With more than 79% of US internet users on Facebook, and a staggering 70% of all Facebook users returning to the site at least once a day, it’s clear there is a huge advertising opportunity on this platform. With a single ad click costing on average $0.27, and a thousand impressions setting you back $7.19, it pays to know what you’re getting in return for your money spent.
That’s where the Facebook Pixel comes in. The Facebook Pixel was created to pair a KPI with ad performance, helping advertisers to track Return on Ad Spend (ROAS). Here are 6 easy steps to get the pixel up and running as quickly as possible:
Step 1: Launch Facebook Business Manager
Open up the Facebook Ads Manager, and then click on the menu button at the top of the screen. If you can’t see it, it’s 3 horizontal lines in the top left corner.
Next you’ll see the assets column second from the right, from which you want to select ‘Pixels’ from the list of options.
This will take you to a page where you want to click ‘Create a Pixel’ to get things moving.
Step 2: Name Your Pixel
Before you can install your Pixel, you’ll be asked to name it. The best thing to do is choose something memorable that you’ll easily be able to recall later on. It doesn’t need to match the user name for any of your websites or Facebook accounts. Once you add the Pixel name and website URL, click “create” and the pop-up box will take you to the “Install Pixel” step.
There are 3 options for how to place your Pixel onto your site’s backend:
– If you have a web developer and don’t feel confident, then ask them to take control at this point
– Manually copy and paste the code if you’re happy to proceed yourself
– Use a Tag Manager Plugin if your site supports these kinds of tools
As this is a guide about doing it yourself, we’re going to press ahead along the manual copy and paste route.
Step 3: Find Your Website’s Header Tags
This is the part where you need to turn to your web host for a little help if you’re not sure what to do. Find the <head> </head> tags in your webpage code, or locate the header template in your CMS or web platform.
The pixel that you will need to enter is generated automatically for you in Facebook. Copy the entire pixel code and paste the pixel code at the bottom of the header section, just above the </head> tag. The Facebook pixel code can be added above or below existing tracking tags (such as Google Analytics) in your site header.
Step 4: Activate the Advanced Matching Options
At the bottom of the ‘Install Pixel ’ pop-up box, you’ll see a greyed out button to turn on “Turn on Automatic Advanced Matching”.
These options aren’t necessary for everyone, but if you’re focusing on generating leads that can be repurposed to build an eCommerce campaign, click the button.
This will allow you to gather information such as the users’ location, phone number, and first name. All useful things to know if you want to use Pixel to drive information into your email campaign.
Step 5: Install Your Pixel’s Event Code
Once you click next, you’ll see a dropdown of event categories to choose from, along with a list of how you’d like to track them (i.e. view content, search, add to cart, etc.). Once you select the event type, you’ll be shown a small piece of code that you can now install on any pages of your website you choose. It will allow you to track and record the actions users take on said pages, and thereby learn significantly more about their browsing habits than you otherwise would be able to.
There are a variety of different event codes that you can make use of; with the choices you make being dependent on what you want to achieve.
Complete Registration is one of the most commonly used codes. If placed on a registration form on your site, it will allow you to track how and when that user was converted. There are options for you to add the value of that individual conversion, and you’ll also be able to see where the user went next.
Step 6: Check Your Pixel’s Status
This step can take up to approximately half an hour, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself waiting a little while.
Open Ads Manager and click on ‘Pixels’. Next to the name of your new Pixel you will see the status. Nothing will happen in terms of data collection until it shows as active. If it remains inactive for more than 1 hour then retrace your steps above, before contacting Facebook for help.
Also, you can install the Facebook Pixel Helper Plugin for chrome to verify the pixel is working.
Final Thoughts
Facebook Pixel allows you to target your ads and get the highest return on your per click investment. Take the time to work through each of the steps above, and you’ll be able to see how much money you’re making with real-time analytics. By making sure the pixel is installed you can optimize your Facebook Ads to generate the best return possible for your company.
