The value of social media is through the roof, but sometimes it is difficult to describe exactly why it is working. Facebook's new cross-device reporting will allow advertisers to gain an understanding as to which ads are converting customers off of which devices.

Tracking Matters

"Facebook notes that a new Altimeter Group white paper that it commissioned shows more than 60% of U.S. online adults use at least two devices daily and that more than 40% start an activity — such as shopping — on one device and complete it on another."

With that being said, it seems difficult to pin point exactly where your highest conversion rates are happening which can result in wasted money on paid advertising. Or your ad may attract people on mobile, but their actual purchase decision occurs on a desktop. This allows you to tailor your campaign to your audience and be visible when and where they are looking.

Read more on the importance of Facebook's new feature at Marketing Land.

How it Works

A snippet of code called a conversation pixel is placed in the campaign to make the tracking possible. You can get your reports for your paid campaign following the steps below.

• Click Facebook Ad Reports
• Click Edit Columns
• Select Cross-Device on the left-hand menu

It is as simple as that. Now you can gain a full understanding about the role of mobile in your social media advertising efforts. You can read more about the full process on Facebook. 

A Marketer's Thoughts 

We know why this is important and how it works, but what can a marketer do with this information?

"Tracking click and conversion data deterministically across devices has confirmed what we know to be true: mobile ads drive commerce everywhere. This new reporting from Facebook has been a game-changer in our ability to help clients like Neiman Marcus and Sur La Table correctly value and invest in their mobile ads efforts." Josh McFarland, Facebook Preferred Marketing Developer

" Facebook’s launch of cross-device tracking should strike at least a little fear in Google as it, at least on paper, looks to be a much more robust execution of what Google attempted with their “Estimated Conversions” release a little under a year ago, which still isn’t available outside of Adwords and hasn’t proven to be consistently reliable yet in our experience. Additionally, I give Facebook’s cross-device tracking a better chance of success given the fact that it’s happening on one centralized platform, whereas Google relies on authentication on Android phones, Chrome, and other products in a fragmented fashion." Dave Yoo, COO of 3Q Digital

McFarland and Yoo nailed it with their input. Not only can we show how Facebook converts new customers, but we can understand the importance of mobile devices in our campaigns. With the new featured that is unlike many other analytics, marketers everywhere can do what is best for their client and talk to their audience in the most tailored way possible.

For more information on marketing and social media, contact a Blue Archer professional.