will move to event manager and value set will need to be enabled ( we have already seen this in the accounts)

Optimization and Measurement

• Last click attribution only
• Lookback is 7 day not 28 day
• With the ATT change now in effect, Facebook will use aggregated event measurement for web events for iOS14 users
• When a user opts out of data tracking on iOS14, the single highest ranked event you have prioritized for your domain will be attributed to that user within 7 day window
• Page insights will exist as they are inside Facebook
• Reporting will be campaign level only and Ad set and Ads are modelled data
• Retargeting is expected to see a lesser result in performance prior to the update
• Audiences can still be built on actions inside the platform such as video views, post saves, engagements etc
• In App tracking will still be identifiable and tracked by Facebook

NEED HELP FIGURING THIS OUT FOR YOUR BUSINESS? Message us here.

What Massive Action Do We Need To Take NOW?

Businesses need to note as certain steps that need to happen:

1. Domain name verification. Oh and by the way this was yesterday’s news! You can see this inside your business manager. If you’d like a copy of how to do this, please message “Verification” to us at Beyond Points on Messenger and we’ll send the PDF how to right away.
Alternatively you can learn more here

2. Configure 8 conversion events per account that can be tracked. Go to your events manager to do this. Note if you change these they take 72 hours to come into effect so think twice about it mid campaign. Set up your 8 events here.

3. Implement Conversion API to be able to track historical data and be aligned with Facebook’s developer focus on managing data moving forward to best optimise your budgets and results.

4. For Apps – Update your SDK to 8.1. Note that Users of your App will have to accept both your App’s privacy and the Facebook Apps privacy for your ads to report effectively.

5. Ensure your strategy is collecting emails for custom load audiences wherever possible!

6. Drive omni channel re-engagement because retargeting no doubt is impacted.

What is Domain Name Verification on Facebook?

This is a business manager setting that allows you to claim ownership of your domain and prevents misuse of your domain. In easy terms, it shows that you have control and are taking action to stop the spred of misinformation. In essence it’s adding a DNS TXT entry to your DNS record. The precise steps to add a DNS TEXT entry to your DNS Record may vary by the domain host. Note you only need to use ONE domain verification method.

What is Conversions API?

Conversions API is a revision of what Facebook previously called Server Side API. Server side API is what has allowed events and customised actions to be passed from a website back to Facebook for attribution. If this sounds ‘over the top techie’ it is usually left to your developer or ad administration team to configure on you are right.
Conversions API is a further development on Server side API and is a simplified installation process. It is designed to be an improvement on the data allowed for Facebook advertisers to gain insights from your website. It works because it gets around ad blockers, designed to block cookie data on the browser side, instead passing data back to Facebook from the server side.
Facebook’s adjustment to the iOS14 update means without Conversions API installed, historical data will not be available.
It is worth noting it is independent to the Facebook pixel.

How do you implement Conversions API?

Shopify Installation.
Shopify is perhaps the simpler of all when it comes to integration.

1. Go to Shopify as the business owner or screen share if you’re the ad partner.
2. The business owners should login to Facebook for Step 2 . TIP – don’t let an outside person do this step in order to hold the data indefinitely in your business.
3. Next follow the prompts making sure you TURN ON automatic advanced matching which is key to matching data of site to Facebook engagers.
4. We suggest accepting all functions offered when it comes to selecting what Shopify is allowed to do.
5. Once Facebook is set up, you go down to Settings > Go to Data Sharing Settings to install Conversions API.
6. Here ensure tracking is enabled firstly.
Select Maximum for the tracking Level.
Ensure the tracking pixel shown is YOURS! If not you can disconnect it, and follow the prompt to link the right pixel. )We recommend using both the pixel and Capi right now).
When completed, you may notice the CONFIRM button is still greyed out. This means you need to accept the terms and conditions for Facebook commerce in the Commerce Settings. From here, CONFIRM data sharing setttings.
You’re now set up for Conversions API!

7. Transitioning from standard pixel tracking on your site to Conversions API does require you to remove the Universal Facebook ID in your main Shopify Preference settings as it’s effectively operating now within this Conversion API set up. If you originally hard coded the pixel to the site, this will need to be removed to avoid duplicate attribution reporting.

8.

Installation on Woocommerce and other customer platforms, please see this comprehensive list here.

The Best Way Forward.

In our view, this is a level playing field, we all have much to learn. Our belief is never more will creative thinking be more critical in both the ad creative and the campaign set up to work on delivering that conversion with a 7-day window where applicable. For longer sales cycles and high ticket, close observation and data reporting will be key find indicators that tell a story over time.

All is not lost as we will get some data tracking ability and insight it’s just not going to be as granular or familiar as it was. Facebook is hard at work committed to helping users understand the data and what we need to do as digital marketers. Strategic thinking in campaign set up is paramount too if considering the importance of segmentation, campaign number limitations and the priority of applicable conversions.

