Aim to Please: Retargeting Tips to Keep Consumers Happy

A few weeks ago, I was searching online for a new shirt to help me look my patriotic best on July 4th.  A few days later, while checking my newsfeed on Facebook, a certain clothing company I had been looking at popped up with ads of American flag shirts. Was I being stalked? No, I was being retargeted, a strategy companies are quickly adopting to capture customers.

Here’s how it works: After someone searches for products, engages with a company’s social profile, or interacts with that company’s website, ad networks can place cookies in users’ browsers and essentially “follow” them on the web, serving up relevant ads.

It’s been considered somewhat controversial by those who see it as an invasion of privacy, but done right, it can be a boon to brands while also improving the online shopping experience for consumers. Here’s how:

1. Make sure your ads are well branded: Be certain that a customer can recognize an ad as your ad. Including your company logo goes a long way in aiding recognition.
2. Avoid serving too many ads: You can seem pesky or bothersome (read: stalkerish) if everywhere your potential customers look they see your ads.  ReTargeter suggests serving between 15-20 impressions per person in your segment pool.
3. Don’t retarget everyone: Identify the potential customers who may have the most value to your company. If someone visited your products pages while another bounced from the homepage, focus on the former – this potential customer has clearly shown more interest by exploring your site more.

Following these best practices should help you get a great start. How do you feel about retargeting? Do you have any suggestions or tips that could help others? Let us know in the comments!

Further reading:

• The End of Demographics: How Marketers Are Going Deeper With Personal Data 
• 7 best practices for running a retargeting campaign
• 5 Tips to Maximize Your Retargeting Campaigns