This news may sound alarming when you recognize that social networks, especially Facebook, have become one of the primary channels to stay in touch with your customers. Within the functions of this social network we find an option known as Facebook Analytics data.

Facebook Analytics data is a standalone dashboard that measures post-engagement activity; For example, monthly active users, post reactions, and shared activity. Marketers use Facebook Analytics data to assess how post performance has improved or decreased among Facebook users.

The bad news is that, despite its great functionality, this tool ceased to exist on June 30, 2021.

It's normal to freak out to learn that this tool is gone. Undoubtedly, entrepreneurs who have taken their SMEs to position themselves on social networks have understood the 3 fundamental advantages that this tool offers:

• Data interpretation and analysis to measure the performance of a campaign.
• Optimization of information and improvement actions.
• Input for planning future campaigns.

According to a 2020 Hubspot report , 75% of marketers use their reports to show how campaigns have a direct impact on revenue, which is why it's so important to get data from Facebook analytics to prove that ROI is consistent with our campaigns.

What is the role of Facebook Analytics data for marketers?
Facebook Analytics data was meant to show data in the dashboard that has a filtered view. Analysts generally point out that the results are reliable because they come directly from Facebook and make it easier to collect them so that they don't have to be reported manually.

A fundamental part of measuring results is the establishment of key performance indicators (KPIs), as these will allow us to measure the level of performance to know if the strategies and objectives set have been successfully achieved.

We have already mentioned in previous posts that it is essential to define what we want to evaluate in order to establish the indicators that we are going to monitor when conducting an analysis on social media.

But what would be the reason for Facebook Analytics data to cease to exist?

There is also an ethical problem here and that is the use that Facebook was giving to its users' data by rating them according to their browsing and behavior on the social network, violating privacy and generating stigmatization of them.

The announcement of the Facebook Analytics outage left little time to adapt and users had to review Facebook Analytics reports and data, as well as export graphs and tables, until the end date in June.

One of the main problems that users encountered is that Facebook data was no longer accessible with the ease and clarity that Analytics offered, hence the need they had to adapt to new tools and functionalities of the platform.

Here are some alternatives to Facebook Analytics:

Facebook Business Suite: From this tool, you can manage all the business accounts that are used on both Facebook and Instagram. From there, you can consult detailed statistics on the audience, content and trends.

Ads Manager: It's another Facebook tool where you can get all kinds of information and statistics about campaigns and ads that are active or have been run on Facebook. You can also make changes, check the results, set business goals, among others.

Event Manager: However, the most intriguing opportunity for marketers was in the Event Manager tool, which is designed to link conversion activity across partner platforms, such as e-commerce and CRM, through the Facebook pixel and conversion API. The increasing sophistication of social media commerce means that this portal is the best opportunity for marketers to integrate their Facebook activity into larger systems that lead to better sales management.

Although it may seem like negative news, platforms are always advancing according to the requirements of users. You and your SME as Facebook customers will always have other more sophisticated applications and opportunities that will allow you to analyze the behaviors of your audiences without having to stigmatize your users; more than for their tastes, for their true needs and interests.

This content is adapted from the article How does the removal of Facebook Analytics data affect your SME?, which was previously published on the Go Digital SME website.

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