Retargeting is the newest toy in the toy chest for digital marketing companies. The perceived ROI it brings is making it very popular and the trend has grown to the point that now even Facebook is getting in the game. So what exactly is retargeting and what are the benefits?

At first retargeting was focused mostly on bringing back bounced website traffic or people who had abandoned a shopping cart. This is accomplished by placing a cookie in the users browser that allows targeted ads for your product and service to reach them even after they’ve left your site. The technology has since evolved, no longer focusing only on the bottom-of-the-funnel. Search retargeting now lets marketers target display ads based on users search history, and it’s proving to be a very effective top-of-the-funnel tactic for driving traffic to your site.

Most retargeting campaigns end when a user coverts, either making a purchase or submitting a lead, to ensure that you don’t continue to badger a user with ads after they’ve already converted. However there are still opportunities for marketing after a user has converted. It can be beneficial to burn the user from the initial campaign, by removing the targeting cookie when they convert, while at the same time adding a new cookie for your post conversion retargeting campaign. For example, once you’ve sold some one a car you don’t just forget about them right? Starting a new retargeting campaign based around service would be a great way to continue your engagement post-conversion.

Just like any marketing campaign, whether it’s in social media, SEO, TV, or even direct mail, you need to make sure you properly plan out your campaign and its goals before jumping in headfirst. Okay so maybe there’s less planning involved in a direct mail campaign but you get the idea. For a full and effective remarking campaign you need to think about the different stages of the funnel. Your top of the funnel campaign should focus on brand awareness and your unique value. The post-visit ads can go a little deeper into the specific benefits of your product or service, because awareness is clearly not an issue any more. Lastly you’ll want to craft a post-conversion campaign that will keep your customers brand loyal, and hopefully coming back for years to come.

Original article about remarketing posted on Wikimotive's blog under the title Retargeting What It Is And Why It’s Important