Retargeting
Retargeting (also called remarketing) is a digital advertising strategy that shows ads to people who have previously visited your website or interacted with your brand. It helps re-engage potential customers who didn't convert on their first visit.
How retargeting works
Pixel placement: Install tracking pixels on your websiteUser tracking: Track visitors and their behavior on your siteAudience creation: Build audiences based on specific actionsAd delivery: Show targeted ads to these audiences across the webConversion tracking: Measure how many retargeted users convertOptimization: Continuously improve ad performanceTypes of retargeting
Website retargeting: Target visitors who browsed your websiteEmail retargeting: Target people who opened your emailsVideo retargeting: Target people who watched your videosApp retargeting: Target users who downloaded your appSearch retargeting: Target people who searched for your keywordsSocial media retargeting: Target people who engaged with your social contentCross-device retargeting: Target users across multiple devicesRetargeting platforms
Google Ads: Display and YouTube retargetingFacebook Ads: Facebook and Instagram retargetingLinkedIn Ads: B2B focused retargetingTwitter Ads: Twitter retargeting campaignsPinterest Ads: Pinterest retargetingTikTok Ads: TikTok retargetingProgrammatic platforms: Third-party retargeting networksRetargeting audience types
All website visitors: Broad audience of all site visitorsProduct page viewers: People who viewed specific productsCart abandoners: People who added items to cart but didn't buyCheckout abandoners: People who started checkout but didn't completeEmail subscribers: People who signed up for your newsletterVideo viewers: People who watched your videosHigh-value visitors: People who spent significant time on your siteRetargeting best practices
Segment audiences: Create specific audiences for different campaignsUse frequency capping: Limit how often someone sees your adsCreate compelling offers: Use discounts or incentives to encourage conversionA/B test creative: Test different ad formats and messagesOptimize timing: Show ads at the right time for your audienceCross-platform strategy: Use multiple platforms for better reachMeasure attribution: Track the full customer journeyRetargeting ad formats
Display ads: Banner ads on websites and appsVideo ads: Video content on YouTube and social platformsDynamic ads: Automatically generated product adsCarousel ads: Multiple images or products in one adCollection ads: Showcase multiple products or contentLead ads: Forms directly within the adApp install ads: Promote app downloadsMeasuring retargeting success
Click-through rate (CTR): Percentage of people who click your adsConversion rate: Percentage who complete desired actionsCost per acquisition (CPA): Cost to acquire one customerReturn on ad spend (ROAS): Revenue generated per dollar spentAttribution: Understanding which touchpoints led to conversionLift studies: Measuring incremental impact of retargetingCustomer lifetime value: Long-term value of retargeted customersCommon retargeting mistakes
Showing ads too frequently: Annoying users with too many adsPoor audience segmentation: Not creating specific enough audiencesIrrelevant creative: Showing ads that don't match user interestsNo frequency capping: Bombarding users with the same adIgnoring mobile: Not optimizing for mobile devicesNo testing: Not A/B testing different approachesShort campaign duration: Not giving campaigns enough time to performRetargeting vs other strategies
Retargeting vs Prospecting: Retargeting targets warm audiences, prospecting targets coldRetargeting vs Lookalike: Retargeting uses your data, lookalike finds similar peopleRetargeting vs Brand Awareness: Retargeting drives conversions, brand awareness builds recognitionRetargeting vs Search: Retargeting is display-based, search is keyword-basedPrivacy considerations
GDPR compliance: Follow European data protection regulationsCCPA compliance: Follow California consumer privacy lawsCookie policies: Clearly communicate tracking practicesOpt-out options: Provide ways for users to opt outData retention: Follow platform data retention policiesTransparency: Be clear about how you use customer dataAdvanced retargeting strategies
Sequential retargeting: Show different ads in a specific orderCross-sell retargeting: Promote complementary productsUpsell retargeting: Promote higher-value productsWin-back campaigns: Re-engage lapsed customersSeasonal retargeting: Adjust campaigns for holidays and seasonsEvent-based retargeting: Target based on specific events or behaviors
