Retargeting
Retargeting is a digital marketing technique that serves paid media ads to users who previously visited your website or engaged with your social media but didn't convert. Because it targets users already familiar with your brand, retargeting typically delivers higher conversion rates than standard advertising.
Retargeting is a digital marketing technique that serves paid media ads to users who previously visited your website or engaged with your social media but didn't convert. Because it targets users already familiar with your brand, retargeting typically delivers higher conversion rates than standard advertising.
Why It Matters
Most website visitors don't convert on their first visit. Retargeting maintains brand presence by providing multiple touchpoints with these lapsed prospects, encouraging return visits and eventual conversion. A typical flow: a reader visits a blog post, leaves without converting, then sees a webinar ad from the same brand on Instagram Stories, registers, and ultimately requests a product demo. By focusing on users who've already shown interest, retargeting makes marketing budgets work harder.
How It Works
Pixel-based retargeting: A tracking pixel (JavaScript snippet) placed on your website sets a cookie in visitors' browsers. When those users browse other sites or social platforms, the ad network recognizes the cookie and serves targeted ads. Works instantly on anonymous visitors and is the most widely used method.
List-based retargeting: Upload existing email lists or contacts to ad platforms to serve ads to those specific users. Targeting is precise, but matching fails when users log into platforms with different email addresses.
Retargeting vs. Remarketing
The terms are often used interchangeably, but they differ. Retargeting primarily uses paid ads to re-engage visitors who left your site. Remarketing typically refers to re-engaging existing customers through owned channels like email. Google Ads calling its display retargeting "remarketing" blurred the line between the two.
Key Channels
Social media: Create custom audiences from website visitors on Facebook/Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok. LinkedIn is especially effective for B2B.
Display networks: Serve banner ads across millions of websites through Google Display Network.
Search retargeting: Target users who searched specific keywords, reaching people with relevant intent even if they never visited your site directly.
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