Knowing how users move through our sales funnel is critical, especially when your ad campaigns aren’t delivering the results you desire. This is where TikTok Pixel steps in to provide a solution. As advertisers, understanding the customer journey and making data-driven decisions is the key to success in the digital marketing landscape. So, when do you really need Pixel TikTok? Let’s start to optimize TikTok ads right here!
Table of Contents
What is TikTok Pixel?
TikTok Pixel is an HTML code snippet that allows businesses to measure the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns by tracking user behavior on their website or app. By tracking user behavior, TikTok Pixel can provide valuable insights into how users interact with a business’s website or app, including what pages they visit, what products they view, and what actions they take. All data recorded will be saved in your TikTok Ads Manager account, which means you can effortlessly monitor and analyze which specific ads are most effective in driving sales and achieving your marketing goals.
Overall, the insight provided by TikTok Pixel will help you refine your advertising strategy, ensuring your ad spend is optimized for maximum returns. It essentially provides a clear roadmap to understand what works best for your campaigns.
Why should you use TikTok Pixel?
Using TikTok Pixel can provide several significant benefits for businesses and advertisers:
- Conversion Tracking
Installing TikTok Pixel on your website will allow you to see how people interact with your website after viewing or clicking on your ad. Most importantly, you can view when someone takes action, such as making a purchase, filling out a contact form, or engaging with content. The higher the rate users take action, the more successful your advertising campaign will be.
- Improved ad targeting
With TikTok Pixel, you will be able to optimize your ad campaigns to focus on users who are most likely to take action on your website. You can optimize for conversions, traffic, or engagement. This allows businesses to create more targeted ads that are more likely to convert.
- Create Custom Audiences for a Remarketing campaign
TikTok Pixel will help advertisers evaluate the quality of a campaign, build target audiences, and then use this data to prepare for remarketing.
- Attribution Modeling
Understand the customer journey better with TikTok Pixel’s attribution modeling. You can see which touchpoints contribute to conversions, helping you make informed decisions about your marketing strategy.
How does TikTok Pixel work?
TikTok Pixel works by placing a small piece of code on TikTok Shop, a business’s website or app. This Pixel then tracks user behavior and sends data back to TikTok, allowing businesses to track and analyze user behavior and measure the effectiveness of their advertising campaigns.
The collected pixel information includes:
- Timestamp: This information is used to identify when users take actions on the website, such as when the page was viewed, when the product was purchased, etc.
- IP Address: Information that helps identify the geographic area the user is located.
- Device Information: The pixel code can identify device models, operating systems, and browser information.
How to set up TikTok Pixel?
TikTok Pixel can only be created in Ad Manager. If you do not have an account, create it first with 6 basic steps. This is what TikTok Ad Manager looks like.
Remember, start these steps before creating a Conversion campaign for better tracking. Then, follow these guidelines step-by-step.
Step 1: Set up events
Click “Events” on the Assets tab. You’ll then be prompted to choose whether you want to create a Pixel for your website or app. Click “Manage” on Web Events tab.
Step 2: Create Pixels
After choosing, click “Create Pixel”.
With Web Events, you need to fulfill:
- Fill in your Pixel Name: You should name the pixel according to the conversion intent. The maximum length for a Pixel name is 128 characters, including spaces. Mega Digital recommends the pixel name corresponds to the website or domain name.
- Choose Connection Method: Click TikTok Pixel, then Next.
How to create TikTok Pixel
To create and install TikTok Pixel on your website, you’ll need to copy the Pixel code and paste it into the header of your website’s HTML code. If you have an app, you can use a software development kit (SDK) to install the Pixel. There are two methods you can use when setting up TikTok pixel:
- Manually Install Pixel Code
- Automatically Set Up via Partner Platforms
Note: You can always return and select another method to set up more events under this pixel ID.
Manual Setup
This is the most straightforward way to install TikTok Pixel. If you choose to create Pixel manually in the previous step, you will get an HTML code.
- Click “Copy pixel code”.
- Paste the copied code into the Head tag (starting with <head> and ending with </head>) in the code section of the web page. The following example will make it easier for you to visualize:
<!---Example___>
<!DOCTYPE html >
<head>
"INSERT TIKTOK PIXEL CODE HERE"
</head>
</html>Note:
- Paste the code only once.
- It’s advisable to use just one pixel for each website because using multiple pixels can complicate website management, potentially causing slower page loading times.
Partner Setup
Choose “Automatically set up web events via Partner Platforms” when you set up web events.
There are also some Tag and Customer Data Platform partners, but Google Tag Manager and Shopify are the most widely used. The following steps will guide you on installing via these 2 platforms.
Google Tag Manager
Step 1:
Select “Google Tag Manager” then Next.
Step 2:
- Click “Connect” to start linking to your Google Tag Manager account.
- Select Account > Container > Workspace > Next
After you fill in all the details in the blank, the installation has been finished.
Shopify
Step 1: Type TikTok into the search bar in the Shopify app store
Step 2: Select the official TikTok app by TikTok Inc.
Step 3: Add the app > Add sales channel > Set up now
Step 4: Connect your TikTok For Business account
Step 5: Connect your TikTok Ads account
Step 6: Create a new pixel by clicking the Create Pixel button or selecting an existing pixel to connect to
3 advanced features of TikTok Pixel
Advanced Matching
Advanced Matching refers to a feature that allows you to enhance the data collected by your TikTok Pixel by matching it with customer information shared on your website. It’s a tool to improve data accuracy by associating user actions with their identifiable information, like email addresses and phone numbers. This helps in more precise ad targeting, tracking, and measurement, ultimately leading to more effective advertising campaigns.
