Driving Sales from Social Media in a Post iOS Era

Last year, Apple came out with the iOS 14 update, giving users the option to opt out of data sharing every time an app is downloaded. Since its rollout, the effect of iOS 14 on marketing and advertising has been tremendous. For years, marketers have relied on data sharing for paid search and social media to gather data and make important advertising decisions.

According to a Flurry report, during the first two weeks after the launch, 96% of US users chose to opt-out from tracking when prompted. Apple’s update affects more than just the 30% of mobile users who use iOS. In fact, it’s already cost social media platforms well over $10 billion.

So, what can marketers do to target and gain new leads from social media in this new iOS era?

Understanding the Impact of iOS 14

Though this update clearly gives users more privacy control, selecting the “Ask App not to Track” button is a frightening reality for advertisers.

When users decide to opt-out of app tracking, iOS 14 will not allow brands to easily target audiences and gain certain information. With each new app, users are asked to choose whether to share precise or approximate locations. Losing the ability to track the customer journey means that last-click attribution will be one of the only models available. Consequently, websites won’t be able to distinguish between new and repeat traffic.

Now more than ever, first-party data is incredibly important. Brands who utilize this information will have an advantage in this new environment. Both advertisers and suppliers will be incentivized to push opt-in permissions for consumers. This means that brands should work to strengthen relationships with their audiences and encourage them to opt in to tracking.

As more users opt out of sharing their information, this will also affect reach and frequency tactics.

With that said, the impact on social media can lead to new strategies for lead generation and data collection in iOS 14.

How to Generate Sales from Social Media Post iOS

In this post iOS 14 era, tapping into social media is an effective way to generate more leads for your brand or company. Here are a few methods to help increase traction…

Influencers

Today, influencer marketing is an incredibly effective marketing tool. The effect of people documenting their lives, viewpoints, and favorite products on social media has become a powerful way to help generate leads. According to Yahoo Ad Tech, 53% of marketers say influencer marketing helps them convert at a much higher rate than other channels. Partnering with social influencers can help your brand connect with audiences better and generate new leads.

Here are a few points to consider before selecting an influencer:

• Identify the right influencers suited to your business
• Identify our target audience
• Finalize a budget
• Communicate your desired outcome

Contests

It’s important to give people a reason to share information with you. Discounts, sweepstakes, and contests are great ways to attract people to participate. Contests are one of the easiest ways to get a lot of leads in a small amount of time. To enter one of your contests, ask participants to share whatever information you’d like to know about your customer.

For example, medical-learning platform Osmosis held a contest that required participants to submit a form to enter that revealed relevant school and field of study information.

Criteria to win the contest could be something like “share this on your story and tag us.” This simple approach could definitely help bring in more leads to your business.

Partner with Co-Creators

If you’re a smaller brand or a company that wants to expand reach and exposure, consider partnering with a co-creator.

Social media is the perfect collaborative vehicle. For example, you can have a Q&A with an expert on Instagram Live or host a webinar on LinkedIn.

Many companies choose to go live with co-creators to engage their audiences as well as to attract new leads. Spotify collaborated with astrologer, Chani Nicholas, and came up with 'Cosmic Playlists' – playlists created to match each astrological sign. According to Spotify, they gained 400,000 new followers.

Targeted Ads

Targeted ads are not new, but are still quite effective. Targeted ads establish contact directly with your target market on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. It’s key to choose a platform that suits the nature of your business. For instance, if you’re selling a new product to a younger demographic, targeted ads on TikTok would be a great choice because of the visual nature of the platform.

Use Automation Tools

Automation tools can also help you generate leads and create a better chance of converting those leads into customers. The reach of automation tools may not be as massive as with targeted ads, but these leads normally prove to be of better quality.

One example is LinkedIn automation tools – software that eliminates manual work of finding contacts and potential leads. LinkedIn ranks among the top of all sources for lead generation. In fact, about 96% of B2B marketers use this platform for sales and marketing efforts.

iOS 14 has made direct attribution of social spend more difficult for marketers －sending some businesses into a panic about the potential impact. But, social media is not slowing down or going anywhere. There remains a large engaged audience scrolling, clicking, and buying. There are creative ways to help brands know more about customers, discover new audiences, and build their community. From working with influencers to collaborating with co-creators, social media can help generate quality leads to continue the growth of your brand.

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