8.8 Retargeting
How Retargeting Works
Someone visits your website. Your Pixel (Meta) or Google tag records the visit. Later, they see your ad on Facebook, Instagram, or other websites. Because they already know your brand, they're far more likely to click and convert. Think of it as a digital follow-up -- the online equivalent of the 7-touch cadence (section 7.5).
Step-by-Step
Create retargeting audiences
Set up audiences based on website behaviour:
- Meta (Facebook/Instagram): Events Manager > Audiences > Custom Audience > Website > select people who visited in the last 30/60/90 days
- Google Ads: Tools > Audience Manager > create audience from website visitors
- Segment by intent: Create separate audiences for high-intent pages (pricing, contact, booking) vs. general visitors. Bid more aggressively on high-intent visitors.
- Exclude converters: Always exclude people who already converted (visited your thank-you page).
Design retargeting-specific ads
Retargeting ads should be different from your cold ads:
- Acknowledge they visited: "Still thinking about photo booth hire for your wedding?"
- Address objections: "Not sure about pricing? Our packages start from $750 with no hidden fees."
- Add urgency: "Limited dates available for December -- check availability now."
- Social proof: Show testimonials, review counts, or case studies they haven't seen
- Special offer: A retargeting-only discount or bonus can push fence-sitters over the edge
Set frequency caps
Seeing the same ad 20 times doesn't make someone buy -- it makes them hate your brand:
- Meta: Set frequency cap at ad set level or monitor frequency metric. Aim for 3--5 impressions per person per week maximum.
- Google Display: Campaign settings > Frequency capping > set to 3--5 impressions per day
- Rotate 3--4 different ad creatives to reduce fatigue
- Set a maximum retargeting window of 30--60 days.
Set up a retargeting funnel
Layer your retargeting for maximum effectiveness:
- Days 1--3 after visit: Show a testimonial or case study ad
- Days 4--7: Show an FAQ or objection-handling ad
- Days 8--14: Show a special offer or urgency-based ad
- Days 15--30: Lower-cost awareness ad (stay top-of-mind without heavy spend)
- This mirrors the follow-up cadence but through advertising instead of email/SMS
Budget and measure
Retargeting is cheap and effective:
- Budget: Allocate 10--20% of your total ad spend to retargeting. For $1,800/month total, that's $180--360/month.
- Metrics to watch: Cost per conversion (should be 50--70% lower than cold campaigns), frequency (under 5/week), ROAS (should be your highest-ROAS campaign)
- Minimum audience size: Google reduced the minimum from 1,000 to 100 users in December 2025, making retargeting viable for small businesses much earlier.
If you can only afford one paid ad campaign, make it retargeting. It costs less, converts higher, and works with traffic you're already getting from SEO, social media, and referrals. A $5/day retargeting campaign often outperforms a $50/day cold campaign.
You're Done When
- Retargeting audiences created in Meta and/or Google
- Converters excluded from retargeting
- Retargeting-specific ads created (different from cold ads)
- Frequency caps set (3--5 per week)
- Budget allocated (10--20% of total ad spend)
- Retargeting funnel layered by days since visit