Parameters
Parameters refer to specific details or attributes you can set to define and collect specific information about user interactions with your website. These parameters help TikTok Pixel to track and measure various events and actions taken by users. Some common parameters you can define include content ID, value, currency, search strings, etc.
Cookies Enablement
Enabling cookies generally involves toggling on the option to “allow first-party cookies” for your website and TikTok Pixel. This action permits the pixel to set and access cookies as users interact with your site. These cookies play a crucial role in helping TikTok understand user behavior, optimize ad campaigns, and provide a more relevant experience to users.
Frequently-asked questions (FAQs) about TikTok Pixel
How to add a new event with a different setup?
Two types of examples that most common advertisers are struggling to
- You previously set up an “Add to Cart” event using Event Builder.
- You wish to add a new event, Complete Payment, through a custom code.
Solution: Insert the “Complete Payment” event code into your website as you usually would.
How to change the existing events setup?
An example describes this situation:
- You previously set up an “Add to Cart” event using Event Builder.
- You wish to code it instead.
Solution:
1. Using Event Builder, clear all rules under the “Add to Cart” event
2. Insert the “Add to Cart” event code into your website as you normally would.
3. Due to the delay in pixel SDK cache update, you may need to wait up to 12 hours for the new event to show up.
How to add a new partner setup?
Example: You are using a Shopify-integrated pixel, and you wish to also integrate with BigCommerce.
Solution: There are 2 solutions for your issue:
Option 1:
1. Navigate to your pixel in Events Manager.
2. Click “Add Events” and select TikTok Pixel or Events API.
3. Select to connect with a partner (in this example, BigCommerce)
4. Continue with the onscreen instructions until finished.
Option 2:
1. Go to the partner platform you want to connect with (in this example, BigCommerce).
2. Under your settings, connect your TikTok for Business account and then your TikTok Pixel.
Are there any troubleshooting issues when setting up TikTok pixel?
While setting up TikTok Pixel can be relatively straightforward, there are some common issues that may arise. Here are some tips for troubleshooting common issues with TikTok Pixel setup:
- Pixel not firing: If your Pixel isn’t firing, it may be due to incorrect installation of the Pixel code. Make sure you’ve correctly installed the Pixel code in the header of your website’s HTML code or integrated the SDK for your app. You can use the TikTok Pixel Helper to check if your Pixel is firing correctly.
- Incorrect event tracking: If you do not see data for certain events or the data doesn’t seem accurate, it may be due to incorrect event tracking. Make sure you’ve correctly added the event code to the relevant pages on your website or app. You can also check the event codes in the TikTok Pixel Helper to ensure they’re firing correctly.
- Custom conversions not working: If your custom conversions aren’t working, it may be due to incorrect event tracking or incorrect configuration of the custom conversion. Make sure you’ve correctly added the event code to the relevant pages and configured the custom conversion in the TikTok Ads Manager.
- Delayed data: If you’re seeing delayed data in your TikTok Ads Manager, it may be due to slow loading times on your website or app. Make sure your website or app is optimized for fast loading times to ensure accurate data tracking.
- Pixel conflicts: If you’re using multiple tracking tools on your websites or apps, such as Google Analytics or Facebook Pixel, there may be conflicts that prevent TikTok Pixel from tracking data correctly. Make sure you’ve correctly configured all tracking tools and avoid using conflicting tags or codes.
If you’re still experiencing issues with TikTok Pixel setup, you can consult the Help Center and Community Forum or reach out to their support team for further assistance.
How to optimize TikTok Pixel for better tracking?
Optimizing TikTok Pixel for better tracking involves fine-tuning its settings and configurations to ensure accurate data collection and more effective tracking of user interactions on your website. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to optimizefor improved tracking:
Install TikTok Pixel Correctly:
- Install TikTok Pixel Correctly: Ensure that you’ve correctly implemented the TikTok Pixel code on all relevant pages of your website. Use the TikTok Pixel Helper browser extension or the Event Manager in your TikTok Ads Manager account to verify the installation.
- Set Up Standard and Custom Events:
- Define the standard events you want to track, such as “PageView,” “AddToCart,” and “Purchase.”
- Implement custom events to track specific actions that matter to your business, like sign-ups, video views, or other conversions unique to your website.
- Verify Event Tracking:
- After setting up events, thoroughly test them to ensure they are firing correctly when users take the intended actions on your website. Use the Pixel Helper or Event Manager for verification.
- Enable Enhanced Match:
- TikTok’s Enhanced Match feature can help improve tracking accuracy. It allows TikTok to match website events to TikTok users more effectively. Ensure Enhanced Match is enabled in your Pixel settings.
- Set Conversion Value Parameters:
- Configure the conversion value parameters within your Pixel settings to assign a specific value to each conversion event. This helps in tracking the monetary value generated by your campaigns.
- Define Conversion Events for Campaigns:
- In TikTok Ads Manager, specify which Pixel events should be counted as conversions for each of your ad campaigns. This tells TikTok to optimize for these actions.
- Use Dynamic Ads:
- Consider using dynamic ads that automatically adjust content and targeting based on user interactions with your website. Dynamic ads can help you achieve better tracking and personalization. But remember, this ad type needs to have access to TikTok Ads Agency account, so better to connect trusted TikTok Partner – Mega Digital to own one!
Final Word
Using TikTok Pixel may be difficult the first time, but it’s certainly a worthy tool that helps to track your ads campaign efficiency on the website. Mega Digital suggests advertisers combine TikTok Pixel with TikTok Ads for e-commerce to boost and maximize your sales potential. There is much more about TikTok ads you haven’t heard about, so why don’t you save our ‘TikTok ads 101’ ebook right now for a full walkthrough of how to set up an ad campaign!
