When you’ve invested significant time and effort into growing your brand, retargeting can be the most effective way to boost your lead generation efforts, especially in the B2B space.

Retargeting is really just a fancy way to restate a fundamental practice of marketing automation. It’s a system where you’re able to try, test, analyze and keep pushing your message to your previous visitors or getting them to visit your website back again.

This article will explain what retargeting is and how it works, as well as give tips on how to use it effectively in your marketing strategy!

What Is Retargeting?

Retargeting is a digital marketing tactic that uses the tools of behavioral advertising to reach potential customers who have previously visited your website.

Retargeting works by showing ads to people who have already been on your site, or at least on a similar site. This is done with cookies, tiny files stored on users’ computers that allow you to retarget them when they visit advertising networks or social media platforms.

The idea behind retargeting is that you can reach out to people who have shown interest in what you offer, but maybe haven’t converted into a customer yet. By showing them ads for products or services that align with their interests, you can increase the chances of them making a purchase from you in the future.

How Does It Work?

The process of retargeting is a little bit more complicated than just showing a user an ad on Facebook. The first step is identifying who the user is and then creating a cookie that will follow them around the web and anywhere else they go online. That cookie is then paired with ads that are shown to that person based on their behavior.

It’s good for marketers because it allows them to show ads to people who were once interested in their web content or products and services, but haven’t made a purchase yet. It also helps them reach people who may not yet have been exposed to their brand.

Here’s how it works:

Step 1: You use code that finds someone who has visited your website and add them to your list of potential customers.

Step 2: You create an ad campaign where you show these people ads across different channels such as Google AdWords, Facebook Ads, Instagram Ads, and more.

Step 3: When those people visit other websites, they’re shown your ad again and may decide to take action. This is a great way to get people back on your website and helps you build a list of prospective customers for future campaigns.

The best part? It can all be done through an automated process, without you having to do anything!

Each of these platforms have their own code that you can paste into your site’s HTML and it will do the tracking for you. Plus, you can even upload your own data into the platforms such as email list subscribers, that will help the platforms find your visitors and re-engage them with your personalized message or ads.

Benefits of Retargeting in Digital Marketing

The ability to target specific audience segments is one of the benefits of retargeting. You can display your ads to people who have already visited your website and may be interested in your products or services.

The benefits of retargeting include:

1. Increase conversion rates: Retargeting allows you to reach potential customers at critical moments when they’re more likely to convert. For example, if someone visits your product page but doesn’t purchase immediately, you can show them a follow-up marketing for your product, days later, when they’re browsing similar products on another site (or even in their social media feed). This increases the chance that they’ll buy from you again.
2. Leverage existing traffic: Your existing traffic will continue to see your ads across multiple sites long after they’ve left your site — including where they might have forgotten about you! This means that even if someone has already visited your site and decided not to buy, they might be more likely to reconsider if they see your ad retargeting again. This is especially true if they’re in the market for a similar product or have changed their mind since their previous visit.
3. Encourage social sharing: Specific and relevant behavioral targeting can be linked to external websites including social media platforms, which means that people who click on them will see the page you specify in their browser. This allows you to build your brand’s presence on social media platforms while also encouraging visitors to share your content with their friends.
4. Include a clear call to action: The purpose of your retargeting campaign is to get people to do something. Whether it’s buying your product or visiting your website, you need to make sure that the text on your audience retargeting is personalized and clearly states what you want them to do. This can be as simple as asking them if they’re interested in a product or directing them straight to a landing page where they can purchase it. Make sure to amplify and repurpose your content so as to make the process easier and more effective.

Types of Omni-Channel Retargeting

There are several types of retargeting technologies available today, each with its own pros and cons. Which one you choose depends on your budget and the type of product or service you’re selling.

Here are four of the most popular retargeting methods:

#1. Site Retargeting

Site retargeting is the practice of showing ads to people who have visited your website. The ads are shown to these users on other websites and in-app environments.

Site retargeting is a type of retargeting that focuses on bringing people back to your site. It can be used for any business, but it’s particularly useful for e-commerce companies and businesses with an online presence.

This is a form of remarketing, which means that when you’re browsing the web, you’ll see ads that are tailored to what you’ve been looking at in the past. Ensure you adhere to the marketing 7Ps and the 3P principles of marketing when engaging in similar personalized targeting efforts.

For example: If you’ve looked at a product on Amazon and then visit another website, you’ll see an ad for that item on that website as well.

