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Originally Posted On: https://kaptiv8marketing.com/2021/10/missed-but-not-lost-the-importance-of-retargeting/

Missed connections. We’ve all had them. Craigslist has certainly seen its fair share of hopeful rekindlings. But what happens when it’s a brand that missed the connection?

When 97% of a website’s visitors don’t buy anything, how do you pivot your messaging and strategy to retarget these consumers? By undertaking a retargeting campaign, brands and companies can meet their hopeful consumers where they are moments, days, weeks, or even months after the fact. Here’s a rundown of what you need to know.

How does retargeting work?

Retargeting works like that old scarf you lost behind your dresser after wearing it once. You forgot about it for weeks, but then, as if pure luck, you find it again just in time! Except the scarf is online and it’s not luck, it’s a calculated marketing strategy.

The goal is to remind your website visitors about the products or services you offer if they leave without buying something. This happens by aggregating website data and then showing those same visitors ads for your brand when they’re browsing other websites. A novel concept all of us are familiar with at this point.

Retargeting campaigns could be done with the help of Google Ads, Facebook retargeting, LinkedIn Ads, and other retargeting advertising platforms. Today, brands and their marketers use retargeting as a vital tool to connect with their customers and increase their sales and customer loyalty.

So what makes a good retargeting campaign?

To effectively optimize a retargeting ad, the advertisement should include certain elements to attract the reader:

• An engaging headline: A bit self-explanatory, but an effective headline that piques your potential customers’ interest is crucial to re-engage them.
• Relevant, visually appealing media: Including an animation or a static image on your display ad helps draw the eye, but make sure the visual is relevant to the offer showcased in the ad copy.
• A click-worthy CTA button: This should be designed in a contrasting color and have actionable, personalized copy on it. (e.g. “Click and get 20% off”)
• Actionable copy: Display ads are meant to be brief, and you have much less copy than normal to explain the offer. Ad copy that gets to the point quickly and offers visitors an incentive will likely produce more clicks.

When should you use retargeting campaigns?

Retargeting is meant to be a long-term marketing strategy for businesses that already have a following. If your website gets at least 100 monthly visitors, Google remarketing ads are definitely for you.

• Promoting your top products: retargeting ads are a simple, effective way to showcase your top-selling products. Promoting items your current customers love can even help convert visitors into purchasers.
• Introducing new collections: people who are interested in your brand and visit your site are a great audience to target when you’re launching a new product collection. Your retargeting ads will catch their eye wherever they go online, creating a clear path back to your store so they can check out what’s new.
• Moving inventory: If you’re an online seller, you’ve probably dealt with slow-moving inventory before. Retargeting ads are a low-budget, low-effort way to showcase surplus products from your store to potential customers.
• Building brand awareness: Most people need to feel they know you before they decide to buy your product or service, and retargeting ads keep your brand top of mind for potential customers who aren’t ready to purchase when they first visit your site.

Never lose out on a customer again

With our fast-paced digital marketplace, it is pretty much impossible to convert all your customers the first time they visit your website. Retargeting campaigns help ensure that no connection is lost forever. By strategically reminding your potential customers across different websites, your conversion rates will increase greatly. Take notes, Craigslist.