Your website sits at the center of your marketing and sales strategy. All roads lead back to that website, and ultimately, to the place on that site where the user officially converts. If conversions are the finish line, customers can enter the race at any point along the route. Retargeting increases the number of those entry points, bringing a bigger crowd ever closer to the finish line. Choose the right retargeting strategies to get them there.
Whether you us the Google Display Network or something similar, your goal is the same. You want to recapture potential customers who visited your site but didn’t buy. Pierre Lechelle of SaaS Marketing says, “Even if you already use retargeting, you probably aren’t making the most of it.” So, let’s figure out how to make the most of retargeting!
Remember the Customer’s POV
Remember that many customers aren’t aware of retargeting or don’t know how it works. In casual conversation you may hear people say, “It’s so creepy how, after I shopped for product X, now I see ads for product X on Facebook.” An effective retargeting campaign will feel helpful to the customer, not creepy. They may appreciate the reminder about where they read that useful article or saw that attractive product. They don’t have to know why they’re seeing the ad. (Remember, some internet users don’t even distinguish between ads and regular content.) Try to see things from the customer’s point of view, and act accordingly. Use retargeting strategies to benefit them.
Make Attractive Ads
This might sound like a no-brainer, but don’t focus all of your energy on strategy and analytics while neglecting your creative. Develop attractive ads that are on-brand and relatable. Use clear calls-to-action. Remind the user how beautiful/cool/useful your product is and why they sought out your site in the first place.
Link Google Analytics and AdWords
Google Analytics offers a treasure trove of information, which can sometimes feel overwhelming.Take full advantage of it. By linking it to AdWords, you can use its most granular information to strategically reach the people you most want to reach. You can retarget visitors based on factors like how many pages they visited, how many times they’ve visited, how long they stayed, and more. As you try things, you’ll discover which types of prospects convert and which don’t.
Meet Customer Needs with a Second Website
In addition to your primary site, you might launch a blog or a site the sells a complementary product. Get to know your audience and what other needs they bring to the conversation. Show your industry knowledge. By offering a second destination, you multiply your chances of catching someone’s attention. Use retargeting to move them between sites or drive them back to the one most relevant to their needs. Tweak this strategy to different parts of the sales funnel.
Combine Retargeting with Email
If you don’t already, segment your email list according to where customers are in the sales funnel. Then, tailor your retargeting campaign in tandem with your email campaign. A person near the top of the funnel might receive an email with general industry information they can use, which builds their trust in your expertise. That same person, seeing your ads, will maintain awareness about your company and have their opinion reinforced. Someone closer to a purchasing decision may likewise receive ads and emails that combine to convince them your product is the right choice.
Retargeting Strategies to Capture Email
What if you don’t have the user’s email address? Capturing it may take several steps depending on the person’s level of initial interest. You might use blog posts about industry news and trends to draw them in. You might attract their attention with a specific product landing page. However you get them started, direct them to a form or a white paper that requires sharing an email address. Once you have demonstrated expertise, they will be more willing to engage with you.
Engage Them Where They Are
Learn as much about your potential and previous customers as you can. Whether they hang out on news sites or whether social media is their prime mode of communication, knowing their whereabouts means you can further tailor your campaign. Someone who has engaged with your Facebook posts, for example, will likely do so again. Offer them something they can share with their friends.
Find the Right Frequency
Theoretically, you can use retargeting to follow the user everywhere. That’s the idea, to keep your brand in front of them. But, just as with traditional advertising, you walk a line between awareness and annoyance. ReTargeter advises setting a frequency cap of 15 to 20 impressions per user, per month. Again, your goal is to be useful, not creepy or annoying. As you test different strategies, you will learn what work best for your company.
Test, Test, Test
As with every element of online engagement, do your homework. You will only know which retargeting strategies work if you test. Your audience and your company are unique, so what works for others won’t work (perfectly) for you. A/B test your ads and your landing pages. Crunch the numbers–or let Google Analytics do it for you–and analyze them carefully. Watch for trends over time. You will want to collect a lot of data before drawing conclusions, but one of the great things about online advertising is the flexibility. You can make small changes on the fly and see what happens.
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