How Can Site Retargeting Be Done Effectively?

This can be done in two ways:

1. Showing ads to people who have visited a specific page on your website
2. Showing ads to people who have visited your website from a specific source (for example, from Google or Facebook)

The first option is usually done through remarketing lists for search ads (RLSA) and custom audiences for display network ads. The second one is typically done through dynamic creative optimization solutions that use machine learning algorithms to predict which creative variations will work best for each visitor based on their past actions on site.

Moreover, to effectively use site retargeting here are some key considerations:

1. Identify your target audience: Who are you trying to reach with your retargeting campaigns? Consider demographics, interests, and other factors to help you narrow down your target audience.
2. Create relevant and compelling ad copy: Make sure your ad copy speaks to the needs and interests of your target audience and includes strong calls to action.
3. Use the right ad placements: Choose ad placements that are likely to be seen by your target audience. For example, if you’re targeting tech-savvy users, you might choose to place your ads on websites that cater to that audience.
4. Use tracking and analytics tools: Use tools like Google Analytics to track the performance of your retargeting campaigns. Look at metrics such as click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), and conversion rate to see what’s working and what’s not.
5. Make the required changes: Based on the performance of your campaigns, modify your targeting, ad copy, and other elements to optimize your campaigns for better results.

#2. Search Engine Retargeting

Search engine retargeting is a marketing strategy that allows advertisers to reach potential customers who have previously visited their website. The process involves placing cookies on the browser of visitors to your website, and then showing ads for your products or services when they are searching for similar products or services.

By doing this, you can increase the chances of turning casual visitors into prospective customers.

How Does Search Engine Retargeting Work?

The first step in search engine retargeting is to create an audience of people who have visited your website. This can be done by installing a tracking pixel on your site, which allows you to create an anonymous cookie that stores information about each visitor’s visit. Once you have created this audience, it will be used to trigger ads whenever they perform a search using Google or other search engines.

The third step is to track the results of your campaign, which will help you determine whether or not this strategy is effective for your business. You can do this by using a conversion pixel on each page where someone lands after clicking an ad, as well as through Google Analytics.

The fourth and final step is to repeat this process until you’re satisfied with the results. If you find that it’s not working for your business, try using different varying out your retargeting campaigns.

For example, if someone searches for “running shoes” on Google, a cookie will be placed on their device. If an advertiser is running a search engine retargeting campaign for running shoes, they can show targeted ads for their running shoes to the user on other websites that they visit.

How Can Search Engine Retargeting Be Done Effectively?

Search engine retargeting can be effective for advertisers because it allows them to show ads to people who have already demonstrated an interest in their product or service. It can also be a cost-effective way to reach potential customers, because advertisers only pay when someone clicks on their ad.

Search engine retargeting can be an effective way for advertisers to reach potential customers who have already demonstrated an interest in their product or service. Here are some tips for making search engine retargeting campaigns effective:

1. Target your ads to the right audience: Make sure that your retargeting campaigns are targeted to the right people. Use demographics, interests, and other targeting options to reach the right people.
2. Use relevant and compelling ad copy: Create ad copy that speaks to the needs and interests of your target audience. Use strong calls to action and make sure that your ads stand out.
3. Track the performance of your campaigns: Use analytics and tracking tools to see how your campaigns are performing. Look at metrics such as click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), and conversion rate to see what’s working and what’s not.
4. Make adjustments as needed: Based on the performance of your campaigns, make adjustments to your targeting, ad copy, and other elements to optimize your campaigns for better results.
5. Follow best practices for online advertising: Make sure that your campaigns are compliant with relevant laws and regulations, and follow best practices for online advertising to ensure that your campaigns are effective and ethical.

#3. Email Retargeting

Email retargeting is a method to reach out to users who have abandoned the shopping cart. You can display ads on various channels such as social media, search engines, and mobile devices. The most important thing about email retargeting is that it helps you increase the conversion rate by targeting the right audience.

Email marketing has become one of the most effective ways to reach out to potential customers who have already shown interest in your product or service by visiting your website or landing page. With email retargeting, you can create campaigns that target people who have already visited your site but did not make any purchases.

You can also add to this process by showing them ads on various channels such as social media, search engines, and mobile apps so they will be tempted to come back and complete the purchase process.

How Can Email Retargeting Be Used?

