Facebook Introduces Cross-Device Reporting For Ads

It’s a cross-platform world — how many devices did you use to check the Internet today? — and Facebook aims to measure it better. The social giant announced today that it is giving advertisers the ability to track conversions for people who interact with ads on mobile apps and websites.

Facebook notes that a new Altimeter Group white paper that it commissioned shows more than 60% of U.S. online adults use at least two devices daily and that more than 40% start an activity — such as shopping — on one device and complete it on another.

The new feature — powered by data from the Facebook SDK (software development kit) for apps and the Facebook Conversion Pixel — will enable advertisers to track that behavior closely and better understand how customers are reacting to their campaigns.

Facebook explained in a blog post:

Imagine seeing an ad for a product on your mobile phone while in line at the bank. Do you immediately make a purchase on your phone? Probably not. But perhaps you go back to your office later that day and buy on your desktop computer. Such cross-device conversions are becoming increasingly common as people move between their phones, tablets and desktop computers to interact with businesses.

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. For instance, a marketer can view the number of customers that clicked an ad on an iPhone but then later converted on desktop, or the number of people that saw an ad on desktop but then converted on an Android tablet.

Advertisers can view cross-device conversions for campaigns, in Facebook Ad Reports, by clicking Edit Columns, and selecting Cross-Device on the left-hand menu.