The One That Got Away (And How to Win Them Back)
You know when you’re online shopping, see something you like, decide not to buy it and then it starts following you across the internet like a clingy ex? Yup, that’s retargeting.
Retargeting is an advertising strategy that targets users who have already interacted with your brand and, for some reason, not ended up purchasing (rude). It’s through strategic retargeting that you can increase your conversion rate by 147% because unlike your ex blowing up your phone at 2am, retargeting will actually deliver the results you want.
Want to implement retargeting that keeps your audience running back for more? Keep reading for everything you need to know about retargeting, best practices, and quick things you can put into action today.
Why Bother?
We know retargeting is about going after the ones that got away, but why exactly should you care about that when there’s so many fish in the sea? (last break up reference, promise).
Well, retargeting is extremely effective at pushing your audience through the sales funnel towards a conversion.
You’re targeting people that have already expressed interest in your brand and giving them the little nudge needed to finally move them from the consideration phase to a conversion.
But, conversions aren’t the only reason to do retargeting. Retargeting will:
Boost your brand awareness through the audience’s repeated exposure to your brand
Increase engagement rates since you’re engaging those already interested in your brand
Be more cost effective than targeting new people who have never heard of your brand.
So if you’re looking to get back out there and play the field, retargeting is the perfect wingman.
The Best and Worst Practices
✅ Do: Segment your audience
🚫 Don’t: Treat everyone the same
Segment your audience based on their behaviour (cart abandoners, product viewers, etc.) and tailor your ad variations specifically for each segment.
✅ Do: Refresh your ad creatives
🚫 Don’t: Run the same ad creatives for the entirety of the campaign
Using the same visuals for too long will give your audience ad fatigue. This leads to lower engagement, less conversions, and even annoyance and disinterest in your brand as a whole. When you review your metrics and notice engagement dropping, reduced conversions, and/or a higher cost-per-click, rotate your creatives to keep it fresh.
✅ Do: Set limits on your ad recurrence
🚫 Don’t: Spam your audience into oblivion
To prevent ad fatigue and ensure that your ads aren’t intrusive or annoying, set a frequency cap preventing your ads from being shown to the same people more than 2-4 times a week.
✅ Do: Exclude purchasers from your retargeting
🚫 Don’t: Keep selling your audience what they already purchased
These audience members have already converted. If you’d like them to continue to purchase and follow your brand, don’t continue to annoy them with something they already bought. Try suggesting another relevant product or just give them a break.
✨ Bonus: Quick Tips You Can Use Right Now ✨
Cart Abandoners 🛒
Target: Users that added items to their carts, but didn’t purchase.
Why It Works: They’ve shown high purchase intent and just need a little push.
Tip: Show ads featuring the products they left in their cart and include a sense of urgency with statements like “Limited Stock!” , “Only 3 left!”, or “Limited Time Only!”.
Website Browsers 💻
Target: User that spent 30 seconds or more on your website.
Why It Works: They’ve shown they’re interested enough in your brand to spend meaningful time on your website (yes, in ad world, 30+ seconds counts).
Tip: Show them an ad that reflects what they were looking at whether it was a blog, info page, etc. or a related offering (blog about long distance running shoes > shoes or gear product pages).
Social Media Engagers 📱
Target: Users that followed your brand or liked, commented, or saved your content on social media.
Why It Works: They’ve shown interest in your brand already and are more likely to convert.
Tip: Show ads featuring your most popular or fan favourite offerings.
Product Viewers 👀
Target: Users that visited specific product pages on your website, but didn’t purchase.
Why It Works: They’ve shown interest in specific products and need more information or incentive
Tip: Show dynamic ads featuring the products they were considering to remind them of their interest and include statements that highlight the benefits of the products, not just the features.
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