Remarketing refresher

As you’ve learnt in our remarketing section for Google Ads, this advertising strategy targets people who have previously browsed through your website. When they move to other websites or social media sites, they will see highly tailored ads. These will display the listings, services and even career opportunities they might have viewed on your website.

The ads follow your website visitors around the internet and continuously remind them of your brand. Done right, your previous website visitors return, potentially turning into a promising lead.

Facebook remarketing works in a similar way. However, the ads will only follow visitors around on Facebook, Instagram and the Audience Network.

How Facebook remarketing works

Facebook remarketing harnesses the power of Facebook pixel. This is a small snippet of code that is pasted in your website. The pixel tracks the pages your visitors have browsed and uses this data to show them personalised ads on their newsfeed or the Facebook Messenger App. The best part? Because it’s PPC advertising, you will only be charged once a visitor has clicked on your ad.

Facebook remarketing benefits

The pixel comes with loads of other benefits beyond remarketing.

• Take centre stage: Your ads will feature prominently on the newsfeed of your visitor. These ads are three times more engaging than regular Facebook ads.
• Get the 411 on your audience: You can use it to understand their activities and behaviours as they browse your website. You’ll also be able to track conversions.
• Target with relevant ads: With Facebook pixel, you’ll market offerings your audience has shown an interest in. This helps you convert more effectively.
• Extend the shopper journey: Your website visitor might not be ready to buy listings or sign up for your services. By following them onto Facebook, it can help nudge them into investing in what you’re offering. Being on Facebook may also put them in a more receptive mood to say yes.
• Create a custom audience: You can remarket to audiences similar to the ones that have visited your website. This expands your marketing reach.

Remarket using these Facebook ads

You can reach your audience with any type of Facebook ad. However, there are two ad types that were made specifically for remarketing.

• Facebook dynamic ads: These ads automatically show the right properties or services to the people who have expressed interest in your agency through your website or elsewhere on the internet. To launch this ad, simply upload your ‘product catalog’ and set up your campaign. Facebook will then present your dynamic ads to a targeted audience. The ads will include the exact properties or services they have searched for as well as up-to-date pricing and availability.
• Sponsored messages: This lets you send relevant offers, promotions or updates directly to the people your agency is already talking to in Messenger. If you have already connected with your clients on Messenger, either through a bot for Messenger or live chat support, you should use sponsored messages to re-engage with them.

Set up your remarketing campaign

Head over to Facebook Ads Manager to get started. Then follow these five steps to create your first remarketing campaign.

1. Build your Facebook pixel

   Follow this guide to put your Facebook pixel together. Once it is generated, you can integrate the code into your website. You’ll have the option of measuring the actions you care about. For example, if someone views a listing or clicks on your contact form.

2. Create your custom audience

   This is an ad targeting option that lets you find your existing audiences on Facebook. The pixel you’ve set up will provide you with a list of people who have visited your website combined with the actions they’ve taken. You have three options to create your custom audience: From a customer list, an instant experience or a lead form.

   You can grow your agency further by using your custom audience to create a lookalike audience. These are lists of people you can target that are similar to the people currently engaging with your agency. For example, if you sell homes in retirement communities in Franschhoek, your audience will likely be over 50 and around that area. Lookalike audiences will pinpoint others within that age group and in that vicinity.

   
3. Identify your campaign objective

   You’ll need to decide what you want to achieve with your ad. Click the “Create an Ad” button and choose an objective for your ad. You can only choose one objective per campaign.

   • Awareness: This will help you evoke interest in your listings or services. It’s a great way to get your brand out there and increase your reach.
   • Consideration: This will get people to think about your agency and seek more information. You can target people who are more likely to engage with your brand, drive traffic to a URL, collect leads and more.
   • Conversions: This will encourage people interested in your agency to buy a listing or sign up for your services.
   
4. Choose your custom audience

   After you’ve determined your objective, you need to select a custom audience that you created in step 2. Your custom audience can include people who’ve visited your website or landing page.

   
5. The final touches

   These last few steps are relevant to all types of ads, not just for remarketing. Firstly, you need to pick where your ad will be shown (Ad Placements). Depending on your objective, your ad can appear in Facebook feeds, stories, during or after video content and more. You’d best choose Recommended Placements as this lets Facebook choose a placement where your ad best meets your campaign goals.

   Next, you’ll need to set a daily or lifetime budget for your remarketing campaign. It’s smart to start small and raise your budget once you can determine your most profitable campaigns.

   Lastly, you need to create your ad’s content. This includes selecting your ad format, designing visuals and crafting persuasive ad copy. Remember, your ad needs to be captivating with action-inducing triggers so that it stands out in a busy news feed.

   When all the steps are completed, you’ll simply need to hit “confirm” and Facebook will then proceed to review your ad. Once approved, your ad will be shown to people in your custom audience list.