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What is retargeting? Find out how this strategy can be used to target visitors to a website. website with personalized advertising. Learn how to set up an effective campaign to boost your sales. prospects and customers.
Have you ever wondered how companies manage to target you with personalized ads after you've visited their website? That's where retargeting comes in. Retargeting is a marketing strategy that involves tracking website visitors and showing them specific ads based on their online behavior. In this article, we'll explain what retargeting is and how to set up an effective campaign to re-target your prospects and customers.
What is retargeting?
Retargeting is a marketing technique that involves targeting users who have already interacted with your brand or website. The aim is to follow up these prospects and potential customers with personalized advertising, to encourage them to return to your site and finalize their purchase.
Definition of retargeting
Retargeting, also known as ad retargeting, is a digital marketing strategy that uses cookies to track user behavior on the Internet. When a user visits your website, a cookie is placed in their browser, which is then used to display personalized ads on other websites they visit later.
How retargeting works
Retargeting works in four main stages. First, a visitor arrives on your website and a cookie is placed in their browser to track them. Then, when this user leaves your site without taking the desired action (for example, making a purchase), he or she will then be exposed to personalized ads on other websites he or she visits. These ads can take various forms, such as banners, videos or promotional messages. Finally, if the user clicks on one of these ads, they will be redirected to your website to continue their purchasing journey.
Retargeting objectives
The main objective of retargeting is to increase the conversion rate by encouraging users who have already expressed interest in your brand or products to take concrete action, such as making a purchase. By following up these potential prospects with personalized ads, retargeting reminds them of your brand and encourages them to make a decision.
The benefits of retargeting
Retargeting offers many advantages for brands that use it effectively.
Increase in conversion rate
One of the main advantages of retargeting is that it increases conversion rates. By targeting users who have already shown an interest in your brand, you optimize your chances of convincing them to take a purchasing action. By reminding them of your presence and proposing personalized offers, you create an additional incentive that encourages conversion.
Improved brand awareness
Retargeting also improves brand awareness. By displaying personalized ads to users who are already familiar with your company, you reinforce your presence in their minds. This helps create a positive perception of your brand and fosters a relationship of trust.
Precise targeting of prospects
With retargeting, you can precisely target those prospects who are most likely to convert. By using cookies to track user behavior, you can segment your audience according to criteria such as pages visited, products viewed or actions taken. This segmentation enables you to tailor your ads to the specific interests of each user group, improving the effectiveness of your campaign.
Optimizing advertising budgets
Retargeting allows you to optimize your advertising budgets by focusing on users who are already in the consideration or purchase decision phase. By targeting these qualified prospects, you avoid wasting resources by serving ads to people who aren't interested in your offer. This gives you a better return on investment and maximizes the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns.
Retargeting techniques
There are a number of different retargeting techniques that can be used, depending on the target market. objectives of your campaign.
Website retargeting
Website retargeting consists of targeting users who have visited your site but who have not taken the desired action, such as making a purchase or filling in a form. By placing a cookie in these users' browsers, you can then offer them personalized ads to encourage them to return to your site and perform the desired action.
Retargeting on social networks
Retargeting on social networks allows you to target users who have interacted with your brand on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and so on. Using the data collected by these social networks, you can display personalized ads to these users as they browse their favorite platform.
Retargeting by e-mail
E-mail retargeting involves sending personalized e-mails to users who have already interacted with your brand in the past. For example, if a user has abandoned a shopping cart on your website, you can send them an e-mail reminding them of the products they have viewed and offering them a special offer to encourage them to complete their purchase.
Mobile retargeting
Mobile retargeting enables you to target users who have interacted with your brand on mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets. By using cookies specific to mobile devices, you can display personalized ads on mobile devices. mobile applications that these users use, or even send them push notifications to encourage them to return to your site or download your application.
Setting up a retargeting campaign
To set up an effective retargeting campaign, it's important to follow a few key steps.
Define clear objectives
Before launching your retargeting campaign, you need to clearly define the objectives you want to achieve. Do you want to increase sales by encouraging users to complete their purchases? Do you want to improve brand awareness by targeting users who have already shown an interest in your products? Defining clear objectives will enable you to measure the effectiveness of your campaign and adapt your strategy accordingly.
Segmenting audiences
Once you've defined your objectives, you need to segment your audience according to relevant criteria. For example, you can segment your audience according to pages visited on your website, products viewed or actions taken. This segmentation will enable you to tailor your ads to the specific interests of each user group, increasing the effectiveness of your campaign.
Create personalized messages
To maximize the effectiveness of your retargeting campaign, you need to create personalized messages. Use the data collected to tailor your ads to the specific interests of each user group. For example, if a user has viewed products in a specific category on your website, you can offer personalized ads for similar products in that category.
Choosing distribution channels
Once you've created your personalized messages, you'll need to choose the delivery channels for your retargeting campaign. Depending on your target audience, you may choose to display your ads on websites, social networks, mobile applications, or even send personalized e-mails. Choose the channels that will most effectively reach your audience and deliver the best results.
Setting up an auction strategy
When setting up a retargeting campaign, it's important to define a bidding strategy to optimize your costs. You can choose to manually set a maximum amount you're willing to pay for each click on your ads, or you can use automatic bidding tools that will automatically adjust your bids according to the performance of your ads.
