Using Retargeting Ads to Grow Your Business

A successful retargeting ad campaign can help redirect potential customers back to your website. Here’s what to avoid and how to set up your first campaign.

Retargeting is a key component of any successful campaign. Including it in your business advertising plan allows you to take customer engagement to the next level.

Even though site retargeting  is commonly used by many marketing teams, plenty of business owners don't use this technique -- because they don’t know how it works, or they doubt its effectiveness.

But to have an edge against your competitors, it’s important to invest time, energy, and resources into retargeting campaigns. Let’s take a closer look at what it’s all about, what you’ll gain, and how to set up a successful retargeting campaign.

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Overview: What is ad retargeting?

Retargeting is a highly-focused, direct, and effective approach to online advertising. Basically, it allows your brand, products, or services to magically appear in front of those who’ve already expressed some interest in your business.

Just as defining your target market helps direct your ads toward people who’re most likely to buy your products, the remarketing angle allows you to “chase after” those who’ve already explored your website.

For most businesses, only a small fraction of website traffic results in actual purchases. With retargeting ads, you’ll help bridge that gap between interest and investment.

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How ad retargeting works

There are two main forms of retargeting:

• Pixel-based: Targets ads on other sites after anonymous visitors stopped by your website. This is the most popular approach, helping pull in new customers for your business.
• List-based: Works on re-engaging customers and contacts already in your database. Although not as effective as the above approach, it’s still an important component of your marketing strategy. In the end, it helps keep your customers coming back for more.

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First, let’s look at a pixel-based example: A random person visits your website -- either through Google, a social media campaign, or after they read your Newsletter. Whatever the case, they are on your website.

But what happens if they leave your website before purchasing anything? All that effort, time, and money to get them there in the first place is lost.

But, with a solid retargeting campaign in place, the visitor’s cookies will be collected with no sensitive information -- meaning their name, address, or other identifying facts will remain hidden. In turn, a small line of code -- called a pixel -- is attached to their browser.

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Next, your visitor heads to another website, maybe in search of a similar product, or looking at something else entirely. Either way, your retargeted ad will appear somewhere on the sideline, or, with Facebook retargeting, right in their feed. The goal is to remind them that you still exist.

This process happens within a matter of seconds. And chances are, this person will see the ad, think about what they recently saw on your website, and the connection will be made -- it's a sign, your product is the one they need to buy. At least, that’s the goal.

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What to consider before starting an ad retargeting campaign

It’s important to understand the complexities of retargeting before getting started. Here are a few common mistakes that are important to avoid.

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Use new campaigns for converted users:

Let’s say you just bought a shirt from a clothing website. Less than a minute later, you’re on Facebook and an ad pops up for the exact shirt you just bought.

The best way to avoid this dilemma is to create fresh and unique ads for your converted users. This can involve showing different products on your site, a link to a sister site, or offering a coupon code for their next purchase.

The main point is to avoid wasting your advertising dollars by presenting things your customers have already purchased.

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Stick with one provider:

Countless retargeting services are out there to help. However, you’re bound to run into problems if you use multiple providers simultaneously.

Each provider will work hard to bid for spots on websites, often overlapping their efforts with other providers. This will drive up your advertising costs, and it’ll decrease your overall exposure.

If retargeting is new to you, it’s fine to check out different providers. But stick to one provider per ad campaign to enhance their efforts and to be more effective.

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Retarget with goals in mind

Understanding the full depths of retargeting can be a challenge. Instead, focus on one goal at a time, such as contacting those who've abandoned their carts. This way you can direct your entire retargeting ad with this goal in mind: to get people to complete their purchase.

From there, you can expand into new campaigns, such as approaching those who briefly visited your website without taking any actions.

The bottom line is to get those potential customers coming back and investing in your business. To learn more about Site Retargeting and how it can help your business, you can Contact Us here

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