So, you’ve heard of the Facebook Pixel – but why is it so important and what on earth is it for?
If you want to know why it is ESSENTIAL, keep reading…
The Facebook Pixel is a small piece of code which is installed on the pages of your website. No need to get bogged down with this bit, but there are a few basics you need to understand. The basic bit of code from the pixel enables you to track your website visitors. Therefore, once somebody has visited you can find them again through the Facebook and Instagram ad platform. There are also additional snippets of code which need to be installed which enable you to track specific actions such as a purchase, add to cart or add payment details. These actions that we are able to track, are known as standard events.
You need to have the Pixel code created from your Facebook ad account. Once you have it, you will need somebody experienced to install it.
Now that’s installed – you are ready to go!
The real bit you need to know about is how the Pixel can help you market your business more effectively. So here are a few ideas and suggestions of how you can use it in your ad campaigns…
- ABANDONED CARTS – frustrated by a high amount of abandoned carts? An ongoing headache for many online retailers. The pixel can identify who added to cart but didn’t purchase, you’ve almost got them to the finish line but you just need them to click and make that purchase. With the data collected, you can advertise directly to those people and offer them a discount to encourage them or a gentle reminder that they left something in their cart.
- RE-TARGET PEOPLE WHO LOOKED AT SPECIFIC PRODUCTS – With the pixel able to track which pages and products people have viewed, you can tailor you retargeting specifically to exact products or services that they showed an interest in. If you looked at that dream coat online – ads can be set up to subsequently advertise that coat or range of coats.
- REACH SPECIFIC CUSTOMERS AND USER AUDIENCES – you can build specific audiences of your existing purchasers, customers or website visitors. For example, you can profile your top spending customers, your mailing list, your client database, those who have engaged with your page, watched a specific video or those who haven’t purchased for a period of time. The opportunities are endless!
- FIND MORE CUSTOMERS – with the pixel installed you have the ability to build “lookalike” audiences. This can work brilliantly if you have a big pool of data to base it on. With all of that useful data from the pixel, Facebook uses AI to identify to and find some more customers who match your existing ones! This is a hugely useful way of building up the right traffic, mailing list sign-ups and page followers of the right people.
- TARGET WISHLISTS – Have a wishlist facility on your site? You can re-target all of those who have added to wish lists with an offer or a reminder, or try and upsell!
- ADVERTISE TO THOSE WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO BUY – As the pixel tracks sales, over time, it learns who is most likely to take that specific action. The more it sees people buying the more it can optimise to get you the best return on your ad spend. This is one of the reasons Facebook ads are not a “quick win” when it comes to driving sales. It needs time to learn and optimise from the data on your pixel. If it only got one sale to use as an example, it won’t have enough information learn. Ideally, it needs around 50 actions/outcomes per week in order to have enough data to optimise fully.
Even if you are not running campaigns, you need to have the pixel installed. The data it collects in order to target your ads, is hugely valuable and you’ll want it for future campaigns. Don’t get caught out and have to start from scratch! Data is the new knowledge when it comes to digital marketing on Facebook and Instagram.
