How to do Facebook Remarketing

Thinking of using Facebook remarketing?

Then this is the guide for you.

Reportedly, most sites are only able to convert 2% of their visitors on average. While that’s not a great number, it doesn’t mean you have to give up on the remaining 98%. Which is where remarketing comes into play; with it, you’ll be able to target those visitors who have already shown interest in your brand. The results? For some industries, retargeting can lead to a 147% higher conversion rate over time. Below I’ll cover the in’s and out’s of Facebook remarketing, and why you need it in your marketing plan.

What is Facebook Remarketing and Why is it Important?

Also known as retargeting, remarketing is a way of targeting someone who has already visited your website. It gives you a second chance to reach the one that got away – the one who visited your blog or browsed your services but didn’t bother to leave any contact information behind. For example, say you run a clothing store with an online presence. Maybe you’re getting plenty of traffic to your store, and maybe a good majority make it all the way to the checkout page. But somewhere along the line, you lose them. Using remarketing, you can identify those potential buyers and run targeted ads on other platforms to incite them to complete their purchase. It works through cookies that track users who have been to your site, so you already have a qualified audience to reach through ads. And it works very well. So well that it can boost ad response by as much as 400%. Not only that, but visitors who are retargeted with display ads are 70% more likely to convert on your website. And all in all, the click-through rates for retargeted display ads can be 10x higher than non-targeted ads.

Why Facebook Remarketing?

Facebook is one of the most popular platforms for retargeting. That’s largely due to Facebook’s ability to fine-tune your targeting methods. And it doesn’t hurt that it reaches a lot of people. These days, two billion people are using Facebook each month, and 1 of every 5 minutes people spend on mobile is on Facebook or Instagram. Not only that, but ads alone receive 22 billion clicks on Facebook. That’s a big audience, which is good, but sending your ad out to all two billion will likely yield few results. Instead, we use remarketing. On average, Facebook remarketing ads get 3x the engagement than regular ads. Because as Facebook knows, “it’s easier to sell to existing customers than to look for new ones.” Which is why Facebook created Custom Audiences.

About Custom Audiences and the Facebook Pixel

Custom Audiences are made up of your existing customers and leads, and they’re used to break down ads to target very specific behaviors and backgrounds of those leads. According to Facebook, the purpose is to “connect with people who have already shown an interest in your business or product.” They allow you to segment your audience by:

• Customer File
• Website Traffic
• App Activity
• Engagement

While all have their merits, we’re focusing specifically on Website Traffic today. To activate, rather than supplying customer emails or phone numbers to build your list, you’ll insert a Facebook Pixel tracking code on a website. The Pixel will then target your Facebook ads to users that have visited your site (or a specific page) on your site in a designated time period – which can last up to 180 days. 

Once issued, your pixel code will be added to all the website pages you want to track in a given campaign. Only one pixel code is given per ad account.

Setting up Facebook Remarketing

Setting up your first remarketing ad is a matter of following a few simple steps.

1. First, log into your Facebook Ads Manager and locate Business Manager at the top left of the screen
2. Then choose Select Audiences from the drop-down menu under Business Manager
3. Next, you’ll click “Create Audience” from the top left of the screen and select “Custom Audience”
4. You’ll be taken a new page, where you will choose “Website Traffic” from the given list
5. This is where you select who you want to track with the Facebook Pixel. You will choose from the following list:

• Anyone who visits your page
• People who visited specific page
• People visiting specific pages but not others
• People who haven’t visited in a certain amount of time

Here you will also select a target date range (people who have visited your site in that last however many days), and give your audience a name.

6. The next step is getting your Pixel code and adding it to your website, which you’ll find in the Audiences section of Ads Manager. Select your new campaign, click Actions and then click View Panel in the drop-down menu
7. You’ll be issued a pixel code, which you or your developer will then place on all website pages you’d like to target in your campaign.

Selecting Your Facebook Remarketing Target and Where to Cookie Users

Here’s what you don’t want: One Custom Audience that targets everyone who has ever visited your website. Why? Because people will visit your website for any number of reasons. And in order to advertise effectively, you need to know the specific intent of the user. The success of your campaign relies on finding – and reaching – the right target. Custom Audiences allow you to target prospects based on how they’ve interacted with your site. Who and which pages you choose to track will ultimately depend on what you’re trying to accomplish with your remarketing efforts. For example, maybe you would like to reach customers who have made it all the way to the checkout page but backed out before completing the purchase. You would then enable the pixel on your checkout page, and retarget those customers with an ad containing a special offer or discount – just the push they need to return and purchase from your site. Similarly, if your goal is an overall increase in sales, you would want to tag your best-selling product pages. Or, maybe you’re trying to grow your blog or email subscription list. In that case, you could place the pixel code on your blog pages to remarket to those who already have a proven interest in your content. Try to be a specific as possible when choosing who to target. After all, the more you can narrow down your goals and who they align with, the better chance you have of your ads finding the right audience.

Creating Your Facebook Remarketing Ads

Once you know who you’re targeting, it’s time to figure out how to draw their attention. This isn’t the time to use the same images and copy you’ve been using in any old display ad; instead, take the time to craft a creative designed to appeal specifically to your retargeting audience. Remember, these people already know your brand, so don’t waste time introducing yourself. Instead, address your goal. Trying to recapture that lost sale? Address a sales concern in your copy, or show off products they’ve visited in the past. As always, keep your copy creative and your images eye-catching. And of course, pay special attention to your call-to-action (CTA). That means:

• Use action words (Read now!)
• Encourage quick action (Don’t waste a second; get started today!)
• Give your audience the next step (Click the link below)

Of course, you’ll CTA should reflect your overall goal and desired action – be it buy now, subscribe today, etc.

How to Measure Your Facebook Remarketing Efforts

Facebook makes it easy to track your campaign’s success right in the Ads Manager section. There, you’ll be able to monitor factors like clicks, impressions, reach, click-through rate (CTR), and conversions. You can also use Google Analytics to see how your website traffic has been affected and whether prospects are landing on the right pages. Keep close tabs on these performance indicators, and make sure the results align with the goals you put forth. If your goal was more traffic, has there been a noticeable increase? Or if more sales are what you offer, how has your campaign affected product sales? And remember, continuously test your ad for better performance. Some factors to test include:

• CTA
• Images
• Landing pages
• Messaging
• Budget

Also, check to make sure that your returns are worth the investment. If you find that your goals are too costly or customers aren’t converting as well as you hoped, tweak your ads accordingly and scale down where possible.

Get Started With Facebook Remarketing

Most website visitors won’t take action on the first visit. But remarketing will allow you to reconnect with qualified potential customers. Sometimes, all they need is a second chance.