Facebook Announces Cross-Platform Ad Metrics

Facebook announced yesterday that it will be easier than ever for advertisers to keep track of their ads. A new multi-device tracking feature will allow companies to see when consumers interact with their ad for the first time and when the conversion occurs. Facebook explained the change by saying that, “Facebook already offers targeting, delivery and conversion measurement across devices. With the new cross-device report, advertisers are now able to view the devices on which people see ads and the devices on which conversions subsequently occur.”

The practical example given was that if someone sees an ad for the first time on their iPhone on-the-go and then they decide to purchase the product once they are back at work, the new cross device reporting will help the advertiser see the full ad lifecycle with each customer on all devices. This occurs via the Facebook ad platform and requires, according to an official Facebook video, “ just a little bit of html” on a website to interact with Facebook. When the conversion happens, the code will automatically extract the ad metrics and send them to Facebook. The hope from the Facebook side is more precise advertisement tracking will make their ad platform more attractive to advertisers. To measure the usefulness of this ad platform feature leading up to its release, Facebook conducted a study in the U.S. Between May 15 and July 25, of those who showed interest in a mobile Facebook ad, 32% of them converted on a desktop within 28 days.

This innovation is yet another method by which Facebook effectively leverages its 1.31 billion users to advertisers. An ever-developing system of metrics makes Facebook a hotspot for companies who want to spend ad dollars in a manner that can be tracked and quantified. As Josh McFarland, a CEO of one of Facebook’s Preferred Marketing Partners said, “This new reporting from Facebook has been a game-changer in our ability to help clients.”