What Is Remarketing, How Does It Work and Why Does It Matter?
As a small business owner expanding online, you’ve probably heard all about digital marketing by now. You have a website, blog content, and a few social media accounts. You’re well equipped for advertising to potential customers online. Are you missing anything? If you don’t have a remarketing campaign in place yet, you still have some work to do.
What Is Remarketing?
Digital marketing is about attracting brand-new users to your website. This large category includes everything from search engine optimization and paid ads to social media marketing and promotional emails.
Remarketing uses many of the same channels, but its purpose is different. Instead of trying to get new leads, you’re trying to keep in touch with past customers. Whenever someone expresses interest in your business — whether by making a purchase or filling out an online form — remarketing helps you motivate them to take the next step.
Why Is Remarketing Smart?
A remarketing campaign offers practical benefits for your business. Remarketing is probably the best way to use your ad budget.
Think about it: If you’re trying to encourage people to buy your products, what audience could be better to talk with than the ones who have already made a purchase in the past? Even filling out a form is proof that someone likes your brand or products on some level.
It makes sense to focus on people who have already reached the point of clicking “buy.” Those are the people who are most likely to repeat the experience. That said, they may need a gentle nudge for it to happen.
How Does Remarketing Work?
The specifics of this type of digital marketing depend a lot on the type of business you run, the interests of your customers, and your current capabilities. For example, e-commerce companies that sell products online can remarket to customers in several ways:
- Reminding visitors of past purchases and recommending other “products you might be interested in”
- Sending an email to say thanks for the purchase and offer a small discount on the next purchase
- Creating rewards programs for clients only
- Having store sales and sending emails or reminders to social media followers
For other businesses, such as B2B companies, remarketing may mean reaching out to leads periodically. You can accomplish this via emails, phone calls, or social media posts.
The purpose is to be helpful and positive, so keep your interactions brief. Make a great impression and remind people why they chose you in the first place.
