- Contest Factory
- April 4, 2023
Leveraging the Meta Pixel for Conversion
The Meta pixel is a piece of code that can be added to a website to track user behavior and conversions on that site. It allows advertisers to track the actions of users who have interacted with their ads on Facebook and then visited their website, and to use that information to optimize and target their ads more effectively.
Privacy laws such as the GDPR and CCPA have had an impact on the use of the Meta pixel, as they require websites to obtain explicit consent from users before tracking their behavior. This means that website owners need to ensure that they have proper consent mechanisms in place, such as cookie banners or pop-ups, before implementing the Meta pixel.
The Facebook API provides advanced settings that allow developers to customize the behavior of the pixel, such as setting custom parameters or tracking specific events on their site. These settings can be accessed through the Facebook Ads Manager or by using the Facebook Marketing API. Here are some examples of advanced settings that are available through the Facebook API:
- Custom Parameters: The Meta Pixel can be customized to track additional parameters beyond the default ones that are provided. This allows advertisers to track more specific information about user behavior, such as the type of product that was viewed or the value of a purchase. This configuration enables you to see what the customer engaged with so you may present this again in retargeting or show ads to this person from the same product collection. You may also offer a flash sale that is available for the next 3 hours only to encourage action now.
- Event Configuration: Advertisers can configure the Meta Pixel to track specific events on their website, such as button clicks or form submissions. They can also set up custom events to track unique user behavior that is relevant to their business. Events are an additional data point that enables you to score your data. Once you have their email address, your ability to market for free has been achieved – this is a great success and something you should build into your funnel with a tracking event. Once you have their email, you can place them in an audience segment that you test in conjunction with email and without to see the lift you get from the awareness exposure on Facebook. You may find that once you test email with ads and email without ads that the lower email conversion rate is acceptable and that you take the additional money and spend it on acquiring emails so you can then convert in email and have a steady stream of new opportunity from your email sign ups.
- Conversion Optimization: The Meta Pixel can be set up to optimize ad delivery for specific conversions, such as product purchases or lead form submissions. This helps advertisers to deliver their ads to users who are most likely to take the desired action. Facebook determines this exposure based on their proprietary algorithm; they are constantly optimizing to best deliver the audience that meets your needs. The more they can help you sell, the more ad dollars you will invest in the platform.
- Audience Creation: Advertisers can use the Meta Pixel to create custom audiences based on specific user behavior on their website. For example, they can create an audience of users who added items to their cart but did not complete a purchase. This is the number one converting audience – you must retarget folks that add to basket – it’s the number one conversion ad type on Facebook. The next audience you want to create is the browsers; these are the folks that look at the product detail page but do not add to cart. This audience was engaged enough to click through but not add to cart – just one step less engaged than your number one converting audience.
- Ad Delivery: The Meta Pixel can be used to control how ads are delivered to users based on their behavior on the website. For example, advertisers can show different ads to users who have already made a purchase compared to users who have only viewed a product page. This is a great place to introduce your loyalty program as well – save 10% on your 2nd purchase when you sign up for the Rockstar Rewards and save 10% on your next purchase – or get this loyalty welcome gift with your second purchase.
Overall, the advanced settings available through the Facebook API provide advertisers with a great deal of flexibility in how they use the Meta Pixel to track user behavior and optimize their ad campaigns.
Here are the basics of setting up the Meta pixel using the Facebook API:
- Set up a Facebook Business Manager account: If you don’t already have one, create a Facebook Business Manager account. This will allow you to manage your Facebook assets, including the Facebook Pixel API.
- Create a Facebook app: In the Facebook Developer Dashboard, create a Facebook app that will be used to access the Facebook Pixel API. Give your app a name and follow the prompts to create it.
- Add the Facebook Pixel API to your app: In the app settings, go to the “Products” section and add the Facebook Pixel API. Follow the prompts to set up the API, including setting up access tokens and permissions.
- Configure the Pixel API events: The Facebook Pixel API can track various user events on your website, such as page views, purchases, and form submissions. You can configure these events by defining them in the API code.
- Test the Pixel API: Once the API is installed and configured correctly, it’s important to test it to make sure it’s working correctly. You can do this using the Facebook Graph API Explorer, which allows you to test API requests and responses.
- Use the Pixel API to optimize your ad campaigns: Once the Pixel API is installed and configured correctly, you can use it to optimize your ad campaigns for specific conversions, create custom audiences, and track the performance of your ads.
