Why is Facebook Analytics being switched off?

We’ve recently learned of the news that Facebook will be switching off its Facebook Analytics service to all users. Interestingly, this news was kept very quiet by the social media giant, with the announcement coming through its Business Help Centre as opposed to a big press release. The other interesting factor is that Facebook will be shutting it down at very short notice with 30th June 2021 being the last day of the service. Facebook offered users alternative analytics tools that they can use and also advised users that they have until this date to download any data they have for future use as once the Facebook Analytics tool is switched off, this data will not be available again.

History of Facebook Analytics

Facebook Analytics was originally built as a similar tool to Google Analytics, for insight into a basic page performance on Facebook. The analytics tool was introduced by Facebook to improve its cross-device performance so its users could see the journey their customers were taking when they visited and interacted with their site. Facebook Analytics did prove relatively popular at first, but users started to dwindle over the course of the past few years with many using some of Facebook’s own alternative options – Facebook Ads Manager is one of the most popular. Many other users, however, preferred to report with tools that Facebook didn’t provide such as Amplitude and Mixpanel which were considered to be much more informative and easier to use. 

It’s no surprise, therefore, that the alternative tools that Facebook has recommended to its users for them to monitor performance on both Facebook and Instagram are their own:

Facebook Business Suite – ideal for business accounts which allows them to manage business accounts for both Facebook and Instagram. Users will get detailed insights into their audience demographics, content, and trends. The downside to the Facebook Business Suite is that it is currently only available for small business accounts. 

Event Manager – this tool helps Facebook business accounts to set up and manage pixels, conversion API, and report actions taken from their website, App, or physical shop.

Ads Manager – does exactly what it says on the tin, it allows users to manage their ad campaigns on Facebook. Users can view their ad’s performance and make any changes needed and get all the data they need to report on paid spend and make more informed decisions for future campaigns. 

Why is Facebook doing this now?

It’s been speculated that Facebook Analytics hasn’t been doing as well as Facebook had originally hoped which is probably the reason why they have decided to stop the service. 

Another theory floating around on the ever-suspicious internet is regarding the new iOS 14 privacy update which is coming out soon. The new update will allow the device user to opt-in or out if they want their phone to be tracked and have their data shared with apps. This will massively affect the number of users that will share data with the Facebook app, especially with the growing concerns around personal data being shared through WhatsApp.

Will Facebook release a new analytics tool?

Unsurprisingly, the talk of the social media town is that Facebook might drop a new analytics tool to rival all of its competitors. However, Facebook is yet to update users on if they are planning to introduce a new platform for business users. I suspect that Facebook definitely has something in the pipeline, especially since they have taken over the likes of communicative giants WhatsApp and social media gem Instagram over recent years. It’s clear they want to be a mammoth force in the internet world and as they continuously grow their company, surely they will seek to grow an even bigger, even better analytics platform than we have ever seen before. In the meantime, it’s speculated that Facebook will extend its Business Suite analytics tool to all businesses, not just small-scale businesses to ensure they retain customers that they would otherwise lose. 

Whatever happens with Facebook and its analytics platforms, one thing remains clear – data is at the core of everything we do as business owners, marketers, developers, and everything in between. Analysing data and reporting on such helps us to make intelligent business decisions that are based on actual customer behaviours and insights, as opposed to doing things based on what we believe is right. That’s why here at StatusCake we believe in reporting, especially on something so imperative as website downtime. Facebook has gone down plenty of times, as have their fellow sites WhatsApp and Instagram. Using our uptime monitoring tool would help them identify website downtime and help them to actively do something about it. Shall I tell them or will you?