Remarketing is essential to your digital marketing strategy.

Remarketing is essential to any business in the modern digital world. First-time visitors only convert 1-2% on average. Remarketing will increase your rate of conversions. Customers need a certain level of brand familiarity before they convert. This process can take time and a certain level of finesse. We are seasoned professionals who have used remarketing to take brands to new heights.

At its core, remarketing is a clever way to reach potential customers who are familiar with your brand but are not ready to make a purchase or utilize your services. By positioning ads in front of people who have visited your website or watched one of your videos on Facebook, for example, you increase the chances of conversion.

And since most customers do not make a purchase after the first time they view a product or service, remarketing should be an essential part of your digital marketing strategy.

Whether you’re a drop servicer, podiatrist, healthcare provider, or eCommerce wiz, no matter your industry you can use retargeting to your advantage.

Ready to book a free strategy session to discuss retargeting options? Fill out the form below to book an appointment:

Use Remarketing To Reach Your Target Audience

Audience targeting
Audience targeting

Here are a few advantages of retargeting:

  • Demographics – Tools like Google Analytics and Facebook audience insights give your business a window into your top-performing demographics. Demographic targeting is not intuitive. You need solid data on your customers in order to optimize digital marketing ad campaigns.
  • Email Lists – Do you have a newsletter or contact information for your clients, customers, or referrals? We can target them to help earn repeat business and target custom digital marketing ads to customers who we know are interested in your product or service.
  • Social media – We can use retargeting with Google, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks. The goal is to reach your customers in as many digital marketing platforms as possible.

Remarketing, why is it so important to a small business?

Google ads on a computer
Google ads are an important platform for retargeting

‘What is remarketing and how you can use it for your business’ are probably two frequently asked questions marketers ask themselves.

Let us break it down for you.

What does remarketing mean?

Many people have questions about retargeting. Remarketing involves targeting customers who have already viewed something on your site or demonstrated interest in your products.

It offers a means of re-engaging customers who might have been browsing quality content on your site but did not follow through with a conversion.

And by that, it doesn’t necessarily mean a “sale” on your end. Conversion could mean that they didn’t leave their email or subscribe to your list; follow you on social media; filled out a survey form; etc. You should take advantage of their shown interest in your brand and convince them to convert based on your digital strategy.

It’s important to think of retargeting in the proper context. If you’re looking to include retargeting into your healthcare digital marketing strategy, for instance, then you’re not interested in sales but rather new patients.

Why should you remarket?

Remarketing can be an excellent way to boost the relevance and personalization of ads. Knowing marketing techniques can help you better engage online customers and grow your business. According to eMarketer, 73% of US internet users who are at least 14 will buy something online this year.

Benefits of remarketing explained

Once you have identified your target audience, you can then display specialized ads that promote products or services they already viewed. These ads, therefore, will be highly personalized and promote items that people already showed an interest in, increasing their relevance.

Consider this: according to Adroll, typically only 2% of consumers will convert the first time they visit a website. This makes remarketing a valuable tool to entice customers to return and complete a conversion.

A statistic cited by CMO found that as many as a quarter of customers also report they enjoy retargeting ads. They appreciate them because the ads offer reminders of products and brands that the consumer had been interested in before. These ads, therefore, spark their interest more than standard ads, providing improved user experience.

With the increase in interest that remarketing ads provide, it becomes clear why this marketing strategy can be so effective. Kimberly-Clark reports that they see as much as 50%-60% higher conversion rates for those who receive retargeting ads.

Another similar study by Digital Remedy found that general ad response went up by as much as 400%. Meanwhile, ComScore reports that retargeted ads can increase the rate of branded search by as much as 1,046%.

Remarketing offers brands the tools they need to create improved ad experiences. They can tap into the interests of their customers and display the content they have the greatest interest in viewing.

Those who want to build a successful remarketing ad campaign should consider how steps found below can boost their success.

What Should you do to Become a Successful Remarketer?

Be a successful marketer
How to be a successful marketer

Tapping into the interests of online customers can increase engagement. According to research done by Adroit Digital, nearly 3/5 online buyers in the United States indicated they noticed the ads that appear for products they researched on other sites. This means engaging consumers through well-crafted retargeting ads catches the attention of consumers.

Despite this strong support, Digital Remedy reports that 46% of professionals who work with remarketing list search ads believe that remarketing is not leveraged by brands as often as it should. If you want to understand remarketing for your own campaign, here is what you need to know.

How to remarket effectively?

There are several types of remarketing that brands use to engage their customers online. To understand what is remarketing, social media professionals will need to consider these options.

Brands can select the ones that will work the best for their organization.

Here are some things to consider:

Do consumers really hate google ads?

The common misconception among many marketers is that consumers hate ads on websites. According to a recent report, 25.8% of users now use ad-blockers. And this figure is expected to increase. This high rate of usage seems to support the idea that people do not like Google ads or just ads in general. A recent study completed by Hubspot, however, has made a serious argument against this position.

