Visitors often don’t buy on their first visit because they don’t know you or your value yet. You don’t want them to leave and never return. Meta retargeting ads help you re-engage people who have visited your site before. 

These visitors are easier to convert because they already know your brand and what you offer, making them more likely to buy than first-time visitors.

To start retargeting ads on Meta, you need to do two things:

• install the Meta pixel on your site
• create custom audiences for your ads

Before you start experimenting with Meta retargeting ads, do take a second to remember that in online marketing, timing is essential. 

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When running retargeting ads, be mindful of how often your ads are shown. Too many ads can annoy potential customers and negatively affect their view of your brand. To avoid this, set a limit on how frequently your ads appear.

Setup Is Done. When Does Retargeting Start?

Retargeting starts when a user visits your website or interacts with your content. Meta tracks these actions through the Meta Pixel you’ve set up. 

Retargeting targets users who leave your site without completing a purchase. Once they leave, they enter the retargeting funnel, and you can show them personalized ads for products they viewed as they browse Facebook and Instagram. 

This is an approach that keeps your brand in mind and increases the chances of them returning to buy. Over time, this method helps you spend more effectively by focusing on interested leads.

Here’s a breakdown of a basic retargeting campaign:

1. The initial visit

→ this is when a user visits your website for the first time

2. The Behavior Tracking 

→ this is the Meta Pixel tracking user behavior, like pages visited, time spent, items added to cart

3. The Audience Segmentation 

→ grouping users into different audiences based on their behavior, like product interest and purchase intent.

4. Targeted ads 

→ designing ads for each audience, such as reminders to complete purchases or product suggestions.

5. The continuous optimization 

→ regularly refining your ads and audience segments through A/B testing and performance adjustments.

Your ultimate goal here is to guide users back to your site to complete a purchase or achieve another type of conversion.

But is Meta Good for Retargeting?

Meta (Facebook and Instagram) do a great job at reaching large audiences thanks to their huge user base and precise targeting tools. That’s precisely the reason why so many brands use Meta ads to connect with their audience.

Here are the top custom audiences you can use for Meta retargeting:

Website Custom Audiences

This helps you group visitors based on their actions (like viewing a product but not buying) on your site. The Meta Pixel tracks these actions, letting you target specific groups.

Customer List Custom Audiences 

For this, you can use your existing customer data, such as emails or phone numbers, to create a custom audience. Upload a CSV file of this data to Meta to target these users.

Engagement Custom Audiences 

This option allows you to target users who have interacted with your brand on Meta’s platforms, like watching videos or clicking on your Facebook page. These users are already somewhat familiar with your brand.

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What’s Meta Retargeting Going to Cost Me?

Why do online educators do meta retargeting at all? 

Because if you’re not using retargeting ads, you’re missing out on potential revenue. It’s a simple way to get the most value from your Meta ads.

With retargeting ads, you’re bringing prospects back to an interaction that has already started between your brand and them, so you can be more direct. 

Address any concerns they might have had. For example, if they didn’t sign up, show a key benefit they missed, or if cost was a concern, highlight the value. Use information like the page they visited or the product they viewed to personalize your ads. 

This approach usually costs less but can lead to higher returns.

Overall, the cost of Meta retargeting ads can vary. So, here’s the best way to go about your new retargeting campaign: if your pixel doesn’t have much data yet, start with a small budget and increase it as more data comes in from other campaigns. 

Retargeting usually costs less per conversion than initial ads. It’s worth mentioning however that if you’re showing ads too often to the same people, you might need to lower your retargeting budget and invest more in finding new prospects.

Additionally, think long-term. Instead of just aiming for sales, leverage Meta retargeting to encourage new customers to join your email list. This keeps them engaged and allows you to contact them for free in the future.

Retarget like a Pro on Meta

Tailor your ads based on the specific actions and interests of your audience. 

Avoid using generic copy and CTAs and instead create targeted ads that address their specific needs and interests to capture their attention effectively. Straightforwardly, name them in your ad copy and include them in your CTAs.

Furthermore, to save on your ad spend, exclude the people who’ve already converted from your retargeting ads. Without exclusions, you might waste money showing ads to current customers and that’s helping no one. 

On this note, it’s important to watch for ad fatigue, which happens when the same audience sees your ad too often, making it less effective. This can be quite common with smaller audiences. 

To prevent this, regularly update your ad creatives and offers to keep your messages fresh and engaging. If your ads become repetitive or too frequent, they may annoy rather than remind your audience.

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Lastly, make sure to correctly keep track and align with your business goals. If your goal is to reach new prospects, then put a pin on retargeting. Retargeting is great for reaching people who have already interacted with your brand, but it’s not suitable for campaigns focused on expanding your audience.

Conclusion

You too got interest but no purchase? Let Meta retargeting work its magic. Keep your brand front and center as users scroll through Facebook and Instagram and turn those almost buys into real sales.