Retargeting (Remarketing)
What is RT?
Retargeting (also called remarketing) is the practice of showing ads to people who have previously interacted with your business but did not convert. Using tracking pixels and Custom Audiences, you can re-engage website visitors, app users, or content engagers with tailored messaging to bring them back and complete a conversion.
Example
A visitor browses your online store, adds a pair of shoes to their cart, but leaves without purchasing. Through retargeting, they see a dynamic ad on Instagram showing the exact shoes they left behind, along with a 10% discount code. They click and complete the purchase.
Industry Benchmarks
| Platform / Segment | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Retargeting CTR | 0.7% – 2.5% | 2–3x higher than cold traffic |
| Retargeting CPA | 30% – 50% lower | vs. prospecting campaigns |
| Cart Abandonment Recovery | 10% – 25% | Recovery rate with ads |
| Retargeting ROAS | 5x – 15x | Often the highest ROAS channel |
2–3x higher than cold traffic
vs. prospecting campaigns
Recovery rate with ads
Often the highest ROAS channel
Benchmarks are approximate averages and vary by industry, targeting, season, and geography.
Optimization Tips
- 1
Segment retargeting audiences by funnel stage, product viewers, cart abandoners, and past purchasers each need different messaging.
- 2
Use dynamic product ads to automatically show users the exact products they viewed or added to cart.
- 3
Set frequency caps to avoid annoying your retargeting audiences, 3–5 impressions per week is a good starting point.
- 4
Exclude recent purchasers from retargeting for 7–14 days to prevent showing ads for products they already bought.
Frequently Asked Questions About RT
Track Your RT in Real Time
Adship gives you a unified dashboard to monitor RT, optimize campaigns, and improve performance across Meta and TikTok.