What Is Remarketing and Why Should You Use It?

What Is Remarketing and Why Should You Use It?

Have you ever noticed? One day, you are browsing the internet for a new barbecue, then suddenly it’s like your computer can read your mind and there are ads about barbecues everywhere you go on the internet! Is someone watching you…?

Well, you know the saying “It’s not because you’re paranoid that “they” aren’t after you.”, and it’s a little bit what is going on there: by tracking your browsing history, Google can display ads relevant to your searches – and this is what remarketing is about.

As a consumer, you would be forgiven for finding this cyber-spying slightly intrusive; but as a business, one can only admire the cleverness and efficiency of this programme which enables you to intelligently target customers who visited your website or App. While they may still be in the research stage, they are nonetheless psychologically ready to buy, and staying at the forefront of their minds with constant reminders of your products or services gives you an advantage over your competitors.

How does Google remarketing work?

The remarketing programme works by placing Cookies on visitors’ devices when they visit your website, according to criteria that you define, and then adding the Cookie ID to a remarketing list. The list of criteria you can choose from is extensive, and you can target people very precisely, for example including only those who viewed a specific page but didn’t complete a purchase or excluding all those who successfully triggered a google analytics event goal.

Google has also recently added features via Universal Analytics which allow lists to be managed without the need for code to be added to the website, making it even simpler to get started. However, it is worth noting that a campaign only becomes active with a minimum of 100 Cookie IDs per remarketing campaign so depending on your site's daily traffic, it may take some time to get your list ready for go-live.

Remarketing benefits

One of the greatest benefits of remarketing is that you are reaching people when they are more likely to buy your product or service and are receptive to your offer because you know for a fact that they have already expressed interest in your offering through visiting your site. Throughout their subsequent browsing, whether while shopping around or getting on with life, a remarketing ad will keep you present in their mind, as well as providing a convenient direct link back to your website.

Advertising lists can be tailored very specifically to your advertising goals – for example, you could target people who abandoned their carts – but at the same time, it gives you the means to reach far and wide, as Google Display Network includes over two million websites and Apps.

Likewise, you will have visibility over how your campaign is performing, in which context your ads are being shown and how much it will cost you.

Remarketing costs

Remarketing is, without a doubt, one of the most efficient forms of online advertising with a better ROI (Return On Investment) than other forms of digital marketing. As it is still in relative infancy compared to other digital products, it is less competitive and so required bids are lower than what you may come across in AdWords auctions.

The cost of your remarketing campaign will depend on how broad you want it to be, and as you can define your criteria as precisely as you want, you can maintain some control over your expenses.

To be even more cost-effective, you can use automated bidding strategies like Target CPA (Cost-per-Acquisition) and Target ROAS (Target Return On Ad Spend) by which real-time bidding helps you win ad auctions at the best possible price – and all of those clever tools are graciously offered by Google for free.

How to Run Successful Remarketing Campaigns

If you have read our previous blogs on Adwords management, you will remember our word of caution: creating an Adwords campaign is easy; running a successful campaign requires careful planning and expertise.

First things first, you need to be clear about what it is you are trying to achieve. It will inform your strategy, and of course help you measure results against targets. For example, if your goal is to raise brand awareness, you should create ads focused on your brand rather than specific products and services. In this instance be careful about how frequently you display your ads back to a prospect; Google allows up to 540 days of remarketing after a visitor reaches your site but they would surely start to get frustrated, potentially harming your brand.

It is also crucial that your ad be highly relevant to what your visitors are looking for so you need to know what their needs are and what might entice them back to your website. Often this means sweetening the deal and entice them back to your website with a special offer or exclusive discount based on their previous browsing.

To improve your conversion rate, combine remarketing campaigns with other targeting techniques such as demographics, and don’t underestimate the importance of seasonal events: men may be your primary target all year round if you sell golf equipment, but around Christmas time and Father’s Day, remember the women in their lives who are likely to buy gifts for them.

Whether you are looking at increasing sales, membership registration or promoting awareness of your brand, remarketing campaigns can be a very successful strategy. This Side Up has extensive experience in remarketing and can handle all aspects of the process from planning and management through to ad creative design and reporting. Speak with us if you would like to explore the possibilities of remarketing for your business.