Retargeting ads are a form of online advertising that are served to people who have already visited your website or are a contact in your database.
If you are unfamiliar with retargeting, this post will provide a basic overview of how it works, how it can be used to support your marketing goals, and present an example of a Facebook Ad retargeting campaign.
How Retargeting Campaigns Work
Retargeting can be pixel-based or list-based. Each ad platform has different advantages depending on what your campaign goals are. They also work in slightly different ways.
Pixel-Based Retargeting
This type of retargeting involves placing a pixel on your site that anonymously track users as they browse the web. This data is then used to show these users ads for your brand as they visit other sites.
This is probably the most common type of retargeting. When a person visits your website, a small piece of code (known as a pixel) is placed on their browser. This code (or “cookie”) allows advertising platforms to serve specific ads to that person based on the pages they visited on your website.
List-Based Retargeting
Retargeting people who are already on your contact list can be done by using a list-based system.
Retargeting ads can also be shown to people based on lists of your existing contacts. If you want to retarget someone who has visited your website, you can upload a list of their email addresses to a retargeting campaign. This will allow the platform to identify the users on that network and serve retargeting ads to them.
Retargeting Ad Goals
Now we will focus on goals, knowing the background of how retargeting works and what different types of audiences you can segment by. There are two main types of retargeting campaigns: those for awareness and those for conversion.
To generate awareness.
You can use awareness campaigns to remind website visitors about relevant products, features, or announcements. These ads are usually served to pixel-based lists.
To drive conversions.
The point of a conversion goal is to get people to engage with your ad by clicking on it and taking some sort of action, such as filling out a form on a landing page. Conversion campaigns are best used to align a specific list with a clear next step in the customer journey, and can be measured with typical conversion metrics like website clicks, form submission, and cost-per-lead (CPL).
To complete the buyer’s journey.
Retargeting can be used to bring qualified leads to the end of the buyer’s journey. You could use retargeting to send a list of contacts who have downloaded an ebook an invite to sign up for a free trial of your product. If potential customers see that your tool can help them reach their goals, they may be more likely to pay for it.
To increase customer lifetime value (CLTV).
This text is discussing customer lifetime value, which is the total amount of money that a customer will spend at a business over the course of their relationship with that business. Retargeting is a way to remind customers of your brand and encourage them to continue making purchases. The more purchases they make, the higher their CLTV.
To reduce cart abandonment.
Cart abandonment is when a customer starts to checkout on your website, but doesn’t complete the process and leaves instead. Retargeting helps you bring customers who have abandoned their shopping carts back, and serves as a reminder that the item they were interested in is still available to buy.
To introduce new products.
If you are able to track when customers visit your website, make a purchase, or express interest in your business, retargeting can be helpful in showing them new products that align with their interests. The ads will direct customers back to your website where they can purchase your new product.
Retargeting Platforms
The platform or service you use for retargeting can have a big impact on how well your campaigns do. In other words, good retargeting is about finding the right people to show your ads to, and making sure those ads are relevant to what those people are interested in.
The right messaging is key to success, and using retargeting tools can help to ensure that you are reaching the right people in the right place.
It can be difficult to determine which retargeting platforms and services are best for your business and market. In order to improve your retargeting efforts, let’s look at some of the most important tools available to you.
RETARGETING ON THE GOOGLE DISPLAY NETWORK
If you want to be successful with Google Ads, you need to be running retargeting ads on the Google Display Network.
The Google Display Network reaches over 2 million websites and apps. You can also run video ads on YouTube that target people who have visited your website in the past. This means that you have the ability to advertise to over 10% of internet users.
To create a retargeting campaign on Google Display Network, you need to add the Google retargeting tag to your website, create some ads, and set up your campaign.
You can tailor your AdWords campaign specifically for people who have already visited your site by using remarketing lists for search ads.
This article does not cover RLSA campaigns, but we have used them to increase sales by 129%. If you are running paid search ads, RLSA campaigns are worth investigating. You can learn more about how to make the most of RLSAs by reading this article .
It’s so easy to set up a retargeting campaign on Google Ads that you’d be missing out if you didn’t run retargeting ads on the GDN. This method might not provide the largest possible audience, but it will certainly create positive results.
RETARGETING ON FACEBOOK
Facebook can be used for retargeting similar to the way Google is used. There are 1.8 billion active daily users on Facebook, which makes it a great platform to advertise on if you want to reach a wide audience.
Not only can you use Facebook’s platform to run ads on Instagram, Facebook also owns Instagram.
You can set up a retargeting campaign on Facebook by adding a pixel to your site, building a few ads, and creating a campaign.
