#SocialPlus Remarketing: They’ll Be Back
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Quick, do an impression of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
We’re willing to bet a virtual steak dinner (0 calories!) that you said “I’ll Be Back.” It’s got to be the most common impression anyone does (as countless dinner parties have proven to us), and is instantly recognizable as soon as you hear it. Everyone knows where that line comes from, because everyone’s heard it a million times. Repetition has its advantages. Your goal should be to build the same familiarity & affection for your website.
Ready to accomplish this? Let’s Remarket.
What is remarketing?
No, it’s not going BACK to the grocery store because you forgot the eggs you went there for in the first place (somehow though, those Double-Stuffed Neapolitan Oreos did make it into your cart – weird).
Remarketing is actively and consciously showing your online advertisements to people who have visited your website.
It’s an easy way to remind visitors about your site and stay top of mind so that when they’re ready to make a purchase, they’re already thinking about you.
Remarketing campaigns extend the life of social initiatives and are more cost-effective
Perhaps you’ve heard this old chestnut: It’s much cheaper to sell to an existing customer than it is to sell to a new one. The same is true of remarketing – It’s much cheaper and more effective to market to people who you’ve already marketed to. Think about it this way, the amount of money you spend to maintain social media to only have it lead to one-time site visits could run you right off Facebook if you don’t make an effort to bring those folks back to the site for repeat visits. Remarketing allows you to continue to sell to individuals without having to start the marketing train all over again. It’s a lot easier to sell to someone who is already aware of your products than it is to a brand new customer.
Using Remarketing to Lure Those Lurkers Back
Because you create awesome content (right?), you have an audience of people who are interested in what you have to say – but maybe they’re not ready to buy your products yet. By showing them ads that take users back to your blog or by showing ads that tout the benefits of signing up for an email list, you can bring them to your site without being pushy on the sale.
You can use remarketing to drive specific purchases by showing discount codes in the ad or have the ad send people to sales oriented pages.
We once talked ourselves out of a pair of $300 killer wedges because of, well, 300 freaking dollars. Soon we came across an ad for 40% off that same site if we “liked” them on Facebook! We now serendipitously own a pair of $180 killer wedges. (They look even better than the $300 ones too!) And we really, really “like” that company now and can’t wait to see what they offer next.
You don’t have to use remarketing just to drive sales, though. Remarketing can help your marketing and social media goals too. Drive individuals to your social platforms to help build traction and grow your community. Once they’re there, the high quality content you’re already creating will take over and keep them coming back.
Platforms for Remarketing
“But Rignite,” you’re saying, “You’re an awesome group of people who we like very much and you clearly and concisely explained why remarketing is so good, but where do we do it?”
First of all, thank you – we think you’re pretty nice too. Secondly, the short answer is that there are a lot of answers (clear and concise, right?).
Google is the largest and most popular. Shocking, we know. They’re the little great big, massively overarching, world-controlling search engine that could, but don’t forget the little guys — ad networks like AdRoll and Bing/Yahoo! offer remarketing as well. All you need to do to get started is select the network that works best for your needs (we suggest starting with Google). You’ll then create a cookie through the ad network that you can place on your site. It might sound complicated, but it’s actually quite easy.
Facebook and YouTube also offer remarking options in their systems (either internally or through other networks like AdRoll).
Rignite Insight: Ads in Facebook should keep them in Facebook so custom pages are key here. This way there is no user confusion or hostility. Social media customers are savvy enough to know where that will take them and expect to be sent to Facebook where their discount code awaits.
Don’t Let Those Potential Customers Leave Without Saying Anything
It’s Ok to groan. We’ll wait…
They came to your site once — remarketing is a key method to ensure they come back and buy. It isn’t hard to do but it does require a slightly different mindset for both the marketer and the customer. Many companies have extensive off-line remarketing efforts but have yet to see how easy and profitable it can be to do it on social media.
So now you know. Remarket away and bring them back!
Have you tried a killer social plus remarketing combo punch? Share your experience or post your questions below.
About the Author
Kim Cooper
Kim Cooper is Sr. Marketing Manager at Rignite. She helps businesses get better results from their social media activity. She blogs about tips, best practices, and social media success stories.