There are many Facebook plugins available for WordPress that can be used to add the Meta pixel to a WordPress site, including official plugins from Facebook and third-party plugins developed by other companies or individuals. There are several popular Facebook plugins available for WordPress that can help you configure and integrate the Facebook Pixel with your website. Here are a few examples:
- Pixel Caffeine: This plugin allows you to easily set up and manage your Facebook Pixel, create custom audiences, and track specific events on your website.
- Facebook for WooCommerce: This plugin is designed specifically for WooCommerce users and allows you to track sales, add-to-cart events, and other important eCommerce events on your website.
- Facebook Feed WD: This plugin allows you to display your Facebook feed on your website, track Facebook Page visits, and capture user information for retargeting purposes.
- Facebook Like Box: This plugin allows you to display a Facebook Like Box on your website, which can help increase your social media following and capture user information for retargeting.
- Custom Facebook Feed: This plugin allows you to display a customizable Facebook feed on your website and track Facebook Page visits.
These are just a few examples of the many Facebook plugins available for WordPress. By using a plugin, you can simplify the process of configuring the Facebook Pixel and ensure that it’s tracking the events that are important for your business.
Whether you use the manual installation, the API, or a plugin, you want to ensure your pixel is firing correctly so you can confidently know that you are capturing the correct variables to target, retarget, capture events for creative targeting and re-segmenting audiences. In order to test your Meta pixel, you will want to add the Pixel helper to your browser. Here is how to install the pixel helper:
- Install the Facebook Pixel Helper: The Facebook Pixel Helper is a free Chrome extension that helps you check if your Facebook Pixel is working correctly. You can install it from the Chrome Web Store.
- Visit your website: After installing the Facebook Pixel Helper, visit your website and navigate through it to trigger the events you want to track.
- Check the Facebook Pixel Helper: Click on the Facebook Pixel Helper icon in your browser toolbar to open it. The tool will show you if the Facebook Pixel is installed on your website and if it’s firing correctly. It will also show you which events are being tracked and if there are any errors or warnings.
- Check the Pixel Event Manager: In the Facebook Ads Manager, go to the Pixel Event Manager to see the event data collected by the Facebook Pixel. You can check if the events you triggered on your website are being tracked correctly and see the details of each event, such as the event name, the number of times it was triggered, and the value of the event.
- Use the Ads Manager’s Testing Tools: Facebook provides various testing tools in the Ads Manager to verify that your pixel and events are working correctly. These tools include the Ads Preview tool, which allows you to see how your ads will look in different placements, and the Test and Debug tool, which lets you simulate different types of events to check how they’re handled by your pixel.
By following these steps, you can ensure that your Facebook Pixel is working correctly and that it’s tracking the events that are important for your business. If you encounter any issues, Facebook provides extensive documentation and support to help you resolve them.
Now that you have a handle on your pixel, its time to leverage this information for your advertising. Use these tips and tricks to get the most out of your carefully configured Meta pixel.
- Create custom audiences: Custom audiences allow you to retarget users who have already engaged with your website or Facebook Page. By creating custom audiences based on specific events, such as add-to-cart or purchase events, you can show ads to users who are more likely to convert. If you have physical locations, you will want local audiences created in addition to your engagement, leads submissions, purchases, product family audiences, and AOV as all of these will help you be a smarter marketer.
- Set up dynamic ads: Dynamic ads allow you to show personalized ads to users based on their behavior on your website. By setting up dynamic ads, you can show users ads for products they have viewed or added to their cart, increasing the likelihood that they will convert.
- Use Facebook Pixel with Google Analytics: By linking your Facebook Pixel with Google Analytics, you can gain even more insights into user behavior on your website. This allows you to better understand how users are interacting with your website and optimize your ad campaigns accordingly.
- Optimize for value: Facebook’s value optimization feature allows you to optimize your ad campaigns based on the value of each conversion. By setting up value optimization, you can prioritize ad delivery to users who are more likely to generate higher revenue for your business.
- Regularly review your events and data: It’s important to regularly review your Facebook Pixel events and data to ensure that it’s tracking correctly and providing you with valuable insights. This will help you make informed decisions about your ad campaigns and optimize them for better performance.
By following these tips and tricks, you can make the most of the Facebook Pixel and use it to drive better results for your business.
With the Meta pixel, you can track a variety of user actions on your website, including pageviews, clicks, purchases, sign-ups, and more. This information can then be used to create custom audiences for targeting and retargeting campaigns on Facebook and to measure the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns. Additionally, you can use the pixel to track conversions and optimize your ads for specific actions that you want users to take on your website.
If you need help setting up your Meta Pixel, reach out to Contest Factory and we’re happy to help.
