What is Facebook Attribution and Does it Work?

Did you know that 33% of digital advertising spending will be done on social media this year? Or that advertising funds spent on social media will top 134 billion this year?

Much of the advertisements we see are online in one way or another. This is no surprise, given that so much of our day-to-day lives involves technology.

However, many people do not know how to use advertising to its fullest extent and don’t know about things that could help them such as Facebook attribution.

If you’re one of these people, don’t worry. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about Facebook attribution and how to use it to its highest potential. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll be an expert when it comes to figuring out the best ways to optimize attribution for your business.

What Is Facebook Attribution?

When you post an advertisement on Facebook, the person who views the ad can interact with it in a variety of ways. If they watch the attached video (or view images), visit the website, or purchase a product, that action gets recorded. 

When they purchase a product, that’s considered a “conversion”, or an action that works to benefit your company. If your ad leads to a conversion, Facebook will credit (or attribute) the conversion to your ad.

Sharing, liking, or commenting on ads does not count towards Facebook attribution results.

This is important because it allows you to see how successful an ad campaign is, which gives you further insight into the advertisement choices that you make. 

Having the ability to see which of your ads earns credits gives you a unique insight into effective ways to catch people’s attention.

How Does the Facebook Attribution Model Work?

Different platforms use different attribution methods, but the Facebook Attribution Model works off of a method known as delayed attribution. This means that the credit for the sale goes to the first interaction with an ad, rather than the one just before the sale.

For example, someone might click on an ad and decide they aren’t going to buy it. Then, a few days later, they change their mind and buy it directly from the website. The sale is attributed to the time they clicked on the ad rather than when they went right to the website.

Delayed attribution lets people see a more complete picture. This means that they can see which ads draw more traffic and conversions to their website.

What Is the Attribution Window?

The attribution window is the number of days between when an advertisement was interacted with and when a purchase was made. The default Facebook attribution settings show when action is taken within one day of viewing the ad or within twenty-eight days of clicking on the ad.

However, anyone can change attribution settings for either viewing the ad or clicking on it. You can choose between one, seven, or twenty-eight days for either option. The ability to change both of these was only put into place in the last year.

Keep in mind that Facebook attribution is for the day the ad was interacted with, not the day that the purchase was made.

Is Facebook Attribution an Effective Tool?

Facebook attribution is one of the greatest tools there is when it comes to advertising. 

People who use social media to advertise face a very specific challenge. No one on social media is looking to buy things. They’re looking to catch up with friends or view funny posts, and many people can get annoyed by ads.

So to successfully advertise on Facebook, you need to build interest in something without trying to build intent to buy something. This means that your ads need to be varied and creative.

Facebook attribution is the best tool to help you see if those ads were successful. By being able to view what ads got credits, you’ll get a better look at the users you’re trying to target.

This will tell you which ads draw interest and engagement, which ads are pretty untouched, and which ads just need a bit of work to be perfect. It will also show you roughly how long it takes to build intent to buy out of interest in the product.

How Can I Use Facebook Attribution?

Knowing how to use Facebook attribution is a great way to avoid common mistakes made when advertising using social media. Seeing which of your advertisements get conversion credits lets you see which ads are truly effective.

Then, when you know which ads work, you can manage those ad campaigns to periodically run again. You can also look at failed ad campaigns to try and figure out how to rework them into successful ads.

Knowing where you’re going wrong and where you’re succeeding is an essential tool. By learning to use Facebook attribution correctly, you are ensuring that your work on social media will yield great results.

This will help you beat the challenge of advertising on social media.

Start Growing Your Business Today

Now that you’ve heard all about Facebook attribution, you know how to use it as an effective tool for your business. However, there’s more you could be doing.

If you’re interested in learning how to advertise effectively with us, why don’t you sign up for a free consultation?

We can show you exactly how to use your website and social media to its greatest potential. Contact us here to get started – your business will thank you!