Most people don't enquire on their first visit. Retargeting gives you a second and third chance to help them decide. Done badly, it's the same ad following someone around the internet for a month.
Done well, it feels like useful reminders at the right time, and it's often the most efficient spend in an account.
Segment by intent
Someone who visited your pricing page is closer to buying than someone who read one blog post. Build separate audiences for different levels of interest and speak to each differently.
- Viewed a service or pricing page
- Started but didn't finish a form
- Watched most of a video ad
- Engaged with your Instagram or Facebook page
- Past customers (usually excluded, or shown different offers)
Sequence the message
Rather than repeating the original ad, move the conversation forward: answer a common objection, share a customer story, explain the process, then make a clear offer.
Control frequency and windows
Keep audience windows sensible for your sales cycle. A plumber's retargeting might only last a week; a kitchen renovation might reasonably run for two months. Watch frequency, and refresh creative when it climbs.
Exclude people who have already converted
Nothing annoys a new customer more than ads asking them to buy what they've just bought. Upload customer lists or use conversion audiences to exclude them.
Key takeaways
- →Build audiences by level of intent
- →Move the message forward instead of repeating it
- →Match audience windows to your sales cycle
- →Exclude recent converters
Common questions
Has iOS privacy killed retargeting?+
It's reduced audience sizes, but retargeting still works, especially combined with server-side tracking and engagement audiences.
How much budget should go to retargeting?+
Usually a modest share, as audiences are small. Overspending raises frequency quickly.
Should we retarget on Google too?+
Often, yes. YouTube and Display retargeting can complement Meta well.
