One of the first things I learned in my Marketing 321 class was that the most important skill in marketing and advertising isn’t creativity – it’s adaptability. Back then, I thought they were just trying to scare us, but it turns out it was the best piece of advice I received in college.
The marketing and advertising landscape is constantly evolving, forcing advertisers to adapt along with it. That’s been especially true following the release of Apple’s long-awaited iOS Privacy Updates to meet the rising demand for a privacy-respected browsing experience.
If Meta is currently included in your marketing plan, you may be struggling with limited ad personalization and performance reporting. You’re not alone. Meta is presently working to combat these signal losses while still respecting user privacy, with one solution that should be top of mind – the Conversions API, more commonly referred to as CAPI.
What Exactly Is the Conversions API (CAPI)?
CAPI, previously known as Server-Side API (SSAPI), is Meta’s answer to recent changes to how advertisers receive and process conversion events through first and third-party cookies. In addition to Apple’s recent changes, Google announced its plan to phase out cookies by 2023 completely. Advertisers heavily rely on these cookies to optimize ad targeting, decrease cost per action, and measure results on Meta.
With the loss in signal, CAPI is meant to provide and preserve data in unforeseen circumstances where the pixel may drop. It sends signal data from the website’s server instead of browser-based cookies. Many refer to this tracking as “server-side,” allowing for more accurate tracking. While they are aiming to preserve data, they also want users to know their privacy will be respected and more secure – it’s not simply a back door to new policies.
For advertisers specifically, there are a number of benefits to implementing CAPI by the end of 2022. It goes without saying the data is valuable, but it is more than that. CAPI allows more opportunity with event tracking, which will increase the number of custom conversion events. This means better optimizations for deep funnel events, better retargeting, and stronger insights. All are crucial pieces to a successful Meta marketing strategy, and all are at risk without the implementation of CAPI.
There are three ways to implement CAPI, all with varying time commitments, costs, and requirements.
- CAPI Gateway: Establish a connection between your website and an Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud-based server that shares data with Meta. This does not require a developer as it is code-free, with no extra cost outside of AWS costs.
- Partner Integration: Over 50 partners support CAPI. Cost and labor vary by partner.
- Direction Integration: Take full control of the setup, and customize as you would like. This setup can take weeks but is no extra cost unless an outside developer is needed.
For more information on how to implement CAPI, please visit Meta’s Developer Blog.
The Benefits of Implementing CAPI
For a long time, we have heard of this ominous, cookie-less future and have been told to prepare. For the most part, advertisers have taken the “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” approach with the pixel, knowing the need for action wasn’t very high. That’s no longer the case as advertisers continue to struggle to rely solely on the pixel. Advertisers who have implemented CAPI have seen a lift in incremental purchases, sales lift, reach, and attributed purchases. See how other advertisers have found success. For example, Dodo Australia saw 23% more online sales when using both the Conversions API and the Facebook pixel.
“With so much data loss from iOS and the upcoming shift away from cookies, CAPI will be critical to an advertiser’s success on the Meta platform. Since these setups can be rather complex, it’s best to get started ASAP. Start with your most important events, then expand from there. The capabilities and benefits of CAPI go well beyond just conversion tracking!”
JumpFly Social Media Director, Stephanie Shaw
We can’t ignore that integrating CAPI can be difficult to understand and time-consuming, but in the end, it’s worth it. So don’t get stuck in the cookie-driven past. Contact your agency or developers and start the conversation about integrating the Conversions API today.