There are a few different ways that you can use email remarketing to reach out to potential customers:

1. Retargeting website visitors: If someone visits your website but doesn’t take any action (such as making a purchase), you can use email remarketing to send them targeted emails based on the pages they visited or the products they viewed.
2. Increasing customer loyalty: By sending personalized product recommendations and other relevant content, you can use email remarketing to build customer loyalty and encourage repeat purchases.
3. Promoting special offers and discounts: Email remarketing can be a powerful way to promote special offers and discounts to people who have previously shown an interest in your products or services.
4. Upselling and cross-selling: If someone has purchased from you in the past, you can use email remarketing to suggest related or complementary products that they might be interested in.
5. Re-engaging inactive subscribers: If someone hasn’t interacted with your emails in a while, you can use email remarketing to try and re-engage them and get them to take action. This could be as simple as sending a newsletter or as targeted as offering a discount on a specific product they have previously shown interest in.

To be effective, email remarketing campaigns should be personalized and relevant to the recipient. It’s also important to make sure that you are following all relevant laws and regulations, such as the CAN-SPAM Act in the United States, which sets out rules for commercial email communications.

Related Reads:

• Legalities that Marketers in the US need to be aware of
• How the GDPR affects your marketing campaign

#4. Social Media Retargeting

Social media retargeting is a form of online advertising that allows you to show targeted ads to people who have previously visited your website or interacted with your business on social media. This is done by placing a tracking pixel on your website or using the API of a social media platform (such as Facebook) to collect data on user behavior.

Once you have collected this data, you can use it to create targeted ads that will be shown to users as they browse social media platforms. For example, if someone has visited your website and added an item to their shopping cart but didn’t complete the purchase, you can use social media retargeting to show them an ad for that product with a special offer or discount.

Pixels and Tags In Social Media Retargeting

As mentioned above, Social Media Retargeting makes use of pixels. But what are pixels here?

In the context of social media retargeting, pixels are small pieces of code that are placed on a website or landing page. When someone visits the page, the pixel is triggered and it sends information about the visitor’s actions back to the advertiser. This information is then used to create targeted ads that are shown to the visitor on social media platforms.

The various social media platforms have their own pixels that they use for retargeting the appropriate audience. All pixels are similar to the one I described above, but they are specific to the particular advertising platform.

A great example is Facebook pixel.

A Facebook pixel is a piece of code that you can place on your website or landing page to track visitor actions. When someone visits your page and takes an action (such as making a purchase), the pixel sends information about that action back to Facebook. This information can be used to create targeted ads on Facebook.

For example, if you run an online store and you want to show ads to people who have visited your store, you can use a Facebook pixel to track those visits and create an audience of people who have expressed an interest in your products. You can then create ads that are targeted specifically to that audience, which can be more effective than showing the same ads to everyone.

Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media pixels work in a similar way, but they are specific to those advertising platform. They allow advertisers to track actions on their website and use that information to create targeted ads on the respective social media platforms.

How Can Social Media Retargeting Be Done Efficiently?

There are many social media platforms that offer retargeting as a way for advertisers to show ads to people who have expressed an interest in their products or services.

As discussed above, these platforms all have their own advertising systems and use different types of pixels and other tracking technologies to collect data on their users and show targeted ads.

To tie all of this together, advertisers can use marketing automation tools or ad management platforms that allow them to manage and track their ad campaigns across multiple social media platforms. These tools can help advertisers create and target ads, track their performance, and optimize their campaigns for better results.

For example, an advertiser might use a marketing automation platform to create a retargeting campaign on Facebook and Twitter. The platform would help the advertiser create the ads, set up the targeting, and track the results of the campaign. The platform could also help the advertiser see how their ads are performing on both platforms and make adjustments to optimize their campaigns. This can be a more efficient way to manage and track multiple social media ad campaigns, rather than managing them separately on each platform.

How to Effectively Use Retargeting In Your Marketing Strategy?

A lot of ecommerce businesses use retargeting to increase their sales. It’s a good strategy, as it increases your audience’s familiarity with your brand.

