One of the greatest benefits of social media advertising is the ability to test, track, refine and target your ads with laser precision. The Facebook pixel is a data-gathering tool that helps make the most of your ads across Facebook and Instagram.
If you use Facebook or Instagram ads now, or plan to use them at any point in the future, the Facebook pixel (or Meta pixel) is a must-use tool. Read on to learn how it works.
What is the Facebook pixel (a.k.a. Meta pixel)?
Before we get started on how to install the Facebook pixel, what exactly is it? The Facebook pixel is a piece of code that you place on your website. It collects data that helps you track conversions from Facebook ads, optimize ads, build targeted audiences for future ads, and remarket to people who have already taken some kind of action on your website.
How does the Facebook pixel work?
The Facebook pixel works by placing and triggering cookies to track users as they interact with your business both on and off of Facebook and Instagram.
For example, let’s say I was going through my friends’ Stories and I got an add for a pair of pants that I like and I clicked the add. From that point, I actually put that pair of pants in my shopping cart, but ended up leaving the site before purchasing.
The next time I opened up Instagram, I got an ad for those pants. Not just in my stories, but on my actual feed. And, sure enough, the next time I headed to Facebook on my laptop, I got another ad for those pants.
This is called retargeting. It’s a handy way for marketers to remind shoppers to come back and buy all those items they leave in various shopping carts across the web.
Remarketing is not the only function of the Facebook pixel. It’s also important for tracking, analytics, and overall ad optimization.
The pixel tracks various actions people take on your website, like making a purchase or adding something to their shopping cart. Facebook calls these actions “events.”
Facebook pixel setup
Now that you know what you can track, and why you would want to do so, it’s time to create your Facebook pixel and put it to work on your website.
Step 1: Create a Facebook pixel
1. From your Facebook Events Manager, click Connect to Data Sources in the left-hand menu, then select Web. Click Get Started to continue.
2. Select Facebook Pixel, then click Connect.
Name your pixel, enter your website URL, and click Continue.
When choosing the pixel’s name, keep in mind that with Events Manager, you only get one pixel for each ad account. The name should represent your business, rather than a specific campaign.
If you want to use more than one pixel per ad account, you can do so using Facebook Business Manager.
Step 2: Add the Facebook pixel code to your website
To put the pixel to work gathering information on your website, you now need to install some Facebook pixel code on your web pages.
There are a few ways to do this depending on what website platform you use.
If you use one of Facebook’s integration partners, like WordPress or SquareSpace, choose Use a Partner Integration. This will walk you through a series of steps to connect your Facebook pixel without any coding.
If you work with a developer or someone else who can help you edit your website code, click Email Instructions to send your developer everything they need to install the pixel.
If neither of the above options applies, you need to insert the pixel code directly into your web pages. That’s what we’ll walk you through in this section.
1. Click Install code manually.
2. Click the green Copy Code button.
3. Paste the pixel code into the header code of your website, just above the </head> tag. You need to paste it into every single page, or into your header template if you’re using one. Click Continue.
4. Choose whether to use automatic advanced matching. This option matches hashed customer data from your website to Facebook profiles. This lets you track conversions more accurately and create larger custom audiences. Then click Continue.
Step 3: Set up Facebook pixel event:
1. Click the Open Event Setup Tool button.
2. Choose your Facebook pixel ID, then click Settings and scroll down to Open Event Setup Tool.
3. Facebook will provide a list of suggested events. Click Review next to each event, then choose to Confirm or Dismiss. Click Finish Setup to continue.
If you’re interrupted in your pixel setup, you can always come back to this later by going to Events Manager.
And there you have it. From that point, you should have a working Facebook Pixel on your website. It’s a bit on the technical side, but it’s actually easier than you think. If you need help with your own Facebook and Meta marketing, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for a free consultation.