What is retargeting? This is a strategy in which you reapproach users who visited your website but did not convert, in order to convince them to make the conversion. It is often mistaken for remarketing, a similar but wider strategy. How does it work? What are the best strategies? Find it all out in this article!

What Is Retargeting? Definition

Retargeting is a marketing strategy focused on engaging with the users who visited your website or app, but failed to convert. It is a popular and effective strategy, since it targets those users, who have already demonstrated the commercial intent—their willingness to purchase your product, download your app, etc.

Retargeting can be divided into two types:

  • Static—pre-prepared based on the content that the user engaged with.
  • Dynamic—generated specifically for a given user and hyper-personalized.

Due to Google’s phasing out third-party cookies from Chrome, dynamic retargeting will become much more difficult to conduct, since you won’t have access to as much user data as before. Nevertheless, there are bound to be ways to play around it, though they won’t allow for such a high level of personalization as before.

Retargeting vs. Remarketing

The term remarketing is often used as a synonym for retargeting. However, in marketing, they mean two different things.

As per definition, retargeting is focused on users who have not converted—they aren’t your customers yet. Meanwhile, remarketing involves reengaging with users already within your network and might involve a wider range of community engagement strategies.

retargeting definition

How Does Retargeting Work?

We’ve defined retargeting, so let’s look at it from the practical point of view. How does it work? What channels should you utilize?

Retargeting via Ads

The first and most common digital retargeting approach involves using online ads. Google enables you to build whole campaigns specifically for this purpose, allowing you to retarget users easily.

Retargeting via Email and Social Media

This one is quite tricky—since retargeting involves users who are not yet customers, you likely do not have data such as email addresses or social media accounts to retarget your products, services or apps. However, there are instances where you do—for example, when the user set up an account in your store, but in the end, did not complete the purchase. In such scenarios, you should utilize channels like email and social media to reach out to the potential customer and convince them to complete the transaction.

Best Marketing Strategies for Successful Retargeting

So, what are the best practices regarding retargeting? We’ve prepared a short list of our tips, which will help you conduct this strategy successfully!

Use Maps to Visualize Client Data

A social mapping app can be a great aid to your retargeting campaign. You can use it to create a map where you visualize all the client touchpoints, which you can later elaborate on by filling each post with data. Thanks to this, you:

  • get a better understanding of user interactions with your website—you see what works and what doesn’t and you may extract insights on how to approach the users with your retargeting campaigns,
  • you have your data in an easily shareable format—you can send a link to your information to each stakeholder, and work together via comments on the map, ensuring swift collaboration even in remote teams.

Select the Best Time for Your Campaigns

Some products or services simply sell better on certain days or at particular hours. Remember about that and launch your campaigns in these time windows, when the likelihood of conversion is the highest.

Don’t Be Too Intrusive

If you try too hard (for instance, by displaying too many ads), you will likely discourage the users from returning to your website/app. Thus, don’t try to flood them with retargeting materials—send them occasionally, when the time is right.

The Takeaway

Knowing what retargeting is, you are ready to implement this strategy into your digital marketing efforts. Thanks to this, you will visibly increase your conversion rates, achieving better sales and improved customer engagement. Remember to try out YouMap—you won’t find a better tool to visualize your data!

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