Social Media Retargeting: A Checklist for Getting Started

Social media retargeting is a must-have for marketers who want to level up their brands. After all, shoppers rarely hit the “buy now” button after only seeing one ad or social media post. Instead, their consideration process spans dozens of unique touchpoints over weeks and sometimes even months. 

The best way to re-engage with shoppers after they leave your site? With social media retargeting. Here’s how to get started:

What Is Social Media Retargeting?

Social media retargeting is a marketing tactic where you deliver retargeting ads via social media channels, such as Facebook or Instagram. It’s a great way to recover abandoned carts, reach out to customers who may not have shopped with you in a while, or remind site visitors what you have to offer. 

Acquiring new customers is expensive, and social media retargeting is a great opportunity to keep costs low by focusing on audiences who have already interacted with your brand (plus recouping any sales left on the table). 

The benefits of social media retargeting are huge. Use the following checklist (or download it and save it for later) to make sure you have all of your bases covered as you launch your first campaign:

Social Media Retargeting: A "Getting Started" Checklist

✅ Determine the goals and KPIs of your campaign. 

✅ Choose your budget and campaign duration. 

✅ Choose your social media platforms. (We recommend using more than one.) 

✅ Make sure the pixel for each social media channel is set up correctly. 

✅ Identify your target audience based on your goals, then try to set up more specific audience segments (e.g., by abandoned cart value or pages visited). 

✅ Create multiple ad creatives (or risk causing ad fatigue!).

✅ Infuse your ads with power words, FOMO, and urgency. 

✅ Ensure that your ads are aligned with the tone, voice, and feel of your other marketing efforts. 

✅ Keep your copy as simple and direct as possible. 

✅ Experiment with different offers (e.g., free shipping or a small discount).

✅ Include a clear and actionable CTA. 

✅ Use different ad sizes. 

✅ Set a frequency cap. (We recommend no more than twice per ad creative.) 

✅ Make sure you’ve set up your analytics tool or performance dashboard properly.  

✅ A/B test all your ad creatives. 

✅ Optimize your landing page. 

Level Up Your Success

Ready to maximize your sales using social media retargeting? Check out this blog:

And if you're not sure where to start, good news: There’s no need to embark on the social media retargeting journey alone. AdRoll’s AI-powered retargeting solution — which leverages 15+ years of data on shopper behavior and trends — is the best way to launch a highly effective and relevant campaign.

For even more tips and tricks on building an effective retargeting strategy — especially with the right platform — check out this guide.

Last updated on June 17th, 2022.