If you’ve ever wondered whether or not you’re getting the most out of your Facebook ads, you’re not alone. There are a variety of different ad campaigns and strategies, but one of the most important types of ad available on Facebook is the retargeting ad.
Retargeting ads use one of the most valuable sources of data – customers who have already shown interest in your product – to help you make a sale. Imagine someone walking around your lot with a sign above their heads that’s flashing “I’m interested!” You would be crazy not to walk up to them and show them the features of the vehicle they’re looking at, right? The same thinking applies to retargeting. Use this ad type to reach hot leads and urge them to come in for a customer-focused, pressure-free visit.
How To Create a Retargeting Ad
Step 1: Install the Facebook Pixel
The Facebook Pixel is the social media platform’s unique string of code for your Facebook page that is installed on your website. When a customer visits your site, this string of code will fire information back to Facebook about which pages were viewed. This is the most important part; without the Pixel, your retargeting efforts on Facebook won’t get off the ground. Contact your website provider for help with installation.
Step 2: Check Your Pixel Performance
Before you create your audience, you’ll want to make sure your Pixel is working correctly. Within Facebook Business Manager, navigate to the “Pixel” section under “Measure and Report.” Here you should begin to see some page view data once your website provider has installed the code.
Step 3: Create Your Audience
There are a variety of possibilities when it comes to using data gathered by your Facebook Pixel, but we’ll keep it simple for now. Navigate to the “Audiences” section within Business Manager and click the “Create Audience” button. You’ll want to start with a custom audience. You’ll then have five options with which to populate your audience – choose “Website Traffic.”
You can then create a broad retargeting audience that will include all website visitors within the specified time frame, or you can create an audience based off of specific web pages visited. Want to target customers based on time on site? You can do that too.
One of the best things about retargeting ads on Facebook is your ability to include and exclude different audience factors. For example, if you have a special promotion with a landing page that takes customers to a lead form, consider creating a retargeting ad that will be shown to customers who visited your special promotion’s landing page but did not fill out the lead form. There are so many options, so don’t be afraid to get creative! The more targeted your audience is, the more likely you’ll be to move some metal.
Step 4: Create Your Ad
This is where you can really have some fun. Feel free to include exciting offer details, use eye-catching imagery, and for goodness sake, throw some emojis in your ad copy if it makes sense for your messaging and brand! You’ve created the perfect audience for your messaging, so don’t let them slip through your fingers; make it compelling. One helpful tip – consider switching up your messaging and imagery on a regular basis to avoid burning out your audience.
Remember that Facebook is a pay-to-play space, so it’s important to allocate enough budget to reach your audience. The perfect customer base and perfect messaging won’t do anything if potential buyers aren’t seeing it! This is also where you’ll set your ad’s end date (if you choose to have one).
Step 5: Monitor, Monitor, Monitor!
As with your other ads, it’s important to consistently evaluate performance for the KPIs you deem important. Don’t set it and forget it, or you may miss out on an opportunity to learn more about your ad strategy, reach potential customers, or tweak your budget. By monitoring your retargeting ad’s performance, you’ll be providing a better customer experience which leads to increased sales. And that’s something we can all get behind!
Rock Your Retargeting Strategy
If you’re ready to take your social media advertising to the next level but have some questions, our team is here to help. With decades of combined industry experience and a knack for giving dealerships exactly what they need, our social media ad strategists are ready to create a custom ad plan for your specific needs. Contact us today to learn more!