It’s important to close out with knowing, when a user opts out on iOS14 prompt, they are opting out of being able to track them using unique identifiers across the web and not within the app itself. Custom audiences will still be allowed so hey, get your smart thinking cap on and think creatively!

NEED HELP FIGURING THIS OUT FOR YOUR BUSINESS? Message us here.

This blog is provided for informational purposes. It is not intended to provide legal advice. Beyond Points urges its customers to consult with their own legal counsel to familiarize themselves with the requirements that govern their specific situation. This information is provided as of the date of document publication, and may not account for changes after the date of publication. We encourage all businesses to update their own privacy policy.

Since December 16^th, 2020, Facebook has placed restrictions on its Messenger API usage to comply with the European Union’s privacy guidelines. These restraints are in line with rules the European Commission recently unveiled that are meant to change the way big tech firms tackle harmful and illegal content.

The decision to enact these changes came about due to a landmark ruling by the EU’s top court that rendered the EU-US Privacy Shield invalid. These restrictions may be temporarily relaxed; however, there is no telling when this may happen.

Consumers may feel that these restrictions protect their privacy. However, these changes are detrimental to big firms who can’t use their customers’ data in the same way or rank the services they offer above competitors’ in app stores and search results.

In case companies don’t comply with how the EU is regulating their digital markets, they are liable to face break-ups and heavy fines that cost them up to 10% of their total European turnover.

Who Is Affected by the Restrictions?

The restrictions affect all twenty-seven countries in the European Union, as well as Iceland, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Liechtenstein. These countries are collectively the EEA.

You can be affected even if your Facebook page is located outside of the EEA. Brands leveraging chat apps such as ManyChat or Chatfuel will be impacted as below:

• Users who operate their pages within the EEA
• Users who operate pages that have one or more admins from the EEA
• Users who have any chats with people from the EEA

If your business is based outside the EEA these definitions may sound semantic, but it critical to understand them.  For most businesses based outside the EEA, only people who message your page from within the EEA will be affected.  That COULD be a small proportion of your subscribers.  HOWEVER – if your page has any admins from the EEA, was created by an admin in the EEA, or if you’ve ever had someone from the EEA as an admin on your Facebook page, your whole page could be considered to be based in the EEA, which means that 100% of your messenger interactions will be affected!

What Steps Can You Take To Deal With The Possible Aftermath?

Relax. Chat isn’t going anywhere. In 2021 we’ll see Instagram messaging come to the fore and we expect to see much anticipated chat integration with WhatsApp too.

If you are not EEA-based, have no EEA-based page admins, and generate no EEA-based traffic to your bot, you can breathe a sigh of relief right now.

Suppose you generate a significant amount of EEA-based traffic but aren’t based in the EEA. In that case, your features will be impacted only for EEA traffic. If your page has any admins who belong to the EEA, you should remove them. Having even one EEA admin can affect your entire Facebook page—even if you’re outside the EEA. It’s advisable that you don’t change your Facebook page’s location since this isn’t a verified solution yet.

Taking steps immediately to identify the country origin of brand engagers in your funnels is vital. Abiding by these new laws is also critical in managing data and future marketing strategies both for inbound and outbound promotions.

You can also get in touch with chat marketing businesses to find out the best course of action for your company’s specific needs. Google and Facebook aren’t the only channels you can use for greater reach. In fact, today’s competitive online market can be best leveraged through omni-channel systems. You can advertise your product or service to audiences through channels such as Pinterest, YouTube, Spotify, WhatsApp, and SMS marketing.

What Are the Restrictions?

While EEA users will still be able to access Messenger and LiveChat, they’ll have to engage with the channel in guest mode. Guest mode keeps you from viewing and manipulating Facebook users’ native information, which includes:

• Full name
• Profile picture
• Location
• Time-zone
• Gender

Effective December 16^th, the data mentioned above will be unavailable for current and new subscribers in the EEA.

Facebook will also enact the following changes for EEA users:

Quick Replies and Buttons

Many marketers use buttons to embed URLs, thereby driving traffic to their pages. You can add buttons to text blocks or images.

Quick replies allow businesses to prompt customers with guided, simple options to reply to direct messages. Customers choose a prompt from a list of options, enabling prospective clients to have automated, seamless experiences and quick resolutions to their problems.

The restrictions prevent EEA subscribers from seeing buttons when they use Facebook on their desktops, thereby hampering businesses’ organic traffic. However, quick replies and buttons can be rendered on iOS and Android smartphones.

Quick reply rendering remains unchanged on desktops, but you can’t use quick replies for URLs anymore. Therefore, there’s no direct solution for sending traffic to a user’s desktop aside from putting a link in the message.

