The Facebook Pixel has been around for some time and helped millions of marketers and businesses target qualified leads with their ads. In its essence is a unique 15 digit code that you install on each page of your website where you want to track the visitors’ activity. Over time, the Facebook Pixel evolved and is now capable of creating complex events and types of conversion.
The New Facebook Pixel: Simpler and More Powerful
Prior to 2018, the Facebook Pixel required manual code input for each separate event that the website owner wanted to track. It was quite complicated if you did not have basic programming skills at least.
However, over the last 2 years, the Facebook Team transformed the pixel into a more powerful tool with simple and easy deployment. Right now, the Facebook Pixel identifies and reports website events automatically. Some of the events you get notified of from this pixel are:
- Registrations
- Purchases
- Cart abandonment
- Subscription to newsletters.
Of course, you are in full control of this feature. If you do not want to receive these automatic notifications, you can turn them on or off.
Implementation of the Facebook Pixel
The easiest kind of deployment of the Facebook Pixel is through Partner Integrations. These partners are:
- Tag managers, such as Google Tag Manager
- Website hosting platforms like Shopify, Magento or Woocommerce.
This method does not require coding skills. Once you reached Facebook Events Manager, selected your Facebook page, you go to the Data Sources tab and select Add New Data Source. Next, you select the Facebook Pixel and click on the first option for installing the Pixel: Connect a Partner Platform.
The second method is the manual install method, which should be performed only by persons who know coding.
The third method is a compromise between automatic install and manual install. You can email the instructions to a developer who will perform the actual installation. This is what we strongly recommend you to do, if you want a custom installation of the Facebook Pixel.
How to Upgrade the Old Version of the Facebook Pixel
As we explained above, the way the Facebook Pixel changed completely in 2018. Thus, it is possible that you already have an old version of the Pixel installed on your website. This one no longer works, but it can be upgraded.
Once you reach the Pixel implementation page in Facebook Events Manager, simply connect a Partner Integration. This is the only method to upgrade, unless you want to sign up for a new Facebook ad account and get a brand new Pixel ID (the 15 digit code).
Extra tip: if you have a Facebook Business Manager account, you can create up to 100 Facebook Pixels.
Start Using the Facebook Pixel Like a Pro
Now it’s time to really unleash the hidden powers of the Facebook Pixel. Here are some of the most effective tips for you:
1. Activate Advanced Matching
This useful setting gives Facebook access to user submitted information on your website (their contact data, for example) in order to create better matches and larger custom audiences. However, this setting is turned off by default.
To activate it, go to the Settings page in Facebook Business Manager. You will find the Automatic Advanced Function under the Details tab on the right column of the page.
2. For Marketers: Audit Your Pixel from Time to Time
If you are running social media marketing campaigns for other businesses, it is useful to review the sites where your Facebook Pixel is installed. If you stopped working for that client but forgot to deactivate the Pixel, that client can still gain insights and target customers using your ad account. In other words, you still pay for their conversions, even though they are no longer your client.
The same issue can happen to businesses that established barter agreements with other companies or with influencers and then terminated those agreements.
3. Use the Diagnostics Tool to Troubleshoot the Facebook Pixel
Make sure that your pixel works properly with a new tool that Facebook added recently. In the Facebook Events Manager panel you will see the Diagnostics tool.
You can either assess the issue yourself, and follow the steps to solve the issue or send it to a developer to take care of it.
4. Delay Events from Being Recorded by the Facebook Pixel
Bouncing happens when someone reaches a web page, spends a few seconds and leaves it because it is not what they were looking for. However, the Facebook Pixel will record it and report it to you, causing you to lose money with pointless targeting. To do this, you will need a developer to modify the code of the Facebook pixel on your website pages. This article on Facebook for Developers explains how to do it, in the section Delayed Pixel Fires.