If you have signed up for emails from the development side of Facebook, you may have seen an email in your inbox that read “Facebook Analytics is going away soon”.
This quiet email announcement stated “Important changes are underway for one of our measurement products at Facebook. In the coming months, we will be retiring Facebook Analytics.”
And it’s true. After many years of helping businesses and page owners understand their audience and interaction data, as of 30 June 2021, Facebook Analytics will no longer be available.
But why is this important, and more importantly, why is it not?
No More Facebook Analytics
Until 30 June 2021, you will still be able to access Facebook Analytics review reports and gain insights – all exportable to charts and tables. For any business, developer or advertiser, you’ll want to download this data by the end of June.
Alternatively, for those more invested in the data, switching to Facebook Business Suite, Ads Manager and Events Manager will be the appropriate alternative, however, marketers will still need to figure out their solutions based on the needs of their business.
Why Is It Going?
The truth is, that not enough people used Facebook Analytics in the first place. Why? Well, it’s simply not that useful. For most developers, more robust third-party tools offer far more than Facebook’s platform ever did.
Only a few data points were exclusive to Facebook Analytics, such as the age and gender of their users – however more and more research is showing that age and gender is less significant than any other data point as users diversify online. Many would argue that the era of generation-targeted marketing died years ago, and gender-targeted marketing should die along with it too.
Another reason why it’s going is most likely due to the incoming iOS 14 privacy changes by Apple. In a bid to keep aligned and not be forced off the largest mobile operating system in the world, Facebook needed to adapt to these new privacy rules.
What’s the Alternative?
As mentioned above, Facebook’s business tools are here to stay, so businesses can utilise the following instead:
Facebook Business Suite – Allows users to manage their Facebook (and Instagram) business pages and get detailed insights about the audience, content and trends.
Ads Manager – A tool for businesses to view, change and see the results of Facebook campaigns and advertising efforts.
Events Manager – Can help users set up and manage Facebook tools like Facebook Pixel and Conversion API.
By adopting a combination of these tools, you may accomplish the same tasks as you were used to doing through Facebook Analytics.
Alternatively, you can contact expert social media marketing agency Myk Baxter Marketing and let them assist you with the shift, make suggestions and improvements for your social media presence and campaigns, and assist with future changes in all other social media platforms expected over the next year.
