We all know that having a presence on social media is a must for any brand, and that social advertising can be one of the most effective ways of reaching your target audience. But have you harnessed the power of the pixel yet? You may have heard social marketeers throwing the term around, and that’s because this magic piece of coding is like gold dust to brands! But many brands aren’t actually aware of just how powerful a pixel can be in helping you to reach the right person, retarget them, and create conversions. Here, we take it back to basics and explain exactly what a pixel is and what it can do for your brand.
What is a pixel?
A Facebook pixel, now known as the Meta Pixel as of February 2022, is a piece of coding for your website that lets you gather data to measure, optimise and build audiences for your advertising campaigns. It’s that simple!
So, if you’ve ever been browsing items on your favourite clothing website or app, for example, and then that shirt or those shoes reappear on your Facebook feed, that is a pixel at work!
How does a pixel work?
A pixel works by placing and triggering cookies to track users as they interact with your business, both on and off social media platforms (or more specifically, Facebook and Instagram). A pixel is triggered whenever someone visits your website and takes an action predefined in Meta’s Events Manager.
The more “events” that happen on your website, the better Meta gets at delivering your ads to people who are more likely to take certain actions. This is known as conversion optimisation, and is the key to helping Meta identify the right users to target for your brand!
To set up a pixel, you can either manually add pixel coding to your website, or use a partner integration tool, such as WooCommerce – but it’s usually best to leave this bit to an expert!
What are pixel events?
Once your Facebook pixel is up and running on your website, you can select up to eight events to track and measure different actions when people visit it. There are 17 standard pixel events available, plus many more custom events, but the key ones to get your started include:
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Add payment info
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Add to cart
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Add to wish list
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Complete registration
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Contact
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Customise Product
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Donate
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Find Location
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Initiate Checkout
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Lead
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Purchase
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Schedule
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Search
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Start Trial
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Submit Application
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Subscribe
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View Content
If you’re not sure how to begin choosing the right events for your brand, don’t panic! Sitting down with an expert (like us!) can help determine which events and actions are most important to help you achieve your business goals. We recommend mapping out the path that your customer would take on the website to reach your goal, and making sure those touchpoints are the events you track.
How do you use a pixel in social ads?
After your pixel and events are all set up, Meta will work its magic and begin collating data and information from users, any time that your selected events are triggered on your website. This is where social media adverts come in!
You can use all of this information to create a custom audience based on the actions people have taken on your website or app, and then retarget them with relevant adverts on social media. You can then also create a lookalike audience, expanding your reach to target similar users who may also be interested in your brand. Clever, huh?!
The bottom line? Incorporating a pixel into your digital marketing strategy means that every penny and pound you spend on social media advertising is being put to good use, only reaching people who are already interested in your products or services, or who are very likely to be interested in them. And that results in more conversions!
If you’re looking for social media support for your brand, get in touch! Drop us a note on hello@honestcommunications.co.uk