In any case, remember that your marketing should be geared towards the long-game:

1. Make Your PPC Campaigns Work for You: The first thing you need to do is make sure that your PPC ads are working as intended. If they aren’t, there’s no point in using them for retargeting purposes! Ensure you have set them up to landing pages, instead of just regular blog articles. Ensure the PPC ads are not placed on non-relevant blog articles.
2. Choose The Right Audience: One of the most important things when it comes to retargeting, is choosing the right audience for your ads. If you target the wrong people, they will click on your ads but they won’t buy anything from you. That’s why you need to choose an audience that fits your ideal customer profile well. The right business intelligence tools and market research software can help you in this process.
3. Use The Right Ad Copy And Images: You should also pay attention to the ad copy and images when creating your retargeting campaigns. These elements are very important because they influence whether or not people will click on an ad or not (or even convert into customers). So try different things and see which ones work best for your business!
4. Your Website Design should be Conversion-friendly: If you are getting your old visitors back to your website, you need to ensure your web-design is done right. Ensure you have these 33 conversion rate destroying features removed from your web design elements.

Setting Up a Retargeting Campaign

The goal of retargeting is to get people who have visited your site back, so they can complete their purchase or help you in some way.

A retargeting campaign is a type of online advertising that allows advertisers to show ads to people who have previously expressed an interest in their products or services. Retargeting campaigns can be set up on a variety of platforms, including social media, search engines, and other websites.

Here’s how a retargeting campaign might be set up:

1. Identify your target audience: Who are you trying to reach with your retargeting campaigns? Consider demographics, interests, and other factors to help you narrow down your target audience.
2. Place a code or tag on your website: A code (also known as a “tag”) is a small piece of code that you can place on your website. When someone visits your website, the code is triggered and it sends information about the visitor’s actions back to the advertiser. This information is used to create targeted ads that are shown to the visitor on other websites or platforms.
3. Set up your retargeting campaign: Once you have placed the pixel on your website, you can set up your retargeting campaign on the platform of your choice (such as Facebook, Twitter, or Google). Follow the platform’s instructions for setting up a retargeting campaign.
4. Create your ads: Use the platform’s ad creation tools to create ads that are relevant and compelling to your target audience. Make sure to include strong calls to action and use relevant images and copy.
5. Set your targeting options: Use the platform’s targeting options to make sure that your ads are being shown to the right people. For example, you might choose to target people who have visited a specific page on your website, or people who have shown an interest in a particular product or service.
6. Launch your campaign: Once you have set up your campaign and created your ads, you can launch your retargeting campaign. The platform will start showing your ads to the people you have targeted.
7. Track your results: Use the platform’s analytics and tracking tools to see how your retargeting campaign is performing. Look at metrics such as click-through rate (CTR), cost per click (CPC), and conversion rate to see what’s working and what’s not. Make adjustments to your targeting, ad copy, and other elements as needed to optimize your campaign for better results.

Drawbacks Of Retargeting

Retargeting is a great way to reach potential customers who have shown interest in your products or services. It’s an effective form of digital marketing and can lead to increased revenue if done correctly.

In digital marketing, it can be an effective way for advertisers to reach potential customers who have previously expressed an interest in their products or services. However, like any form of advertising, retargeting does have some drawbacks that advertisers should be aware of.

Some of the major drawbacks of retargeting include:

1. Privacy concerns: Some people may be uncomfortable with the idea of being tracked online and seeing targeted ads as a result. This can lead to concerns about privacy and the potential for misuse of personal information. To address these concerns, it’s important for advertisers to be transparent about their data collection practices and to follow relevant laws and regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union, the Information Technology Act in India and the CAN-SPAM Act in the US etc.
2. Ad fatigue: If people see the same ad repeatedly, they may become “ad fatigued” and start to ignore it. This can make retargeting less effective over time. To avoid ad fatigue, advertisers should try to vary their ad creatives and messaging and consider using frequency caps to limit the number of times an ad is shown to the same person.
3. Cost: Retargeting can at times be more expensive than other types of advertising, especially if you are targeting a specific and narrow audience. Advertisers should carefully consider their budget and make sure that their retargeting campaigns are delivering a good return on investment.

Overall, while retargeting can be an effective way to reach potential customers, it’s important for advertisers to carefully consider the drawbacks and decide whether it is the right strategy for their business.

Wrapping It Up

Retargeting is a cornerstone of digital marketing that shouldn’t be overlooked by any marketer. When done correctly, retargeting can make up a significant part of your marketing budget and are well worth it when you see the results.

Hope that this article takes you one step closer to creating your retargeting campaign and seeing optimized conversion rates!

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Author Bio: Isha Mudgal is part of WinSavvy’s editorial team. She hails from a tech background and writes predominantly on marketing and tech. Follow her on LinkedIn.