Navigating Meta’s 30% Apple Tax: How Small Businesses Can Boost Posts Effectively
If you’re a business owner looking to boost your posts on Facebook and Instagram, recent changes in Apple’s policies might have you feeling a bit uncertain. Apple’s decision to extend its 30 percent service charge to boosted posts in the Facebook and Instagram iOS apps means advertisers now have to navigate additional fees. However, there are ways to avoid these fees and continue promoting your content effectively.
What does this mean for advertisers?
Starting later this month, Meta will begin charging a 30 percent fee when advertisers pay to boost the visibility of their posts in Facebook’s and Instagram’s iOS apps. This change is a result of Apple’s 2022 App Store update, which extended its typical 30 percent cut of digital purchases to boosted posts.
How can small businesses avoid this fee?
One of the key strategies is to manage your ads through Facebook Ads Manager instead of using the “Boosted Post” option in the app. While the Boosted Post feature is convenient, it comes with limitations, including the inability to target specific audiences or track the performance of your ads effectively. By using Ads Manager, you can create more targeted campaigns, track your ad performance more accurately—and avoid the extra fees associated with the Apple tax.
Meta also suggests that advertisers can still purchase boosts from Instagram’s and Facebook’s websites (rather than the app) on desktop or mobile to circumvent the Apple fee. By doing so, advertisers can avoid the 30 percent service charge that Apple is passing on to iOS users.
“We are required to either comply with Apple’s guidelines, or remove boosted posts from our apps,” Meta explains. “We do not want to remove the ability to boost posts, as this would hurt small businesses by making the feature less discoverable and potentially deprive them of a valuable way to promote their business.”
Additionally, advertisers boosting posts through the Meta iOS apps will now need to add prepaid funds and pay for them before their boosted posts are published. Meta will charge an extra 30 percent to cover Apple’s transaction fee for preloading funds in iOS. This new payment process will initially roll out in the U.S. before hitting “additional markets and countries” later in the year.
As a full-service digital marketing agency, Rooted Web understands the complexities of advertising on social media platforms and can help you create effective ad campaigns that reach your target audience. When you partner with Rooted Web, you can ensure that your advertising efforts are optimized for success and that you’re getting the most out of your advertising budget.
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While the new Apple service charge presents a challenge for small businesses looking to boost their posts on Facebook and Instagram, there are still ways to navigate this change effectively. By using alternative platforms and payment methods, small businesses can continue to promote their content and reach their target audience without incurring additional fees. Contact Rooted Web today to learn more about how you can make the most of your social media advertising efforts!