Ep. 19 What the heck is the Facebook Pixel?

You know when you run a Google search, visit a website—and then see a sponsored ad for that EXACT company on your Facebook feed?  That’s the Facebook Pixel at work!

The Facebook pixel is both magical and creepy. But utilizing the Facebook Pixel can be one of the most valuable tools in your marketing toolbelt! 

If technology intimidates you, I encourage you to keep reading. You can take this one step at a time. I won’t get into how to install the pixel or how to run ads utilizing pixel data, but I will cover the WHAT and WHY.

What is the Facebook Pixel?

The Facebook Pixel is a tracking code that you place on your website. If a person with a Facebook account visits your website, Facebook uses your pixel code to track this information so you can run ads directly to those website visitors.

Here’s what you need to know about the pixel:

• The pixel is a tracking code. It’s a series of numbers.
• The code is specific to your business.  
• Your code will not match another business’ code. 
• It tracks and collects data once you or your developer/designer place the code on your website.
• It does NOT give you specific data on the person visiting your website—Facebook has privacy policies it must comply with, especially after the last presidential election.
• The data allows you to run ads to target people on Facebook who visited your website.
• And remember, Facebook owns Instagram, so the pixel isn’t just for Facebook ads. It’s for Instagram ads, too!

Each of your website visitors has a temperature. Someone who has never heard of your business or visited your website is COLD, but someone who visits your website is WARM, and someone who buys from you is considered HOT.

So if you understand audience temperatures, you know that the warmer they are, the better—and the more likely the person will purchase.

If you consider this, then you realize how valuable website visitors are. They’re your warm audience.

Why the Facebook Pixel is so Valuable for Retailers

Here’s what the Facebook Pixel can do for you as a retail business owner:

1. It ensures your ads are seen by the people who are most likely to take a desired action on your website.
2. You can run ads to people who visited a specific product on your website but didn’t purchase. For example, you can create an offer (maybe a dollar or discount off), use a targeted ad to show them the offer, and entice the visitor to come back and buy.
3. You can use the pixel data and ads to get more people onto your email list. 
4. It allows you to run ads to people who are similar to your current customers. These are called lookalike audiences, and this is a great way to bring NEW customers to your website or into your store.

You Might Not Like Facebook, But the Pixel is a Key Marketing Tool for Your Store

The earlier you install the Facebook Pixel, the better! The more data collected, the more effective your ads and targeting can be. If you’d like to learn more about using and installing the Facebook Pixel, I encourage you to apply for Master Shopkeepers to access lessons about it. 

You might not like Facebook (I’m not Facebook’s biggest fan, either, though I do enjoy Instagram). You might only have a Facebook account to manage your business page. The thought of paying for ads might make you cringe. But as a retail educator, it’s essential that I at least give you the facts about the Facebook Pixel.  

You can choose to install the pixel or not. If you decide not to install it, it may be that you don’t need to advertise on social media, and that’s AWESOME! Referrals, word of mouth, or other advertising forms might work well for you.  

But many retail business owners are using Facebook and Instagram to market their businesses, and sometimes, organic reach just doesn’t cut it. Organic reach is a gift for business owners rather than something you’re entitled to.  

I am grateful for any reach that I get for free on Facebook or Instagram. We built most of our following organically and we have generated tens of thousands of dollars in sales from organic reach. How can I be upset about that?

I also see an ROI (that’s a return on investment) from running ads. I have seen firsthand how effective they can be and how effective the pixel data is, too.

Resources

• Shopkeeper Shoutout: Julie of Mae’s Boutique
• Episode 3: Instagram Blueprint for Retailers
• Episode 11: Five Marketing Mistakes Small Retail Business Owners are Making
• Episode 12: Social Media Ads 101 – What retailers need to know first to run effective Facebook & Instagram Ads
• Apply for the only territory-protected retail training mastermind, Master Shopkeepers

Timestamps

• [03:08] What is the Facebook Pixel?
• [06:01] Why the Facebook Pixel is so Valuable for Retailers
• [09:35] You Might Not Like Facebook, But the Pixel is a Key Marketing Tool for Your Store