Before I was born, my parents drove Chevy Camaros that would later become classics. I heard enough stories to fall in love with everything about those cars — except, of course, the modern-day price tag, which can easily reach $200,000. I figured I’d just have to give up the family legacy of American muscle.
Then, I saw a new Camaro in 2012 — fast, eye-catching and, most importantly, not yet a classic.
The moral of the story is this: Even if something didn’t seem reasonable, relevant or accessible at first, there are always second chances. And that’s what remarketing services are all about.
Here’s how to make a customer fall back in love with your digital marketing campaign the same way I fell back in love with a little red car.
Marketing vs. Remarketing: What You Need To Know
You may have heard that more than half of consumers would stop using a brand after just one bad customer experience (CX). The good news is that CX and marketing aren’t necessarily the same thing.
Think about it from a consumer perspective: If you have a bad CX interaction, it’s frustrating partly because you’re already invested in a particular product or service. Digital marketing, on the other hand, doesn’t demand commitment, so a campaign that doesn’t resonate might just be disinteresting instead of downright infuriating.
That’s why remarketing has so much potential: It takes advantage of missed connections, not lost opportunities.
Let’s take a closer look:
Marketing
Marketing is your first chance — or, perhaps, your first round of chances. Depending on what your target audience is looking for and how they got to your content, you have plenty of opportunities to engage them. For example, maybe a landing page doesn’t keep their attention, but a call-to-action button offering a free eBook is enough to get them hooked. That’s still part of your “first chance” because the customer didn’t leave yet.
Remarketing
A remarketing strategy kicks in when website visitors interact with your brand but choose to leave without interacting further. Note that this isn’t just about newcomers; remarketing solutions can support existing customer retention, too. No matter what your target audience is, your goal is to draw them back to your website, content or products — and that approach will depend on:
- How they originally interacted with your brand.
- What action you want them to take.
- Why you think they abandoned the process to begin with.
This helps determine what a customer is thinking and how you can better connect with them.
Retargeting
Retargeting is similar to remarketing and may even be part of your campaign. However, retargeting is more about leveraging cookies and strategically placing search ads, whereas remarketing is somewhat broader in that it involves emails and other types of content.
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Benefits of Remarketing (The Right Way)
Is there a little part of your brain pumping the brakes right now? Maybe it’s insisting that there’s no point in pursuing an audience that has already decided they don’t want anything to do with your brand. And, in some cases, yes — a missed connection really does become a missed opportunity.
But that wasn’t the case with me and that Camaro. I’m willing to bet that it won’t be the case with all your customers, either.
Here are just a few benefits of remarketing done right:
#1: Capitalize on Existing Brand Awareness
A standard marketing campaign might exist just to create brand awareness — but if you’re considering remarketing tactics, that means your audience already knows about you. (This is especially true if you’re working on existing customer retention.) As such, you can skip the time and effort required to introduce who you are and what you do; instead, you can get right to the good stuff.
Think about it this way:
- Marketing is about starting a fire.
- Remarketing is about stoking one back to life.
Essentially, you don’t have to go through the work of gathering firewood and kindling, so your campaign is that much sleeker. (Your campaign — get it? Like campfires? Oh well, I tried.)
#2: Show Customers You Care
A brand that doesn’t seem to pay attention to its audience is pretty much doomed. Good remarketing campaigns prove that you’re on the ball — and, more importantly, that you’re acting on insights you gather about consumers. When you make an effort to solve their problems before they’ve even become a paying customer, you put yourself at the top of the CX food chain.
#3: Start New Conversations
Remarketing is a chance to say something that otherwise would have gone unsaid. You fill a gap, address a need or answer a question — and in the process, you open the door to new conversations with your audience. Even if not every interaction turns into a sale, you still get the benefit of learning more about your customers and what makes them choose you vs. your competitors.
Tips for a Smart Remarketing Campaign
With remarketing services on your side, just about anything is possible. Here are a few tips to help make sure you’re taking advantage of those second chances:
#1: Nail the Tone
The last thing you want your digital remarketing campaign to be is pushy. Remember, you’re trying to reconnect — and that means addressing the hesitations that may have caused the audience to turn away. Make sure to put benefits in the spotlight and prioritize customer experience over everything.
#2: Leverage the Research Phase
Sometimes, a customer leaves your site to do external research before making a decision. This is a perfect opportunity to showcase just how much you understand about your audience and their pain points — all you have to do is make sure you’re the source for their information.
The truth is that a potential customer will almost always perform due diligence, especially in the business-to-business or B2B marketing space. By anticipating this and providing vital information alongside a product page or offer, you don’t just keep people on your website — you prove you can cater to their needs without them lifting a finger.
#3: Use Different Approaches
Remarketing campaigns can take many forms, so don’t get stuck in any single one. Instead, switch things up with content ideas like these:
- Social media: A good social media platform gives you unrivaled insight into user behaviors and habits, helping you learn more about what your audience is looking for. Remarketing on social media can include ad placement, tailored posts and more.
- Email: Personalized subject lines and calls to action can reignite a customer’s interest. Remember that this needs to be your hook — eye-catching and memorable — so you can reel a website visitor back in.
- Website content: You can tailor landing pages, eBooks, white papers and other content to meet particular remarketing requirements. For example, if you notice that customers consistently make it to pricing pages and then don’t go any further, you might offer an eBook about the return on investment of your product or service.
- Paid ads: While more “retargeting” than “remarketing,” paid ads are nonetheless a valuable tool to keep in your back pocket. They can respond to browsing habits, previous purchases, cart contents and other elements that help narrow your audience.
#4: Try Content Marketing Software
When you use remarketing services, your provider will likely have a content marketing platform to help unite all the disparate parts of your campaign. It’s wise to brush up on this software, how it works and what it does — not just to get more out of remarketing services themselves, but also to be a savvier player in the marketing landscape overall. The technology is there; you just have to know how to take advantage of it.
Getting Second Chances With Remarketing Services
Here’s the thing about chances: You might not get a third one.
That means you have to be careful with your digital remarketing efforts. They need to be convincing but not forceful, intriguing but not desperate — so it’s critical that you tread carefully.
In some cases, the best solution is to call in backup from content marketing professionals. A remarketing agency can help you reach out and grab that second chance without getting in your own way, and it’s all made easier with the support of writers, designers, strategists and email experts. This team will help you better understand your target audience, including their needs and pain points, and design a remarketing campaign that establishes stronger relationships.
The best part about remarketing services is that you get guidance every step of the way. From persona development and retargeting campaigns all the way to performance review and analysis, you’ll have insight into every step, decision and outcome.
Grab Your Second Chance With a Remarketing Campaign
A second chance was all it took to help me claim a place in my family’s legacy. Yes, we’re talking about Camaros here — but my whole life would have turned out differently if Chevy hadn’t tried something new. Plus, the experience taught me a whole lot about “the right product at the right time.”
Now I’m here to say that, as cliché as it sounds, you can’t afford to give up. You never know who’s out there waiting for you to take that second chance and offer something they’ll fall in love with.
In the meantime, I’ve got something for you to fall in love with: our content marketing newsletter. Subscribe today for more inspiration, insights and the occasional Camaro commentary.
