Remarketing vs. Retargeting – Characteristic differences

The digital marketing ecosystem is complex – two strategies that are often discussed – and sometimes confused – are remarketing and retargeting. Although their common goal is to engage users who have shown interest in a brand, understanding their nuances is of tremendous importance for executing effective campaigns.

Basic Concepts of Remarketing and Retargeting

Essentially, remarketing is a strategy focused on re-engaging users through direct communication channels, mainly email or SMS. This approach targets people who have previously interacted with your brand, whether by making a purchase, subscribing to a newsletter or simply showing interest in your products. Remarketing campaigns can include sending personalized emails to encourage repeat purchases, offering special discounts or informing customers about relevant products.

Retargeting, on the other hand, leans toward using paid online ads to attract the attention of users who have visited your site or shown interest in your brand, but did not make a purchase or take the desired action. Using cookies, retargeting displays ads to these potential customers as they browse other websites or social media platforms, thus keeping your brand at the forefront and encouraging them to return to your site.

Goals and objectives: Divergent Paths to Engagement

The goal of remarketing is to deepen customer relationships and increase the lifetime value of existing customers. It aims to foster brand loyalty, encourage repeat purchases and increase customer engagement through personalized communications.

Retargeting, on the other hand, aims to increase conversions by focusing on potential customers who are already familiar with the brand but have not yet converted. This strategy maintains brand visibility for these users by subtly prompting them to make a purchase or other desired action.

Strategies in Action: How Do They Complement Each Other?

Used together, remarketing and retargeting can be a powerful combination for digital marketing success. For example, a user who visits a site and leaves without making a purchase may initially be targeted with retargeting ads across platforms. 

If the user engages with these ads, remarketing strategies such as personalized email campaigns can then provide a more direct and tailored message to encourage a purchase.

Maximizing Effectiveness: Best Practices and Recommendations

To realize the full potential of these strategies, it is essential to segment audiences, personalize messages and choose the timing of communications wisely. In the case of remarketing, sending an email about an abandoned shopping cart within 24 hours can significantly impact conversion rates. Retargeting, however, benefits from setting frequency limits to prevent ad fatigue and using dynamic retargeting to personalize ads based on user behavior.

Evolving Strategies in Digital Engagement: A New Horizon

Understanding the differences between remarketing and retargeting is crucial for any digital marketer who wants to use these strategies effectively. By recognizing their unique features and implementing them judiciously in your marketing campaigns, you can not only re-engage interested users, but also convert potential interest into tangible business results.

Whether it’s personalized email campaigns or strategically placed ads, both remarketing and retargeting offer valuable tools in the digital marketer’s arsenal to increase brand awareness, customer loyalty and ultimately conversions.Retargeting vs remarketing – learn more about it from the RTB blog!