Retargeting (a.k.a. remarketing) is an extremely effective strategy that involves reaching out and routing specific content or messages to customers, based on information gleaned from previous interactions. The goal is to bring them back into the fold and re-engage them vs. lose them to the competition.
Retargeting and Online Ads
Conventionally, retargeting has been associated mainly with online advertising. For example, an individual who browses websites in search of cars with above-average fuel efficiency, may discover that the random ads they come across hours, days, or even weeks later aren’t so random at all: they’re ads about cars with above-average fuel efficiency. This is retargeting in action, and as noted above, it’s extremely effective.
Retargeting and Inbound Marketing
However, more recently, retargeting is being used to compliment Inbound Marketing – and the results are equally as impressive.
The basic formula is the same as with online advertising, but with an important difference that we’ll get to in a moment. First, the similarities: customers have cookies placed on their computers, which track them if they opt to leave a website without making a purchase, or performing any other qualifying “conversion” act as defined by a business (e.g. download an ebook, schedule a demo, etc.).
And now for the differences: unlike online advertising that attempts to make a sale, retargeting in the context of Inbound Marketing is much more focused on attracting a solid lead – since that’s where the customer journey starts. As a result, the ad itself is much more of a compelling, timely message than it is a traditional “interrupt marketing” experience.
For example, a customer who visits (and leaves) a website that provides business moving and office relocation services won’t be retargeted by ads that basically say “hire our office relocation company” -- because the customer isn’t at that stage yet. That is, they’re not a Sales Qualified Lead (SQL), and treating them as if they were is pointless (which, frankly, is why most interrupt marketing is pointless).
Instead, the ad can be designed to capture the customer’s attention and invite them to download (for example) a free ebook on how they can enjoy a successful and efficient office relocation experience, or how they can use a great Infographic to help them discover what to do with their current office furniture.
The specific ad content would be based on the information gleaned from their previous interaction(s), in combination with the business’s available Inbound Marketing campaigns. For example, customers who spent a significant amount of time reading testimonials before leaving may be more receptive to receiving “social proof”, such as case studies. Or customers that honed in on a specific product or product line can be engaged accordingly – perhaps with a relevant ebook, a datasheet, and so on.
What’s more, retargeting can be controlled at a granular level – which further boosts results. For instance, it’s possible to define specific times of day to target certain customers (e.g. during the business day, during weekends, before 10am, etc.). The frequency of ads can also be controlled in order to optimize budgets.
The Bottom Line
Retargeting is a potent and essential strategy that perfectly compliments Inbound Marketing, and delivers results that are nothing short of exceptional.
To learn more about this process and how we build and seamlessly layer retargeting campaigns with our clients’ Inbound Marketing campaigns, contact us today. If you're looking for more information on how to run your inbound marketing campaigns, download our FREE eBook below:
Topics: Inbound Marketing, Retargeting
