Social Ads (Retargeting)
Social ads retargeting is a digital marketing strategy that re-engages people who previously visited your website or interacted with your brand on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok but left without converting.
What is Social Media Retargeting?
It is an online advertising method designed to target previous visitors by displaying ads or sending emails. This can recapture potential leads or customers who left a site without converting or acting. When those individuals later check their social media accounts, their attention is drawn back to the ad for the product they were just looking at. The average person spends an average of 145 minutes on social media each day, creating opportunities to reach your target audiences and business goals with a social media retargeting campaign.
Retargeting gets website visitors who didn't convert back to your site by showing them relevant ads. Learn how to develop a retargeting strategy. If you run a small business and sell stuff online, you know advertising plays a critical role in driving people to your website. But what if they aren’t ready to buy when they first find your store? Or if they get distracted before they complete a purchase?
How Social Media Retargeting Works
Social media retargeting works by collecting data on a consumer’s web activity – such as where they go, how long they spend there, and when they visit – usually using cookies or a piece of JavaScript called a pixel or tag.
The pixels can indicate whether a user has made a purchase or converted. The pixels also can collect data to tailor your ads to resonate more with a user’s previous interactions. Companies then use that data to run targeted ads to that consumer on the right device at the right time.
To add, social media retargeting can work in conjunction with other retargeting efforts such as display, paid search, and email outreach. After a consumer browses your site, social media retargeting reminds them of products and sites they visited while they are using social media platforms like Facebook or LinkedIn. The ad may also offer a promotion or other incentive for the consumer to return and complete their purchase.
What is an example of retargeting?
Before you can begin creating your own remarketing ads, it is important to familiarize yourself with how retargeting marketing works.
An example of retargeting marketing might include sending a follow-up email to a subscribed customer who has recently purchased on your online store. Another form of retargeting marketing includes using social media, such as Facebook ads, to retarget users who have previously visited your website or viewed products on your eCommerce store.
Retargeting campaigns are useful to help with moving outdated inventory, introduce new products or services, or even offer exclusive offers and discounts to those who have previously purchased from you.
How many types of retargeting ads are there?
Fortunately for those who are involved with digital marketing today, there are virtually endless types of retargeting ads available, with your own creativity and imagination being the only limitation.
Whether you are interested in launching email marketing and Google ads or if you are thinking of using social media platforms for retargeting purposes, you have many different opportunities when it comes to retargeting marketing.
Some of the most common types of retargeting ads used today include:
Segmented users in sales funnels
Target users based on the type of products or pages they have viewed using a direct sales funnel. You can also use direct sales funnels to gain valuable insight into the type of information or products visitors are searching for while browsing your site or eCommerce store.
Building brand awareness
Retargeting allows companies to connect with potential customers over and over again. Customers sometimes need time to decide to buy something. It takes 9 to 13 “touches,” or audience engagements, to make an impression on your consumer. Retargeting ensures brand visibility when they are ready to make it a purchase.
Buyer persona
Targeting specific buyer personas is one of the most popular methods of retargeting marketing, regardless of the market you intend to reach. Targeting specific demographics based on age, gender, location, interests, and even previous online purchases can help with honing in on an audience with a genuine interest in your own brand.
Cross-channel marketing
If you want to connect with users across numerous social media platforms and websites they frequent simultaneously, you can do so with cross-channel marketing tactics in your next retargeting marketing campaign. Cross-channel marketing is extremely beneficial for brand visibility and for boosting brand awareness across a variety of websites and social platforms.
Social media custom audiences
Social media provides excellent tools for managing and launching retargeting ads, especially with Facebook custom audiences. Facebook custom audiences provide the ability to upload logs of contact information and emails to include within any campaign(s) launched using the platform.
Increasing conversions
Retargeting reminds them of the items they were looking at and suggests other purchasing options they may not have been aware of before. It increases the number of times a customer sees your product and can make your brand top of mind when evaluating other options, making it easier to entice them to buy.
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When should you use retargeting campaigns?
Use retargeting to re-engage shoppers and bring them back to your shop. Retargeting works best when you already have some traffic coming to your website. Think of it as your second chance to make a sale with visitors who showed interest but didn't buy the first time around.
The more traffic you have, the bigger your audience becomes for these campaigns. Here's when you can use an online advertising retargeting campaign to serve ads or deliver emails to those who have already shown an interest in your business:
Promoting bestsellers
Your top-selling products are popular for a reason — existing customers want them. Retargeting ads let you put these crowd-pleasers front and center for visitors who browsed but didn't buy. When you showcase items your current customers already love with retargeting display ads, you're essentially providing social proof to hesitant shoppers.
Building brand awareness
Most people won't buy from you on their first visit — they need to feel like they know you first. Retargeting keeps your brand visible while potential customers think things over, research alternatives, or wait for the right moment to purchase. Every time they see your ad on another site, you're building familiarity and trust.
Introducing new collections
Your existing website visitors are already interested in what you offer, making them perfect candidates for new product launches. These people know your brand and trust your quality, so they're more likely to check out fresh arrivals. Your retargeting campaigns will follow them around the web, creating multiple opportunities to catch their attention when they're in a buying mood. You can set this up through Google Ads (formerly Google Adwords) display campaigns or Facebook retargeting to cast a wide net.
Recovering abandoned carts
Shopping cart abandonment happens to every online store— people add items they want, then get distracted by a phone call, lose interest, or decide to think it over. These visitors were just moments away from completing a purchase, making them the best candidates for retargeting. You can create specific ads featuring the exact products they left behind, sometimes with a small discount to sweeten the deal. This approach often sees high conversion rates since you're targeting people who already showed clear buying intent.
Moving inventory
Every online seller deals with slow-moving stock at some point. Instead of letting products sit there collecting digital dust, retargeting ads offer a budget-friendly way to give them new life. You can target people who viewed similar items or browsed your sale section, putting your surplus inventory in front of shoppers who might actually want it. It's much cheaper than broad advertising and more effective than hoping random visitors will stumble across these products.
Measuring Your Success
To track the success of your campaigns, monitor KPIs such as Click Through Rate, Conversion Rate, Cost Per Click and Return on Ad Spend. Use analytic tools like Google Analytics, Facebook Ads Manager, or LinkedIn Campaign Manager to gather insights and optimize campaigns. This will allow you to measure your success and take steps to adjust when needed.