Have you ever noticed those little ads along the side of your Facebook pages? You know, the ones that seem to have tapped into your brain, knowing what you like to drink, eat, where you like to shop…even your favorite sports team? Well, it’s no coincidence, nor is it some type of Facebook mind reading…it’s called retargeting.  

Retargeting for Facebook, one of Facebook’s many business features, is a technique that companies use to reach people who have previously visited their websites by showing them relevant ads to what they were searching earlier while they browse through Facebook.

How do they do it?

Companies and marketers use an automated audience creation system that plants Facebook remarketing pixels, or cookies, on whatever website they decide they would like to build a target audience from. An unmarked cookie is then placed in the browser of every person who visits that site, using simple Javascript code to anonymously follow the visitor.

Based on the actions people take while on the sites that contain the remarketing pixels, they will be placed into different “audiences” for the marketer or company to target specific ads to. For example, if they viewed but did not purchase an item, when their cookie indicates that they are on Facebook, they are likely to see an ad that says something along the lines of: “Finish what you started, products are only on sale until tomorrow” featuring a product similar, if not the exact one, they were considering.

 If someone did follow through and make a purchase on the previous site, they will continue to see another set of ads, geared towards following up with the purchase or suggestions for something else similar or that enhances the product or service.

 Most people do not usually convert from a visitor to a customer on the first visit to a website, therefore, with this remarketing method, companies are able to unobtrusively follow up with their potential clients.

 Why does it work?

Retargeting is an efficient way to hone in and concentrate your advertising on people who are already interested in your company and product. Although it has proven to dramatically increase the Return on Investment for most users, Retargeting cannot drive people to your site initially, and therefore should not be used alone as a marketing strategy.

 In conjunction with an Inbound Marketing method, which attracts traffic to your website through content, search engine optimization (SEO), and many other strategies, Retargeting for Facebook may be a good option to consider for your company’s marketing plan.

Has your company had any luck with Facebook Retargeting or any issues with the feature? If so, we’d love for you to share them with us in the comment section below!