Beginner’s Guide: How to Start Retargeting

It’s another Tuesday night after dinner and you’re scrolling through Amazon clicking on things you want but probably don’t need. Ultimately you decide to pass on all of the items you’ve already added to your cart and you close your laptop. We’ve all been there.

There’s nothing special about this interaction with the internet, but what’s amazing is what happens afterward. Next time you log onto Facebook you see a picture of those black shoes you decided to pass on. When you type in the URL of another website those gourmet dog treats you left in your cart are at the top of the screen. It feels like you’re being stalked or watched, but in reality you’re just being retargeted.

Retargeting is a must for any business trying to have a solid online presence because retargeted leads are almost always better and cheaper than a regular ad. Data shows that the click-through-rate of a retargeted ad is 10x higher than the CTR of a typical display ad. Plus, retargeting is remarkably customizable because you’re able to target people who looked at individual pages or products with ads that speak to those specific interests.

If you’re interested in starting your own retargeting campaign Facebook is a great first step. Using Facebook Ads Manager, you can create custom audiences using your Facebook Pixel and then send retargeted messages to the audience that will help you generate new leads/sales.

With retargeting, 26% more users will return to complete their check-out process. Sounds pretty good, right? You might be wondering how to start it and the answer is easier than you might think!

1. Create Your Retargeting Audience

• You might want to retarget everyone who made it to your website or maybe just people who made it to specific pages, but either way, you’ll want to get it outlined.

2. Create a New Campaign

• To start running your ad, you’ll want to create a campaign focused on retargeting and you’ll want to figure out what your goal is. Maybe it’s Reach or Brand Awareness or Conversions. Each has their own benefits depending on what you’re after.

3. Select Your Audience

• Once you start a campaign, you’ll be sent to create an Ad Set and from their you’ll want to select the retargeting audience you made under ‘Custom Audiences’.

4. Set Your Budget & Your Placements

• Like any other Facebook ad, you’ll want to set your budget and your placements. Fortunately, retargeting is often cheaper than other forms of ads so you’ll be able to run it at a lower budget than traditional top of funnel ads.

5. Create Your Ad & Publish It

• The next big step is creating your ad design and copy. You’ll want to make sure it really resonates with your audience so if you’re retargeting people who made it to a page with black shoes, you might want to show black shoes. When you’re happy with your final product, publish it!

With these simple steps, you’ll have the makings of a retargeting campaign. As time passes, you’ll see ways to optimize further and drop the cost per result even lower!