Are you wondering about the impact of pixel blockers, iOS 14 and GDPR on digital marketing? If this is your concern, then you are in luck, as the Facebook Conversions API can help. This blog post will help you understand what the Facebook Conversions API is and why you should use it.
What Is The Facebook Conversions API?
The Facebook Conversion API, initially known as Facebook Server-side tagging API, is an online tool that allows advertisers to send website events from Facebook servers. This is similar to server side tagging GTM. With Facebook Conversions API, you can push an event to Facebook while keeping your data safe.
API is an abbreviation for application programming interface. And it allows different systems and applications to communicate with one another. For instance, you can send information from a system such as Shopify to a Facebook manager.
How Does The Facebook Conversions API Work?
Most Facebook users have the Facebook pixel installed either directly or indirectly. When users load their site, the pixel fires at the browser level. The browser usually updates Facebook on each page a user visits and the action they take. Subsequently, Facebook informs you through the Ads manager of the number of purchases, leads and add-to-carts generated.
Facebook Conversion API sends a unique identification number for each user whenever they land on a website. Then, the server sends a message every time a specific user completes a particular action.
The Conversions API connects to more than 60 data sources with very few clicks. That enables you to visualize and analyze critical first-hand data from multiple data sources. In addition, it allows you to bring all that information to a data analysis tool of choice.
Since the Facebook Conversion API has automatic data transfer, you and your team only focus on analyzing what drives the business’s success. The automated reports will also enhance decision-making and help you make the right decision at the right time.
With Conversions API, you don’t need to store all your old data on scattered spreadsheets. Instead, you can use it to connect your in-house systems to your marketing platforms.
How to Set Up the Facebook Conversions API for Website Events
There are many setup procedures for both applications and websites.
Verification of Your Domain
The first thing you should do when installing Facebook Conversions API is to verify your domain. To do this, first, go to the domain. Then, proceed to Business Manager, click on the business setting tab. Next, select brand safety, and finally, click on “Parts.”
Secondly, suppose you have the prompt in the resource center, click the verify domain button, taking you straight to the domains. Each verified domain appears on the main window as a green dot.
Suppose you don’t verify your domain. You’ll see a notification, “Your business doesn’t have any domain yet.” In such a case, click on the “Add” button and add then on “Add Domain.” In case the domain does not appear, refresh the page.
The next step is verification, either by DNS verification, meta-tag verification, or HTML file upload. Each method has specific instructions that you should follow.
Why Facebook Implemented the Facebook Conversions API
Now that you know what Facebook conversions API is and how it works, why was it implemented in the first place? It all comes back to data protection and privacy – with advertisers tracking consumers with third-party cookies, new laws like the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and GDPR have made protecting data privacy a major priority. The iOS 14 update, for instance, allowed users more control over what information they wish to share with advertisers and applications.
For advertisers, the same kind of tracking and visibility that you’re used to seeing is becoming harder to implement, so Facebook began testing for ways that allow advertisers to track consumer performance – but don’t compromise data protection or privacy. Facebook actually launched the conversions API in response to that major iOS 14 update.
The conversions API they’ve implemented still allows advertisers to track users, but it also provides for more holistic measurement with advertising campaigns. Rather than use offline conversion fields for their offline channels, businesses can now measure all their purchases (from both offline and online channels) with the same conversion action.
Facebook Pixel vs. Facebook Conversions API
The launch of Conversion API did not replace Facebook pixel. Instead, they work together to enable Facebook to track and collect all user activities and match them with their profiles. It also monitors the performance of an ad—the main difference between CAPI and pixel in the mode of sending data.
Using pixel and CAPI, you may have realized that similar conversion events may cause duplication. To solve this concern, the Conversions API incorporates an automatic event deduplication process to avoid double counting whenever parameters are sent.
While pixel allows you to share events from a web browser, CAPI will enable you to share events from your server directly. We always recommend you use these two tools together; therefore, it isn’t a matter of either pixel or CAPI. The launch of Facebook Conversion API wasn’t the end of a pixel. You should set and run Facebook Pixel before you set up Facebook CAPI.
Duplication should not be a point of concern when running these two tools since Facebook has a deduplication mechanism. For instance, if both tools record an event, Facebook will deduplicate it.
Benefits of the Facebook Conversions API:
The main benefit of CAPI is to help online marketers offer transparency and data control to their customers. With the Facebook Conversions API, online marketers can control what is shared with Facebook and still send data despite cookie blocking.
Facebook’s Conversion API is an essential tool that works with pixels to ensure online users access all the data they need. These two tools will enable you to track, improve, and attribute your Facebook marketing performance.
With CAPI, you can track three types of data:
- Page visits
- Web conversions such as sales and signups
- Post–conversion events like loan approvals
Below are two more advantages of the Facebook Conversions API.
Offer More Funnel Visibility
Unlike the Facebook Pixel, the Facebook Conversions API allows you or any online marketer to have a broad view of data, subsequently offering a more comprehensive insight that will help you make a good decision.
Accordingly, 81% of consumers do online searches before making any purchase, gathering crucial information to satisfy their needs. As a result, it offers an insight into what clients need.
Enhance Signal Liability and Resilience
Exchanging data via the Facebook Conversions API is more reliable than browser-based methods. Furthermore, it has a high transfer accuracy and will help collect any data that escapes the pixel.
- Reporting Ads
- Targeting Ads
- Audience insights
- Conversion optimization for Facebook Ads
What Events Can You Track on Facebook API?
App events enable you to track actions occurring in a mobile application or a website. For example, Facebook API allows you to measure their performance and build a target audience by monitoring such events. There are three main types of events:
- Automatically logged events – Facebook SDK automatically logs app installations, in-app purchases, and app sessions in these types of events.
- Standard events – these are the normal events that Facebook creates for you.
- Customer events – custom events are the ones you create and are specific for your app.
How to Get the Most Out of the Facebook Conversions API
Getting Facebook Conversion API doesn’t immediately solve all your problems. You need to apply a few tricks to get the most out of this tool.
First, track different events separately but carefully. Treat each event differently, and be sure you understand how it fits your marketing or sales strategy. That will go a long way in ensuring you shape your ads.
Secondly, use other tools such as Audience Analytics and Facebook Analytics to know your audience better. Be sure to capture and address their interests. Furthermore, you can use other Facebook tools to identify or create new audiences.
Finally, learn to create or set campaigns before you need them. Always ensure you are a step ahead.
Creating Hyper-Targeted Ads with Facebook API
Paid ads always seem straightforward. The customer views the ad, clicks on it, and makes a purchase – just like that, and the transaction is done. However, there is more behind this success. Creating hyper-targeted ads could enable you to improve your Facebook conversion rate by 9-10%.
The ability to create targeted ads lies behind understanding your audience’s behavior and triggers. Stop wasting your budget on paid ads to see what sticks; with our help, you’ll achieve higher click-through rates that are more likely to lead to sales. Additionally, using Facebook Conversion API will enable you to collect relevant client information crucial in creating these hyper-targeted ads.
