Retargeting allows you to remind your customers of your brand after they’ve left your website without making any purchase. Retargeting campaigns give you the opportunity to let your audience reconsider your brand or the products or services you offer. It’s a vital marketing tool that enables marketers to connect with their audiences better, thereby increasing not only their sales but also customer loyalty.
What Is Retargeting?
Retargeting occurs when a visitor browses a website and that website puts a cookie on their computer. A cookie is a text file containing pieces of data that’s used to identify a user’s computer to give them access to more personal or customized website visits.
With the help of these cookies, websites are able to show users ads that are related to the pages that they’ve visited on the site.
Retargeting campaigns enable brands to target specific visitors using specific ads. Through retargeting, brands build visibility. These campaigns are effective because they show ads to customers who have already expressed interest in their product or service.
These retargeting ads can be shown across various devices and platforms not limited to social media, allowing marketers to reach out to their potential customers with a consistent message regardless of the channel used.
The Importance of Retargeting
Aside from building brand visibility through reminding customers of your products or services as they surf the web, retargeting campaigns can help improve your marketing funnel.
A marketing funnel exists to increase brand awareness and conversions. Retargeting campaigns give you the opportunity to create unique and personalized ads that speak to your potential customers, creating a more pleasant and relevant advertising experience along the way.
These ads will appear enticing to them, thereby increasing the likelihood of your brand getting higher click-through rates and more purchases.
One of the best practices in marketing is helping your customers decide about a purchase. Through retargeting campaigns, you’ll be able to put your brand in front of your customers, enabling them to see your retargeting ads. This makes your brand more recognizable to your audience through reinforcement and makes it easier for you to bring them back once they’re ready to make a purchase.
Retargeting vs. Remarketing
While both terms are often used interchangeably and have the same goals, such as targeting potential customers who have already expressed interest in your brand and building a lasting connection with them, retargeting and remarketing differ slightly in the methods employed to achieve these goals.
While retargeting uses cookies to show paid ads to customers after they’ve left your page, remarketing targets established customers and is used to collect contact information from any potential repeat customers among them to send them email campaigns.
When Should Retargeting Be Used?
Retargeting campaigns are versatile and can be used for various purposes:
- As a long-term strategy
Remarketing is a good marketing strategy for businesses that are already established or have a steady following. If your business already has hundreds of regular visitors, it’s a good idea to look into remarketing platforms such as Google remarketing ads.
- To promote new products
If you have new items, chances are you already have a potential audience for these among those who are already interested in your brand. Using retargeting ads will put your new products in front of this audience, inviting them to check out your new products. The same principle also applies to your bestsellers.
- To build brand awareness
Customers who are yet unfamiliar with your brand and what you offer need to know who you are and what you can do for them before they decide to make any purchase. You’ll become more visible to them through your retargeting ads, so they can keep you in mind for when they’re ready to make a purchase. This also helps with building brand awareness.
- To move inventory
A slow-moving inventory can often pose a dilemma to online sellers. By using retargeting campaigns, not only will you have access to a cost-effective method, but you’ll also be able to showcase your old inventory or surplus products to your potential customers.
While retargeting is an effective marketing tool, it should be complemented with other marketing campaigns. When utilized properly, these methods can lead to more conversions, better brand recognition, and a loyal customer base.
