Retargeting: Definition & Meaning
Showing ads on social media to people who have previously visited your website or engaged with your content.
Below is the full definition and meaning of Retargeting in the context of social media marketing.
Retargeting (also called remarketing) is a paid advertising technique where you show ads to people who have previously interacted with your brand — visited your website, watched your video, engaged with your social profile, or opened your email. It uses tracking pixels (Meta Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag) to identify and re-reach these warm audiences.
Retargeting consistently outperforms cold audience advertising because you're reaching people who already know your brand. Conversion rates for retargeted audiences are typically 3-5x higher than cold audiences, and costs are lower because the targeting is precise.
Common retargeting strategies: showing product ads to website visitors who didn't convert, re-engaging video viewers with a follow-up offer, and targeting email list subscribers on social with consistent messaging.
Related Terms
Social media advertising that uses budget to show content to targeted audiences beyond your organic followers.
The percentage of people who complete a desired action (sign-up, purchase, download) after clicking from your social content.
The stages a potential customer moves through from first discovering your brand to making a purchase decision.
The cost to show your ad to 1,000 people, a standard metric for measuring the efficiency of paid social campaigns.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long should a retargeting window be?
- It depends on your product's purchase cycle. For impulse or low-cost purchases (e-commerce), 7-14 days works well. For considered B2B purchases with longer sales cycles, 30-90 days is more appropriate. Beyond your typical sales cycle, retargeting becomes less relevant and can feel intrusive.
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