This report found that customers do not mind ads all that much; they simply do not want to see irrelevant ads popping up on their browsers.

77% of people surveyed reported that they would prefer to use an ad-filtering program than a complete ad-block. Brands that can find creative ways to boost the relevance of the ads they present to customers can create a better user experience and engage more people.

Targeting People Who Previously Visited Your Website With Display Ads

Target previous website visitors
Target previous website visitors

One of the most common forms of remarketing includes ad displays for people who have already visited your site. Whether they’re reading your blog or checking out your services, retargeting is essential. These ads can appear in two main types of platforms.

Google Ads Remarketing

Those who set up remarketing campaigns through Google ads will have their retargeting Ads appear throughout the Google display network. Remember that Google Ads offers the largest platform for PPC, making it an excellent means of reaching millions of searchers throughout the country and around the world.

Social Media remarketing

You can also set up display ads on a number of social media platforms. Facebook and Twitter, for example, both offer their own ad display platforms.

Considering that Facebook reaches over a billion people around the world, this also provides a great platform for reaching prospects.

Email marketing

Email marketing
Email marketing

Email remarketing allows you to target people on your email list while they journey elsewhere through the digital ecosystem. You can create an Ad campaign specifically for those who open your emails.

Since people who open your emails already demonstrate their interest in what you have to offer, using email remarketing helps you keep your brand on their mind.

You know they have some interest in your products and services, which opens the door to bring them back to your website further down your sales funnel.

Google Search Ads

In addition to displaying ads on every website throughout the web for remarketing targets, you can also display ads on the search engines themselves.

For example, with Google remarketing ads, you will be able to target those who have visited your website and are searching for certain terms online. Between these two criteria, you can find potential customers who will be the most interested in learning more about your company with a high degree of accuracy.

Additionally, you can adjust your bids higher because there is a high degree of certainty they will come back to your website.

Retargeting with Google Search ads

Search retargeting offers a unique form of marketing. With this form, you can find customers who have searched for terms and looked at products that are similar to your own offerings, but they haven’t visited your website yet.

This form of retargeting allows you to broaden your reach. You will be able to specifically target those interested in your competitors. You can, therefore, let them know precisely why they should give your organization a try.

YouTube and Facebook Retargeting

YouTube retargeting
YouTube retargeting

Through Google, you can also serve display ads to people on YouTube. People who have visited your channel or your videos can be retargeted through ads while they browse elsewhere on the Google display network.

Similarly, you can retarget ads to your Facebook fans or those who engage with your content on the social media platform. That’s why having a robust business page with many fans on Facebook is helpful.

How to build a successful remarketing campaign, step by step.

If you now understand a bit about remarketing, here are 6 steps you can use to build an effective campaign.

Step 1. Determine which pages you want to tag and how to segment your campaign.

The first step in retargeting is deciding which pages you want to tag for the campaign. A quality remarketing campaign will identify high-value pages. These pages will offer the best indicators that visitors who land there will want to purchase.

When you select these pages, you want to closely analyze your sales funnel. The pages that people visit further through your sales funnel will likely provide more accurate indicators than those towards the top of the funnel.

Not only will customers who visited pages further through your sales funnel be more likely to respond to retargeting ads, but it will also be easier to identify the precise content that interests them.

Instead of showing general brand information, your retargeting ad could be content specific to what they sought on your website. It is also worth mentioning that good web design is necessary to maximize retargeting options. Consider hiring an expert if you need help in this area.

For example, brands may want to bid more on their shopping cart abandons or conversion pages that were interrupted. There might be people who had visited your page to get a free eBook, for example but clicked away before finishing the conversion form. These pages will likely provide more value than just targeting those who visited your homepage.

Coupons and special deals
Coupons and special deals

Step 2. Consider offering special coupons and deals for your retargeted consumers.

In your remarketing campaign, you will want to offer ads that help you to get to the core of why people abandoned your shopping cart or another conversion page. Coupons or special deals can be an excellent way to bring those people back to your page.

Coupons and deals specific to those who had already visited certain product pages will be enticing. Remember the example that JCPenny set for retailers everywhere.

The department store decided to abandon regular sale items and instead offer their lowest possible price on products all the time. They saw their sales plummet. It was only when they raised prices and included regular sales that they were able to recover some of their customers.

People want to feel as though they have found special deals. Offering consumers who already visited your page special coupons will help convince them that they have found a special deal for your products. This will incline them to visit your page.

By monitoring the success of these campaigns, you will also be able to better understand what people respond to most. You will have a better idea of some of the causes of shopping cart abandonment by seeing which types of deals and coupons bring back the most customers. This may help you identify potential solutions to decrease your shopping cart abandonment rate.

Target audience
Ads can target anyone in your audience

Step 3. Consider how long you want to follow your past visitors with ads.

An important part of understanding what is remarketing is knowing your customers. You must carefully gauge the line between providing customers with personalized ads and annoying them by following them endlessly around the Internet.