Monitor and analyze results
Once you've launched your retargeting campaign, you need to monitor and analyze the results regularly to measure the effectiveness of your ads and make adjustments if necessary. Use analytics tools to track your campaign's performance, such as click-through rate, conversion rate, return on investment, etc. This will enable you to optimize your campaign in real time and achieve the best possible results.
Best practices in retargeting
To ensure the success of your retargeting campaign, it's important to follow certain best practices.
Respecting data protection rules
When using retargeting, it's essential to comply with data protection rules, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Make sure you collect users' consent before placing cookies in their browsers, and give them the option to unsubscribe from your ads if they wish.
Avoiding user harassment
Retargeting can be very effective, but it's important not to pester users with excessive ads. Limit the number of times a user sees your ads to avoid irritating them, and make sure you offer them relevant and useful ads to avoid annoying them.
Test and adjust campaigns regularly
Retargeting is a technique that needs to be constantly tested and adjusted to achieve the best results. Test different messages, offers and delivery channels to find out what works best with your audience. Regularly analyze the performance of your campaign and make adjustments if necessary to maximize its effectiveness.
Use high-performance tracking tools
To ensure the success of your retargeting campaign, it's essential to use high-performance tracking tools. Use analytics tools that enable you to track your campaign's performance in real time, measure click-through rates, conversion rates and ROI, and obtain precise data on your users' behavior.
Enhancing the user experience
When setting up a retargeting campaign, it's essential to promote the user experience. Make sure your ads are well designed, adapted to different display formats (desktop, mobile, etc.) and linked to relevant landing pages. Offer your users a smooth and pleasant experience to maximize the effectiveness of your campaign.
Retargeting success stories
Retargeting has already been used successfully in many cases.
Success stories from a retargeting campaign on Facebook
A clothing brand set up a retargeting campaign on Facebook to target users who had visited their website but not made a purchase. By displaying personalized ads featuring products viewed by these users, the brand succeeded in increasing its 20% conversion rate and significantly boosting sales.
Retargeting campaign for an e-commerce site
A e-commerce website used retargeting to target users who had abandoned a shopping cart without finalizing their purchase. By sending them personalized e-mails with special offers for the products they had consulted, the site managed to recover 30% of abandoned baskets and increase its sales.
Using retargeting for abandoned shopping carts
A hotel booking site used retargeting to target users who had searched but not finalized their booking. By displaying personalized ads with special offers for the hotels consulted, the site succeeded in increasing its conversion rate by 15% and boosting its bookings.
Limits and challenges of retargeting
Retargeting also presents some limitations and challenges for brands.
User oversaturation
One of the main challenges of retargeting is user over-saturation. If a brand exposes a user to too many personalized ads, it can end up annoying them and diminish the effectiveness of the campaign. It's important to limit the number of times a user sees your ads, and to avoid pestering them with excessive advertising.
Risk of irritating prospects
When using retargeting, there's a risk of irritating prospects if ads are irrelevant or too intrusive. It's essential to target your ads well, and provide them with personalized offers that match their specific interests. Avoid overly aggressive or intrusive ads that could damage your brand's perception.
Difficulty in measuring the real impact of retargeting
It can be difficult to measure the real impact of retargeting on your sales or conversions. In fact, retargeting often complements other marketing strategies, making it difficult to attribute results. It's important to set up high-performance analysis tools to measure the performance of your campaign, and to use attribution methods to evaluate the impact of retargeting on your objectives.
Cookie dependency
Retargeting relies heavily on the use of cookies to track user behavior. This reliance on cookies can raise issues of confidentiality and data protection, becoming a major challenge at a time when numerous regulations are being put in place to protect users' personal data. Respecting data protection rules and offering unsubscribe options are essential to ensure user trust.
Alternatives to retargeting
If retargeting doesn't suit your marketing strategy, there are other techniques you can use to achieve your goals.
Remarketing
Remarketing is a technique similar to retargeting, which involves targeting users who have already interacted with your brand or website. The main difference lies in the communication channel used: remarketing is mainly done via e-mail, whereas retargeting is done through personalized ads.
The lookalike targeting
Lookalike targeting involves targeting users who have similar characteristics to those who have already interacted with your brand. For example, you can use data from your existing customers to find new prospects with similar profiles. This technique enables you to expand your audience while targeting users who are likely to be interested in your offer.
Behavioral targeting
Behavioral targeting involves targeting users based on their online behavior. For example, you can target users who have viewed products similar to yours on other websites, or who have expressed an interest in topics related to your offer. This technique enables you to reach users who are already interested in similar products, and optimize your chances of conversion.
Retargeting and privacy
Retargeting raises important questions about privacy and the protection of users' personal data.
Personal data protection
When using retargeting, it's essential to respect data protection rules. Make sure you obtain users' consent before placing cookies in their browsers, and give them the option of unsubscribing from your ads if they wish. Respect the rules governing the collection, storage and processing of personal data to guarantee user trust.
RGPD compliance
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been put in place to protect users' personal data in Europe. When using retargeting, you need to make sure you comply with the principles and obligations of the RGPD. Make sure you inform users about how their data will be used, collect their consent clearly and explicitly, and guarantee the security and confidentiality of their personal information.
Conclusion
Retargeting is a powerful marketing technique that enables you to target users who have already shown an interest in your brand or products. By reminding them of your presence and proposing personalized offers, you optimize your chances of convincing them to take a purchasing action. However, retargeting also has its limits and challenges, particularly in terms of privacy and data protection. Compliance with data protection regulations and a smooth, pleasant user experience are essential to the success of your retargeting campaign.