What is Retargeting?

Retargeting shows ads to people who previously visited your website or engaged with your brand. These users are 70% more likely to convert than cold traffic.

Why Retargeting Works

Only 2% of visitors convert on their first visit. Retargeting captures the other 98%.

Audience Type	Conversion Rate	CPA
Cold traffic	1-2%	High ($50+)
Website visitors	3-5%	Medium ($25-40)
Cart abandoners	8-12%	Low ($15-25)
Past purchasers	15-25%	Lowest ($10-20)

Retargeting Audience Segments

Create audiences based on engagement level:

Tier 1: High Intent

Cart abandoners (added to cart, no purchase)
Checkout started (began checkout, didn't complete)
Product page viewers (3+ pages viewed)

Tier 2: Medium Intent

All website visitors (30 days)
Blog readers (content consumers)
Video viewers (50%+ completion)

Tier 3: Low Intent

Social engagers (liked, commented)
Email list (opens, clicks)
Ad engagers (clicked ads)

Step-by-Step: Setting Up Retargeting

Step 1: Install Tracking

Ensure pixel is firing on all key events:

PageView
ViewContent
AddToCart
InitiateCheckout
Purchase

Step 2: Create Custom Audiences

Go to Audiences → Create Custom Audience:

Audience	Source	Time Window
Cart Abandoners	AddToCart - Purchase	7-14 days
Checkout Abandoners	InitiateCheckout - Purchase	7 days
Product Viewers	ViewContent	30 days
All Visitors	Website traffic	30-180 days

Step 3: Create Campaign Structure

Recommended structure:

Campaign: Retargeting
├── Ad Set: Cart Abandoners (7 days)
│   ├── Ad: Reminder + urgency
│   └── Ad: Discount offer
├── Ad Set: Product Viewers (30 days)
│   ├── Ad: Product benefits
│   └── Ad: Social proof
└── Ad Set: All Visitors (180 days)
    └── Ad: Brand awareness

Retargeting Creative Best Practices

For Cart Abandoners:

Reminder: "You left something behind"
Urgency: "Only X left in stock"
Incentive: "10% off to complete your order"
Social proof: "Join 10,000 happy customers"

For Product Viewers:

Product images they viewed
Benefits-focused copy
Reviews/testimonials
Comparison guides

For All Visitors:

Brand story
Best sellers showcase
Educational content

Retargeting Frequency Caps

Don't annoy users with too many ads:

Audience	Frequency Cap	Why
Cart abandoners	5-7/day	High intent, urgent
Product viewers	3-5/day	Medium intent
All visitors	1-2/day	Lower intent, avoid fatigue

Case Study: Retargeting Generated 5.8x ROAS

An e-commerce brand structured retargeting by intent:

Segment	Budget %	ROAS
Cart abandoners	40%	8.2x
Product viewers	35%	4.5x
All visitors	25%	2.8x
Overall	100%	5.8x

Common Retargeting Mistakes

1. No Frequency Caps

Showing ads 20+ times per day creates brand hatred.

2. Same Ad to Everyone

Cart abandoners need different messaging than blog readers.

3. No Burn Pixel

Continue showing ads after purchase = wasted money.

Fix: Exclude purchasers from retargeting.

4. Too Long or Too Short Windows

7 days for cart abandoners (urgency)
30 days for product viewers
90-180 days for brand awareness

Retargeting Checklist

✅ Pixel firing on all events
✅ Audiences created by intent level
✅ Different creative per segment
✅ Frequency caps set
✅ Purchasers excluded
✅ Conversion tracking enabled

How to Set Up Retargeting Campaigns That Convert

Sections

How to Set Up Retargeting Campaigns That Convert

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