Meta Pixel – how to implement and use

The Meta Pixel is a short code placed on a site so that we, as advertisers, can evaluate the effectiveness of our efforts and collect the audiences we define. In its basic form, it collects remarketing data of page views on which we can base our targeting. Fuller use, however, should also include the implementation of measuring specific events that are important to us, which will allow us to monitor the effect of the campaign and more precise audience groups, for example, users who visited the site but did not make a purchase.

How to deploy a pixel in a site

To download instructions for implementing a pixel, which we can then send to the site manager, first of all, use the Event Manager tool. If our advertising account does not yet have such a pixel, we will find there a welcome screen encouraging us to generate one. The “Merge Data” button will redirect us to the wizard. A similar effect will be achieved by pressing the green plus button on the left in the menu.

In the window that opens, we choose what kind of data we want to collect. We can choose from the web, i.e. a website, an app, in the case of mobile apps, offline conversions if we are selling offline, and a CRM system that will allow us to directly link the pixel to our contact management tool.

The pixel will also be used as a tool for contact management.

Let’s take a broader look at the most popular option, i.e. a pixel implemented on a website.

In the next step, Meta proposes to verify the partner integration – by providing the address of our website, the tool will be able to check whether we are using a solution that is officially supported. We can skip this step by checking the “I don’t have a website” option and proceed to the next step.

Meta currently recommends combining the pixel with the conversion API configuration, but you can go through this process at any time, the pixel alone will suffice to start with. In the next window you will see two options. The first, Add pixel code to site manually, will provide us with instructions and pixel code in a new window, which can then be either placed in the site code or sent to the site manager as instructed.

The second is to possibly verify that we are using a tool that is one of the supported Meta partners. Google Tag Manager is also on this list.

The second is to verify that you are using one of the supported Meta partners.

Deploy-events

Implemented pixel is just a kind of framework for data collection, to get the most out of it, we should consider what exactly our users are likely to do on the site, and what is indicative of their engagement or purchase intent.

We have as many as 17 standard events to choose from, among them we can find such conversions as:

• typical sales events, such as adding payment information, adding to cart, initiating checkout transition and purchase
• meaningful engagement, such as adding to a wish list, completing registration, personalizing a product, starting a trial period, searching, finding a location, displaying content
• concerning making contact, such as contacting (initiating through direct contact like chat, phone, or text message), obtaining contact (leaving your information in a form), scheduling (setting an appointment date through a calendar), or submitting an offer request

We also can’t forget about subscription, when our business model is based on subscription, or display content, for key pages within our site. As the last, we can mention the less frequently used donation, for example, to a particular initiative.

It can also happen that none of the ready-made standard events meet our expectations, in which case we can still reach for custom conversions. However, this sometimes generates inconveniences, so if we have the opportunity to assign one of the above categories – it is worth doing.

It is worth it.

It is worth mentioning that each campaign/ad set can be optimized on Facebook for only one type of event at a time. This type of event then is visible in the Results column in the Meta ad interface. If you want to see how the campaign contributed to the other events, you already have to manually enable them in the column set selection menu.

The e-commerce industry can take the use of the pixel to an even higher level by using the Facebook product catalog Collecting product data on individual pages will also allow for dynamic remarketing.

The pixel can also be used to collect product data on individual pages.

Lack of added events, on the other hand, means that we won’t be able to optimize campaigns for them, in which case we are left with either optimizing for clicks or solutions happening on Facebook, such as activity regarding a post or ads with instant forms

Transfer pixels between accounts

It may happen that we have multiple accounts or multiple pixels within our advertising efforts – how do we reconcile all this? First of all, remember that unlike many other Facebook Business Manager resources, a pixel is assigned not to a person, but to an advertising account. By default, it belongs to the ad account within which it was generated. However, this can be modified.

If you want to use an already existing pixel on another advertising account, in the company settings you should associate our pixel with an additional account – then both will be able to use it.

Similarly, if we want to individually measure events on a couple of different domains within one account, it is best to create dedicated pixels for each of the domains to be analyzed. Then, already when creating a campaign, we choose a pixel specific to our ad account activities. Creating an additional pixel is done similarly to the first one – the green plus button option on the left side of the menu when we are in the event manager.

Monitoring results

Information about the pixel and the events it recorded can be previewed in the Event Manager tool. In the pixel preview, under the Overview tab, we can find basic information such as the activity of the pixel, what domain it runs in, and what events have been recorded. We can still view each event in detail. When we expand the information, we are shown a graph for that particular event, and when we choose to View detailed information, we will find out, among other things, on which pages of our site the event was triggered.

What’s important, after implementation and before launching the campaign, it’s still worth running tests to see if everything collects correctly, for which we can use both the test mode in Event Manager and the aforementioned Chrome Meta Pixel Helper plugin.

Using the Pixel to create remarketing lists

When the Meta pixel is already implemented in the website, and the events we selected are collecting properly, you can create your own remarketing groups based on that.

The most basic group should cover remarketing without any additional criteria – this will be useful for both visitor analysis and various configurations. As a second step, you can create groups of people based on conversions, i.e., those who have performed the action you want.

If our business is based on one-time contacts, such as completed forms, and customers make decisions over a longer period of time, this type of audience will serve us mainly for two purposes. The first will be to be able to exclude people already acquired, and the second will be to create an audience similar to our converts. In the case of e-commerce companies, this may not be the best solution – if we have an engaged customer, and our offer requires regular replenishment in the household, we want to maintain this relationship and reach out to such people again.

When it comes to the other options, i.e. creating groups of people who are engaged, but not yet converting – here it is mainly worth experimenting, both with an extensive remarketing strategy and creating groups of users similar to those who, for example, added the product to the shopping cart.

Summary

Implementing a pixel is essential for our campaigns to be effective – it’s based on the data from it that Facebook selects users who are likely to convert – and it’s to them that it presents our ads. Without insight into what users are doing on the site, optimizing campaigns is made much more difficult, additionally, we cut off our ability to take advantage of how algorithms work in a campaign. Fortunately, by using the services of an experienced digital marketing agency, you can be sure that this aspect will also be realized.