What is Retargeting?

When marketing online to a potential consumer, there are two routes you can go. You can segment your market based on the information they have volunteered about themselves or You can segment based off of behavior.

The latter is called retargeting.

This process involves tagging your computer with pixels (aka “cookies”) after you’ve visited a website. This tracking pixel follows you around on the internet and triggers ads based on your previous browsing history.

Here is an example of both. If you looked at my Facebook profile you would see that I’m 28 years old, I graduated from Stetson in ’08, I have been in a relationship for over a year and roller derby is the only sport I seem to watch. I also love cooking healthy food from scratch, and I only like punk music.

Now let’s take a look at my computer history. Last night I was listening to a great playlist of female blues singers from the 1930’s while looking up recipes on Saveur. I didn’t end up cooking last night, however. Instead, I looked up Vietnamese restaurants in my area so I could get take-out pho. I also shopped around for some season tickets for the upcoming basketball season because my boyfriend and I love hoping for the Orlando Magic to make a comeback.

See?

And while Facebook shows me ads for engagement rings because of my relationship status and suggested ads based on what my friends have ‘liked,’ the Internet shows me ads for an unheard of microbrewery and beach vacations in Vietnam because I have actually sought out these things in some regard.

So what are some ways that you can use retargeting?

First, if you are a fledgling brand, you can use retargeting to piggyback off of websites that your target demographic might visit. Another valuable way is to remind previous customers of your business. You could have a cookie placed after they’ve landed on your Thank You page after making a purchase, and then retarget an ad later offering repeat customers a discount.

If you have a product or service that a potential consumer might need to warm up to, like a car or other “big ticket” items, you might have an ad follow them around on the internet for a few weeks.

If you show me enough pictures of a Vietnamese beach, I’ll eventually book a vacation, right?

Food is another great item to retarget. Imagine being stalked by a beautiful food shot late in the afternoon! You’re bound to pick up the phone and make a reservation for dinner.

Of course, these are just a few ways to incorporate retargeting into your digital marketing plan.

The possibilities are endless, and as long as you employ a little creative thinking you can add a valuable tool to your marketing strategy that will certainly give you an advantage in the marketplace.