What is Meta (Facebook) Pixel?

What is Facebook Pixel?

Facebook Pixel is a piece of code that you place on your website to track visitor activity, optimise ads, build targeted audiences, and measure the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns. It collects data that helps you understand the actions people take on your website after seeing your Facebook ads.

Key Functions of Facebook Pixel

1. Tracking Conversions: Measure the actions users take on your website, such as purchases, sign-ups, and more.
2. Optimising Ads: Automatically adjust your ad delivery to people who are more likely to take the desired action.
3. Building Audiences: Create Custom Audiences based on website visitors and their behaviours.
4. Remarketing: Re-engage visitors who have interacted with your website but haven’t converted.
5. Measuring Performance: Gain insights into the ROI of your ads and understand user behaviour on your site.

How to Create a Facebook Pixel

Creating a Facebook Pixel is a straightforward process. Follow these steps to create your pixel:

1. Log into Facebook Business Manager: Go to business.facebook.com and log in to your account.
2. Navigate to Events Manager: Click on the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top left corner, and select “Events Manager” under the “Data Sources” section.
3. Create a Pixel: In Events Manager, click on the “Connect Data Sources” button and select “Web.”
4. Select Facebook Pixel: Choose “Facebook Pixel” from the options and click “Connect.”
5. Name Your Pixel: Enter a name for your pixel and add your website URL.
6. Create the Pixel: Click “Continue” to create your pixel.

How to Install Facebook Pixel

Once you’ve created your pixel, the next step is to install it on your website. There are a few methods to do this, depending on your website platform:

Manual Installation

1. Get the Pixel Code: In Events Manager, find your newly created pixel, click on “Set Up,” and choose “Install Pixel” manually.
2. Copy the Code: Copy the entire Pixel code provided by Facebook.
3. Add the Code to Your Website: Paste the Pixel code into the header section of your website. This can usually be done by accessing the HTML code of your site or using a site-wide header code injection tool in your CMS (Content Management System).
4. Verify the Installation: After adding the code, click “Continue” in Facebook Events Manager and use the “Test Events” tool to ensure the Pixel is correctly installed and tracking events.

Using a Partner Integration

If you’re using a platform like WordPress, Shopify, or Wix, you can use their built-in integrations:

1. Go to Partner Integrations: In Events Manager, choose “Add Code Using a Partner Integration.”
2. Select Your Platform: Choose your website platform from the list provided by Facebook.
3. Follow Instructions: Follow the step-by-step instructions provided for your specific platform. This usually involves logging into your platform, finding the Facebook Pixel integration option, and entering your Pixel ID.

Using Google Tag Manager

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is another way to install Facebook Pixel on your website:

1. Log into Google Tag Manager: Go to tagmanager.google.com and log in.
2. Create a New Tag: In your GTM account, create a new tag and choose “Custom HTML Tag.”
3. Add Pixel Code: Paste the Facebook Pixel code into the HTML field.
4. Set Triggering: Set the tag to fire on all pages.
5. Publish Changes: Save your tag and publish the changes in GTM.

Configuring Facebook Pixel Events

Events are actions that happen on your website, like page views, button clicks, or purchases. Configuring events helps you track specific actions users take on your site.

Standard Events

Facebook provides a list of standard events that you can use:

• ViewContent: Track visits to key pages (e.g., product pages).
• AddToCart: Track when items are added to a shopping cart.
• Purchase: Track completed transactions.

To add standard events:

1. Identify Event Code: In Events Manager, find the standard event code you need.
2. Add Event Code: Add the event code to the relevant pages on your website, just below the main Pixel code.

Custom Events

If you need to track specific actions not covered by standard events, you can create custom events:

1. Define Your Custom Event: Choose a name for your custom event that describes the action you want to track.
2. Add Custom Event Code: Insert the custom event code into your website’s HTML where the specific action occurs. Use fbq('trackCustom', 'EventName'); with your custom event name.

Using Facebook Event Setup Tool

Facebook’s Event Setup Tool allows you to add events without coding:

1. Open Event Setup Tool: In Events Manager, select your Pixel, click “Settings,” and find the “Event Setup Tool.”
2. Enter Your URL: Enter the URL of the page where you want to set up events and click “Open Website.”
3. Track Button Clicks or URLs: Follow the on-screen instructions to track specific button clicks or page views as events.

Using Facebook Pixel for Optimisation

Once your Pixel is set up and tracking events, you can use this data to optimise your ads and website performance.

Custom Audiences

Create Custom Audiences from your website visitors to retarget them with ads:

1. Create Custom Audience: In Ads Manager, go to “Audiences” and click “Create Audience” > “Custom Audience.”
2. Select Website Traffic: Choose “Website” as your source.
3. Define Audience Criteria: Set criteria for your audience based on website behaviour (e.g., all visitors, specific pages, time spent).

Lookalike Audiences

Use Lookalike Audiences to find new potential customers similar to your existing ones:

1. Create Lookalike Audience: In Ads Manager, go to “Audiences” and click “Create Audience” > “Lookalike Audience.”
2. Select Source Audience: Choose a Custom Audience or a list of website visitors as your source.
3. Set Audience Size: Define the size of your Lookalike Audience (1% being the most similar).

Conversion Tracking and Optimisation

Use conversion data to optimise your ad delivery for better performance:

1. Set Up Conversion Tracking: Ensure your standard or custom events are set up correctly to track conversions.
2. Optimise for Conversions: In your campaign settings, choose a conversion-focused objective (e.g., “Conversions” or “Catalog Sales”).
3. Use Automated Bidding: Let Facebook optimise your bids for conversions by using automated bidding strategies like “Target CPA” or “Maximise Conversions.”

Facebook Pixel is an essential tool for anyone looking to maximise the effectiveness of their Facebook ad campaigns. By understanding what Facebook Pixel is, how to create and install it, and how to use it for tracking, optimising, and building audiences, you can significantly enhance your advertising efforts. Follow this guide to set up your Pixel and start leveraging its powerful features to drive better results for your business.

Ready to get started with Facebook Pixel? Implement these steps today and take your digital marketing to the next level!