Ad Retargeting

Retargeting ads, also called remarketing ads, are a digital advertising strategy used on social media platforms to reconnect with users who have already interacted with a brand but have not completed an intended action, like making a purchase. When a user interacts with a brand in any number of ways—like visiting a website, clicking on an ad, or engaging with specific content—they become part of the brand's audience. Brands use audience segmentation to divide their audience into groups based on shared characteristics, which then allows brands to send tailored messages to that specific group.

Retargeting ads are one way of sending a very specific message to a very specific audience. Because social media platforms are visual by nature and inundate users with intense visual stimuli, the most effective way to send a message is through visuals that have eye-catching qualities, are uniquely designed, and are compelling in both nature and content. To this end, retargeting ads on social media often try to include the same products, visuals, and eye-catching techniques that a user may have encountered at any point within their previous interactions with the brand.