What is Facebook Retargeting?
Facebook retargeting is a specific marketing technique and campaign type that uses Facebook Ads to target users who have already visited your site or app. Your Facebook retargeting audience aims to motivate users to return to your site to convert into customers.
Facebook isn’t the only company with retargeting options, but the creation of the Facebook (now Meta) Pixel made retargeting much more straightforward than previous options. Now, Facebook has become one of the most popular paid ad platforms to run retargeting campaigns, and other companies have learned from Pixel.
How a Facebook Retargeting Ad Works
There are two methods for indicating who to target with a retargeting campaign. Both methods identify those who have already visited your site. These methods are:
- Pixel-based retargeting: The Meta Pixel is a cookie, which can be first-party or third-party, to identify users who have already visited your site or used your app. Anytime someone visits your site, Pixel connects that visit with their Facebook account. This is the most popular method of identifying the right users to target.
- List-based retargeting: This retargeting method is more time-consuming but is still used by many businesses. With list-based retargeting, you’ll upload a list of email addresses to drive your campaign. The list is usually those who have opted into your newsletter or completed a lead generation form.
You can then set up a Facebook retargeting campaign with either method, and it will operate the same within Facebook’s ecosystem — targeting users who have already visited your site or app.
Setting Up Facebook Retargeting
How do you go about setting up Facebook retargeting to start using these types of campaigns? Let’s quickly go over how you can get started tracking and retargeting users:
- Create your Pixel: Within the Ads Manager, select the Events Manager. Then, click ‘Connect a data source’ to initiate a setup wizard. Once complete, you’ll have a new Pixel and two options to integrate it with your site or app:
- Manually add Pixel code to your site
- Use a partner integration (Shopify, WordPress, Squarespace, etc.)
- Create the retargeting audience: Next, you’ll create a custom audience that uses your Pixel or uploaded list. Select Audiences, Create New Audience, and Create a Custom Audience within the Ads Manager. You’ll have a variety of sources to choose from, which includes specific options related to your Pixel or uploaded list; select the activity if using Pixel; otherwise, this is where you can upload a list.
- Set campaign objectives: Facebook retargeting campaigns determine the audience, but you can choose specific objectives like any other campaign. The three overarching objective categories are:
- Awareness
- Consideration
- Conversion
- Choose the retargeting audience: In this step, you’ll simply choose the audience you created in step 2. You can return to the Custom Audiences screen to change the audience size.
- Create the ad and determine placement: The ad creatives should keep in mind that you’re targeting users who are already aware of your business. You can use this information to create ads that motivate them to return to your site and become customers. Once created, you’ll need to determine ad placement, which can be automatic or manual. Automatic is a great way to start. Then you can opt for manual placement as your campaigns grow.
- Set the campaign budget: How much do you want to spend? With retargeting, you can set daily budgets or lifetime budgets for the campaign period. The right choice depends on your overall business objectives and the goal of the campaign.
- Monitor your campaign: Just like any campaign, it’s wise to stay aware of how it performs. Facebook makes it easy to monitor your retargeting campaigns through the ad manager, allowing you to make changes on the fly or provide insights for new campaigns.
Now you’re ready to start building an effective Facebook Ads retargeting strategy to bring users back to your site. With the right ad creatives and experimentation, you’ll be ready to increase your ROI, target the right users, and boost conversions.
