Pixel

In the context of social media, a pixel is a unit of measurement used to quantify the space on the screen where advertising content is displayed. On platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, pixels are essential for optimizing the performance of ads and tracking their effectiveness. Simply put, a pixel is a small piece of code placed on an advertiser's website. This code collects data on user interactions with advertising content, such as website visits, conversions, purchases, and other events relevant to the advertising campaign. The pixel is also used to track user behavior after interacting with an ad on social media, allowing advertisers to measure the return on investment (ROI) of their campaigns.

Besides tracking ad performance, pixels are also used to create custom audiences. By collecting data on user behavior, advertisers can segment their audience and display specific ads to groups of users with similar characteristics. This helps to improve the relevance of the ads and increase the likelihood of users taking a desired action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a website.

An example of a pixel in the context of social media is the Facebook pixel. This tool allows advertisers to track user behavior after interacting with an ad on Facebook, such as visiting the advertiser's website, making a purchase, or completing a registration form.

To use the Facebook pixel, an advertiser needs to create a Facebook Business Manager account and then generate the pixel code in the events section of their ad account. Once the pixel code is generated, the advertiser must place it on their company's website, on all pages where they wish to track user behavior.

Once the pixel is installed on the website, it begins to collect data on user interactions with the site's content. For example, if a user clicks on an ad on Facebook and then visits various pages on the website before making a purchase, the Facebook pixel records all those interactions.

With the data collected by the pixel, advertisers can track the performance of their ads, such as the number of conversions and ROI. They can also use the pixel to create custom audiences and display specific ads to groups of users with similar characteristics, helping to increase the relevance of the ads and improve their effectiveness.

The Marketing Glossary is a compendium of all the most commonly used terminology in sales strategy. Many of the concepts listed here are used when implementing a CRM system or a digital sales funnel, no matter if they are legacy systems or an online CRM. See also our blog that deals with sales techniques, marketing and sales culture.