Retargeting on Facebook isn’t as effective as retargeting on the Google Display Network. Your ads on Facebook are competing with many distractions. If you get most of your website traffic from the Facebook or Instagram mobile apps, you will have less ability to track and retarget those visitors.
Although Facebook is a great tool for staying on someone’s radar, it is not as good for getting someone to buy something immediately. Do not anticipate that the clicks you receive from this platform will be as relevant as the clicks you receive from other platforms.
RETARGETING ON TWITTER
Twitter’s retargeting platform is similar to Facebook’s in how it functions.
Retargeting ads on Twitter are not as effective as retargeting ads on either Google or Facebook. Twitter’s feed is more distracting than Facebook’s.
It’s usually a smart move to install the Twitter pixel on your website and start to cultivate your audience. Having said that, I would only use retargeting as a tool for Twitter campaigns that are extremely crucial and where you need to make sure as many people see it as possible, rather than concentrating on getting a good return on investment.
RETARGETING ON PINTEREST
If your business is suitable, you may want to try retargeting on Pinterest.
While Pinterest offers a great way to reach new customers, you face many of the same challenges as you do with retargeting on Twitter.
Some people spend a lot of time on Pinterest, while others hardly use it at all. The more people use Pinterest, the more difficult it becomes to capture their attention with ads because there are more pins and ideas competing for their attention.
Although Pinterest’s ad platform has been successful in driving awareness and traffic to brands, the company does not see the platform as a conversion tool. Retargeting on Pinterest is difficult because most people use the platform for awareness rather than sales.
Retargeting Services
You can set up retargeting directly on any of three platforms, but an actual retargeting service may improve your results. Services that give you access to more sites and streamline your retargeting campaigns are available.
ADROLL
AdRoll is a retargeting company that is one of the biggest in terms of size. Although they might not have the lowest price, they are chosen by some of the most famous companies.
AdRoll provides access to 98% of the websites on the internet through their partnerships with Google, Facebook, Yahoo, and Microsoft. They also give you a lot of options to target specific ads to potential customers.
AdRoll’s service is easy to use and according to their site, their clients make $10 for every $1 spent on AdRoll. No wonder they are one of the biggest players in display advertising.
CRITEO
Both AdRoll and Criteo have large inventories of websites that can be targeted. The service is easy to set up and offers strong templates.
All-in-all, Criteo is a solid remarketing service. However, it’s also a fairly unexciting remarketing service.
Although Criteo’s marketing implies that they assist in creating customized remarketing journeys, their approach is primarily based on a recency algorithm. The people who have visited your site recently are at the bottom of your funnel.
Criteo has their own tracking pixel that is easy to set up and implement, but can cause some real issues with tracking and attribution.
Criteo does not have any features that make it a better option than the others.
STEELHOUSE
Steelhouse is a company that is new to the area of remarketing, however it uses The Trade Desk platform which allows for some unique bidding strategies that cannot be found on other similar platforms that are based off of Google, such as AdRoll.
Steelhouse has some powerful audience-building tools that you won’t find with some other services. If your business relies on finding new ways to target an audience, Steelhouse may be a good option to explore.
Steelhouse provides a variety of templates that can be used to create ads, particularly dynamic ads. If you have a complex remarketing strategy, these templates can help you save time by creating specific, attention-grabbing ads.
PERFECT AUDIENCE
If you are looking for a simplier option, Perfect Audience may be a good choice for you. Adding one piece of code to your site, creating a few lists of visitor types you want to target, and adding some ads is all you have to do. Perfect Audience will take care of the rest.
There are no setup or maintenance fees for Perfect Audience, making it ideal for small businesses.
Perfect Audience may not be the right choice for you if you want more than just basic control over your ad placements and settings. If you’re looking for a way to retarget without investing too much time or money, Perfect Audience is worth checking out.
RETARGETER
ReTargeter is a new retargeting service that offers many options such as Facebook retargeting and search retargeting. Although ReTargeter can be effective, it may not be the best option if your site doesn’t receive a lot of traffic. The service is better suited for sites with 30,000+ unique users per month.
However, if you have enough website traffic and can afford the $1,500 minimum monthly fee, ReTargeter can be a great option. ReTargeter provides access to a large number of sites and customization options, especially if you want to target people using their search engine or email address.
There are several other retargeting services available, but one of these companies should be a good fit for your business. When it comes to retargeting services, you usually get what you pay for. Therefore, when choosing a service, it is mostly a matter of finding a balance between what you can afford and getting the options you need.
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