It’s reasonable to assume that chat marketing services will introduce new features that enable businesses to recognize whether a customer is using a smartphone or a desktop. However, companies can’t create relevant experiences for Facebook desktop users in the EEA until this happens.

What You Can Do

When an EEA user uses a desktop to engage with your bot in guest mode, they’ll only be able to use quick replies. Businesses need to assess the exposure they can get within the EEA and through EEA users. For now, it might be best for you to only display live chats on Messenger on mobile devices and remove ref urls and widgets if a significant portion of your traffic comes from inside the EEA.

It can be tough to determine whether a user is on a mobile device or desktop when they engage with your bot through other points of entry, such as your Facebook page’s CTA button. You could opt for solutions that detect devices, but these typically require button clicks—which, again, won’t be available to users in the EEA.

Instead, you could request EEA users to click plain URLs in your initial message, which would then detect the device, or use a live-chat tool that’s web-based.

Growth Tools

The Growth Tools that services like ManyChat offer Messenger bot users won’t be available for EEA-based users and pages effective December 16^th. These tools include modals, live chat, QR codes, and Referrer URLs. Referrer URLs won’t work if you use custom parameters. However, users will still be able to use the naked .me link (m.me/pagename) to redirect them to your start screen or welcome message.

Note also that as a secondary impact of this, customers will no longer be able to access Facebook Ads through your chat bot software.

What You Can Do

It’s advisable for you to disable the growth tools that won’t work for EEA traffic any more. This includes referrer URLs, slide-ins, and pop-ups.

You can still take advantage of the tools that will work for users in the EEA after December 16^th, such as keyword triggers and the Comment Growth Tool. New bot subscribers can use keywords that you provide them in an initial message to trigger the main menu. The Comment Growth Tool enables you to send subscribers message when they begin interacting with your bot. You can personalize messages in Flow Builder to target existing and new subscribers in different ways.

One-Time Notification (OTN)

The OTN enables pages to send requests to users to send follow-up messages after the one-day messaging window is over. EEA users and pages can’t use the OTN due to the new restrictions.

What You Can Do

You’ll still be able to use the OTN feature for non-EEA subscribers. However, you can only do so after asking subscribers and confirming that they aren’t EEA-based through automated messages.

You may still be able to target EEA subscribers by obtaining their explicit consent to market to them through email or SMS. Your business can reach customers through other channels that aren’t limited by the restrictions placed on Facebook, like Spotify and Pinterest. A professional agency can enable SMS marketing for you anywhere in the world.

Traffic Generated By Facebook Ads

The new limitations keep you from creating custom audiences through your bot subscribers if your page is associated with the EU. The Facebook algorithm won’t target prospective customers who are likeliest to engage with your Messenger ad.

You can’t optimize for leads or conversations in Facebook’s Ads Manager or create sponsored messages for potential customers who have messaged your page or Instagram profile.

What You Can Do

Target your page’s cold audiences by testing clicks-to-Messenger ads. While you may see an increase in the cost per action, it’s not likely to be hefty.

Since the JSON default ad set-up will be deactivated for EEA users and pages, you can use the visual JSON ad set-up that triggers Messenger flows through keywords incorporated into advertisements.

Media Attachments

EEA subscribers won’t be able to receive or send audio or video formats effective December 16^th.

What You Can Do

You can still target EEA subscribers through .jpg or .gif files, so replace any audio or video messaging with files in these formats. You can also provide your customers with download links to files outside Messenger.

Dynamic or Persistent Menus

The new limitations prevent EEA subscribers from viewing your dynamic or persistent menu on Messenger.

What You Can Do

You can’t replace the persistent menu, so ensure that your main menu’s build-out has a proper flow that users can trigger through quick replies or keywords.

The Future of Chat Marketing

Suppose a large volume of your page’s traffic comes from the EEA. In that case, it’s best to use an omnichannel marketing approach so you can target subscribers through SMS and email.

You can also market your page to EEA subscribers through web-based conversation options instead of platform-centered apps like Facebook Messenger. These channels have fewer restrictions than Facebook’s current EU-imposed limitations. Beyond Points typically is first with leading tech and is testing application options into 2021 that allow more flexibility for brands.

However, the restrictions placed on EEA users and marketers don’t mean the end of chat marketing. Consumers can use multiple platforms to receive relevant responses from businesses around the clock. With people becoming used to personalized advertisements and customized marketing, chat is more important than ever to provide customers support before and after making purchases. It’s the way consumers choose to get direct and immediate solutions to their online experiences.

Over the last five years, Beyond Points has leveraged conversational marketing as a proven high performing conversion tool. Ironically because messaging by nature is instant and also a personalized experience, it offers consumers flexibility to choose to engage at a time that suits them. We will continue to combine the best technologies to serve our growing brands effectively incorporating chat marketing.

NEED HELP FIGURING THIS OUT FOR YOUR BUSINESS? Message us here.