Facebook said in a blog post that it estimates it
underestimates “conversions” by 15%, an industry term that includes buying
products or other actions that a person takes after seeing an advertisement,
adding that the figure varied among individual advertisers.
Facebook said it believes actual conversions such as app
sales and downloads are higher than reported.
The announcement comes as Facebook and the digital advertising
industry as a whole continue to grapple with the privacy controls Apple
implemented in April, which are designed to prevent digital advertisers from
tracking iPhone users. for advertising purposes without their consent.
Facebook has hit back at the changes, arguing it would hurt
small businesses that rely on targeted advertising to find new customers.
The social media company previously warned investors that
there would be a “bigger impact” of Apple’s changes on Facebook’s advertising
business in the third quarter compared to its second quarter.
In Wednesday’s blog post, Facebook outlined the steps
advertisers should take to better measure the results of their ads. The company
said it is investing in new tools and capabilities to help brands with their
marketing amid Apple’s changes.