Retargeting or Remarketing? Is there a difference?

These terms are often used interchangeably and although they do have the shared goal of re-engaging users who have previously interacted with your brand or website. The channels and techniques each uses are different.

What is Retargeting?

Retargeting is used to interact with website visitors who haven’t purchased a product or enquired about a service.

We can use cookie data from whilst they were on site to target them with ads once they leave. Retargeting ads are primarily run on Google’s display network as well as Facebook and Instagram. They are used to remind consumers about your offering and to encourage them to come back to the site and convert.

Email marketing also has a role to play. A popular and successful technique in e-commerce is sending abandon basket or abandon browse emails to users who left the website without purchasing, to encourage them to come back to the site and complete their order.

What is Remarketing?

Remarketing is used to interact with existing customers who have previously purchased a product or enquired about a service.

This aim of this is to retain a long term relationship with them and keep them engaged with your brand so they become loyal and purchase again in the future.

Email is the main channel for remarketing however running paid ads to only existing customers is also a common strategy.

Exclusive member sales, monthly newsletters, review requests, and upselling are all examples of remarketing emails and can help to develop long term profitable relationships with customers and protect them from going elsewhere.

Which should I use?

Our stance is that both have an important role to play in digital marketing strategy, but it does depend on your businesses needs.

If budget constraints are a factor, then we’d recommend utilising paid media channels for retargeting. This will allow you to focus your media spend on new customers who are yet to purchase, and who are often the most challenging and expensive to acquire.

You can then focus your remarketing on your existing customers, keeping them engaged and loyal with your brand and website through regular email updates.

Get in touch to see how we can help shape your digital marketing strategy.