Should I set up advertising pixels even if I have no immediate plans to run ads?

Yes, absolutely set up your advertising pixels right now, even with no plans to run ads yet. When you create an ads account on platforms like Facebook, you get a tracking pixel—a line of code you place on your website. This pixel tracks website visitors going back up to 180 days. So if you install it now, all the people who visit your website between now and the holiday season can be added to an audience and shown ads later. If you wait until you’re ready to run ads, you’ll be starting from scratch with zero historical data, which is very difficult. Think of it like an emergency supplies kit—you may not plan to use it, but having it gives you options and valuable data if you decide to advertise. It’s completely free to set up, so there’s no reason not to do it now.

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Asked by an artist not yet running ads · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2019-08-13