by adminCharities and nonprofits are continuously looking at ways to optimise their online presence and digital fundraising efforts. One powerful tool that can help is the Facebook Conversion API (CAPI).
Charities can use the Facebook Conversion API to send important data from their website straight to Facebook.
Client-side tracking:
Client-side tracking refers to the method of collecting and processing data on the client side, which means within the user’s browser or device.
When it comes to Facebook, client-side tracking is associated with the Facebook Pixel. The Facebook Pixel is a snippet of code provided by Facebook that advertisers embed on their websites. It allows Facebook to track users’ actions on the site after they click on a Facebook ad. When a user visits a website with the Facebook Pixel installed, the pixel code executes in the user’s browser.
The data collected by the Facebook Pixel is then sent back to Facebook’s servers, providing valuable insights for advertisers to measure.
However, In the last few years, the strength of the Facebook pixel has declined. Mainly due to iOS 14 privacy features, ad blockers and lots more, eventually most browsers will fully block third-party cookies making the Facebook pixel useless.
Server-side tracking:
Server-side tracking refers to a method of collecting and processing data on the server side rather than on the client side (user’s browser). Server-side tracking with the Facebook pixel, involves sending the data directly to Facebook servers from the web server hosting the website.
The Facebook CAPI will track conversions, optimize campaigns, and create custom audiences instead of relying solely on the Facebook Pixel within the user’s browser.
How to implement the Facebook Conversion API
Firstly, there are various ways to implement the CAPI, both free and paid. The key is to understand the method that best suits your needs.
While there is a WordPress CAPI plugin solution available, it’s worth noting that based on reviews, it has only received a 1-star rating. If you have used it, we would love to hear your feedback.
Our first recommendation is setting up Facebook CAPI via Google Tag Manager, which is certainly worth investigating and allows any kind of customisation. However, it does require a strong technical knowledge of Google Tag Manager.
Facebook, along with many experts, recommends configuring Facebook CAPI using Amazon web servers, but this option comes with an approximate cost of €100 per month.
Our top recommendation however is Stape. They offer two subscription plans, both of which come with a 7-day free trial for the Facebook CAPI.
- Pay as You Go: $10/month or $100 annually for each Pixel.
- Unlimited: $100/month or $1000 annually for an unlimited number of Pixels.
Conclusion
Keep in mind that Facebook’s platform is continuously evolving.
For the moment you do not need to set up the Facebook CAPI in order to advertise on Facebook. In fact, Facebook recommend that if you are spending more than €3000 per month, then the Facebook CAPI is the ideal solution for your charity.