Customers do not want to feel badgered or as though brands stalk them. These emotions can quickly turn a superior ad experience into a negative one, harming your brand’s reputation.

The correct duration for showing ads to your customers will depend upon your industry. Those who have a longer buying cycle might want to show ads for a longer period of time, while those with a faster cycle will not.

You also want to think about the number of times you want individuals to see your ads. If you promote a coupon that will only be valid for a few days, for example, you will want to show your ad at a high frequency for a short duration.

Determining the right number of times, as well as the correct length of time, might require some experimenting. During your first remarketing campaign, you want to make your best guess based on industry best practices and what you know about your sales cycle. Then, watch how people respond to your ads.

If you notice that the ad for the first week or two sees strong success, but then it drops off, which might provide you with a good indication that customers have become fatigued of your message. You will know that you need to consider redrafting your ad or shortening the length of time to target customers.

Ebooks
Ebooks are an excellent lead magnet

Step 4. Consider targeting your post-conversion customers with remarketing campaigns

Although many people who understand what is remarketing know the value of targeting those who drop out of the sales funnel, it can also be valuable for targeting those who have converted on your site. You will likely have two main groups of post-conversion customers.

  1. Those who converted in a non-monetary way, such as downloading an eBook or signing up for a rewards program.
  2. Those who made an actual purchase.

Both of these groups can benefit from a well-constructed remarketing campaign.

With the first group, you know these customers recognize your value. They have signed up to receive information from you. Continue to nurture that interest with your ads. You can remarket to them with information about other services and features your brand offers.

You might promote an upcoming webinar that fits their interests. You might also let them know about sales or deals you offer for first-time customers. Encourage them to come back to your website and continue to learn more about your organization.

With the second group, you can tap into their expressed interest in your company. They have already made a purchase, so let them know how much you care about them. You can offer returning-customer deals and alert them to new products you offer.

According to BIA Kelsey, 61% of SMBs report that returning customers are responsible for more than half of their revenue. Tap into this important source of growth with your remarketing campaign.

Keywords
Pick your keywords well

Step 5. Target broader keywords than you would normally

In traditional PPC wisdom, you likely do not build many of your ad campaigns around broad search terms. After all, you do not want to waste money on high numbers of clicks for irrelevant traffic. Instead, you want to use precise terms that will boost your chances to bring only your targeted audience to the page.

To understand what is remarketing, you must also know how it differs from regular PPC. When you run a remarketing campaign, you have the opportunity to expand your reach. Since the only people who will see your ad will be those who have already expressed an interest in your brand, you can be more confident in your traffic.

Someone on a remarketing list has already indicated their interest in your industry. This means that the likelihood is greater than their broad searches do pertain to you. You can, therefore, create campaigns that target these terms.

Doing so can help you control costs. It will also allow you to maximize the power of your remarketing campaign by reaching as many former site visitors as possible.

Retargeting success
You will find success with retargeting

Step 6. Monitor your campaigns and make adjustments as needed.

As you better understand what is remarketing and activate your campaigns, carefully monitor each aspect to see what performs well and what needs some adjustments.

Look at your response rates. See how many people click on the ad. This will let you know how well your ad copy entices those who had already visited important pages on your website. If you have a low click-through rate, you might want to consider adjusting what you promote. For example, some brands will find that free shipping promotions perform better than deals for 10-15% off.

You also want to look at how your ads track over time. Decreases in interest after the first few runs might indicate that your ad copy becomes stale or, as already discussed, that you follow customers for too long after their visit to your site.

Try and change up the copy after a certain duration to see if you can re-establish your higher rates. If not, you might want to consider shortening the amount of time you display your ad to past visitors.

Finally, look at how people behave once they reach your site. Look at how well they engage with your content and their rate of completing conversions. You want to see how well your ad copy encouraged them to go ahead and make that purchase or finish that conversion that they had abandoned.

If you see a high click-through rate but you do not have the conversions to match, you want to look at the alignment between your ad, your customer, and your page. See if there might be other reasons that people do not want to convert on your page.

For example, your website layout and your shopping cart process might be difficult to navigate. Your customers might have questions during the final steps but be unable to reach you, and thus just abandon the page. You might also have substantially higher prices than competitors while offering customers no real reason why they should be willing to pay more for you.

Remarketing can be a valuable and productive means of enticing customers who have already expressed an interest in your business or products. Instead of trying to figure out who your most likely buyers will be based on what they search for or their social media demographics, you will be able to target people who specifically have already expressed an interest in your business.

Consider hiring a full-service digital marketing agency to help you incorporate this strategy into your next PPC campaign. See the lift that comes with knowing what is remarketing. 

Want an example of how Paton Digital can help your business? Check out our case study detailing how we built a digital marketing campaign for a client resulting in a whopping 72% completion rate on a landing page!

Ready to get started? Learn more about our free strategy session then fill out the form below or call/text us at 571-248-1983. We’ll be in touch shortly!

Request A Free Strategy Session