What is remarketing and how does it work? Read it here!

You might recognise this: you're scrolling through Instagram and suddenly you see an ad for the shoes you happened to look at on another website. That's remarketing! For marketers, it's a handy tool for achieving marketing goals in a measurable way. But how exactly does it work? In this blog we explain everything about remarketing. Want help setting up a remarketing campaign right away? Our specialists are happy to help.

What is remarketing?

Remarketing, also known as retargeting, is a form of online marketing in which an audience that has shown (online) interest in a product or service is targeted again with an ad. The audience has seen the product or service on the company's website, but hasn't gone on to buy yet. By reminding this group of the product or service with an ad, you increase the chance that they'll convert. 

Our online advertising specialists are experts in setting up effective remarketing campaigns. We create the right remarketing strategy on the right channels. For example, we use remarketing in social media campaigns on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, or through search or display campaigns on Google Ads. Want to make the most of remarketing too? Our specialists are happy to help with your remarketing strategy.

How does remarketing work?

Remarketing works through a tag: a small snippet of code placed on a website. Such a snippet is also known as a 'pixel'. The pixel collects data on visitor behaviour, which brings privacy obligations with it.  

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you're required to inform visitors. You do this with the familiar cookie banner, in which visitors indicate to what extent they allow tracking. Usually they can accept or reject functional, analytical and marketing cookies separately.

What are the benefits of remarketing?

The big advantage of remarketing? You target people who have already shown interest in your website, product or service. They already know your brand, which immediately increases the chance of conversion. 

But it doesn't stop there. You can also specifically target visitors who left something in their shopping basket. With a smart reminder such as “There's still something in your basket”, you bring the product back to their attention and increase the chance of a purchase. 

Another effective form of remarketing is retargeting existing customers. Someone who has bought something before is often also interested in complementary or similar products. With targeted ads, you can reach this group again, exactly when it's relevant. 

When should I use remarketing?

Remarketing can be used more widely than people often think. It's quickly associated with e-commerce, but it's also interesting for other companies that want to generate leads or sales online. Think of business service providers that let people request quotes, sell tickets or collect event registrations through their website. In short: do you work with online conversions? Then remarketing is relevant to you too.

What types of remarketing are there?

There are different ways of remarketing. We've listed the most commonly used forms for you.

Remarketing via Google

Google lets you use various forms of remarketing. The most common is Google Ads remarketing via the Google Display Network (GDN). According to Google, this reaches more than 90 per cent of all internet users. The Display Network consists of more than 2 million websites, apps and videos on which you can show image or text ads to people who have previously shown interest. 

Another option is Google Search remarketing, also known as RLSA (Remarketing Lists for Search Ads). Here you use remarketing lists within Google Ads to target previous visitors again in the search results, when they search for relevant terms again. 

Remarketing via Facebook

As well as through Google, you can also set up remarketing campaigns through Facebook Business. You can use these for both Facebook and Instagram ads. The principle is similar to Google Ads: you place a tag on your website, in this case the Facebook Pixel. That pixel tracks visitor behaviour, so you can show targeted ads to people who have previously interacted with your website or content.

Remarketing via LinkedIn

This form of remarketing is interesting for B2B companies, as LinkedIn is a business platform. Just like Facebook and Google, remarketing on LinkedIn also works with a tag, called the Insight Tag.

How is remarketing perceived?

Retargeting can be effective, but is sometimes seen as annoying, especially when ads come back too often and too intrusively. This usually happens when remarketing is used too aggressively, without regard for the needs of the target audience. 

Want to stop your target audience from dropping off? Match your frequency to your visitors' behaviour and be restrained with the number of impressions. That way you stay top of mind without causing irritation. After all, the goal is to turn interest into action, not resistance. 

What is the future of remarketing?

Remarketing is on the eve of major changes. Google Chrome, still the most widely used browser worldwide, has started phasing out third-party cookies. For years, these cookies formed the basis of retargeting campaigns. Their disappearance doesn't make retargeting impossible, but it does make it more complex. 

Fortunately, new opportunities are also emerging. More and more companies are focusing on collecting their own customer data, known as first-party data. Think of email addresses, website behaviour on your own domain or data from a logged-in environment. If you use this data smartly, you can still reach relevant audiences. 

In addition, server-side solutions make tracking and conversion measurement more reliable, even without third-party cookies. Tools such as server-side Google Tag Manager offer a solution here, as do features within privacy-friendly platforms such as Google's Consent Mode and Enhanced Conversions. 

At Partout we follow these developments closely and help our clients make their remarketing strategy future-proof. 

Partout is your remarketing agency

Want to know more about remarketing or need help setting up a remarketing campaign? Get in touch, with no obligation.