Implementing Facebook pixel using Google Tag Manager

30 July 2020

In the age of Big Data, it is important for online marketeers to make data-based decisions. The keyword here is: Data-Driven Marketing. 

Before data can be used to influence and, ideally, optimize online marketing, it must be collected accurately first. Without storing collected data, it is impossible for bidding strategies or machine learning algorithms to set the course for successful online marketing. The first step to realize Data-Driven Marketing on Facebook can be achieved with Google’s Tag Manager. 

Deployment of a Marketing Pixel: Facebook Pixel & Google Tag Manager  

The key benefit of the Google Tag Manager is that tags, such as the Facebook Marketing Pixel, can be integrated into a website without any kind of programming knowledge or skills. The process can be kept lean without the need to involve a web developer and can therefore be completed quickly. 

Besides having access to the Tag Manager itself, it is necessary to obtain the Facebook Marketing Pixel. The pixel can be taken directly from the Facebook Business Manager.  

Next, a custom HTML tag must be created in the Google Tag Manager, in which the Facebook pixel is inserted. In order to execute this tag – that means the script itself – we need a specific trigger rule for it. This rule is created via the trigger configuration. Since the Facebook tag should be executed on every page, the “All Pages” trigger can be used here. However, it is important to note that the user’s consent must always be given. If a Consent Management Tool is used for this purpose, it is vital to carefully consider at which point the pixel may be triggered.  

Before publishing the script, it is important to check and test that the implementation is correct. The Google Tag Manager switches to the so-called debug mode with a click on the preview button. If you now use the same browser to visit a website on which the Tag Manager container is implemented, you will see an overlay in the lower part of the screen. This overlay shows which tags are activated by which triggers as well as the specific points in time. Reloading the page is sufficient to activate the trigger that fires the Facebook pixel. If the tag is visible, the script has been successfully triggered.  

After the successful verification that everything has been set up correctly, there is only one last step that remains: the deployment. By clicking the button to publish, the most current version of the Tag Manager will be deployed so it can send conversions and other events to the Facebook Business Manager. This will be your first step towards Data-Driven Marketing. 

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