Re-marketing: how does it work?

This works through tags implemented on your website, also known as cookies. These cookies let you track which page(s) a visitor views. Every web page gets its own re-marketing group, which can be linked to its own re-marketing ad. That way, a visitor who dropped off at the shopping cart sees a different ad than someone who dropped off while looking at a specific product. 

This lets you reach existing customers who showed interest in your business, products and/or services before. A re-marketing campaign rekindles the interest they already showed.

In short, re-marketing works in three quick steps:

1. Someone visits your website and leaves without converting
2. You send targeted, partly personalised ads to that person
3. Thanks to these re-marketing ads, there’s a chance that person converts after all  

Why should you use re-marketing?

Only a small number of people buy something on a website straight after their first visit. Plenty of factors can slow down or interrupt the buying process. Using re-marketing as a marketing technique rekindles the customer’s interest and brings them back to your website, hopefully to make a purchase in the end. 

Re-marketing ads are targeted and partly personalised.

Partly personalised, because ads can’t get too specific. Otherwise the customer might feel uncomfortable and start liking your business less, which would be a real shame.

These specific ads activate customers faster than ‘regular’ ads. Because they’re triggered more quickly (they already showed interest in a certain product), this extra nudge might be what gets them to buy in the end. That’s why re-marketing campaigns are a lot more effective than regular ads.

That said, there’s no guarantee a customer will actually buy something after seeing a re-marketing ad. But it’s a handy marketing technique, because it raises your chances of conversion. Sounds nice too, right? ;)

Re-marketing on different platforms

Re-marketing on Google

Re-marketing is possible on several platforms, Google included.

Through the Google Display Network you can show banners and videos with your ad. Re-marketing also works on various social media channels.

It’s possible on these four platforms: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. That way you can put your product and/or service back in front of previous visitors while they’re scrolling through their social media.

Re-marketing with the Facebook pixel

With a so-called ‘pixel’ on your website, you can use re-marketing on Facebook and Instagram. A pixel is a small piece of code you place on every landing page of your website, so you learn more about your visitors and can analyse their behaviour. You can then use this data to run a Facebook ór Instagram campaign and get the best results out of it.

Back to re-marketing: with the visitor data you collected through the pixel, you can create the most detailed ad possible for people who visited your website before.