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Ads and acquisition

What is retargeting?

Retargeting is showing ads to people who already visited your store or engaged with your brand, to bring them back to buy.

A real store example

Eight Saints neck cream listicle: nearly 100 Meta ads linked here.

The Meta Pixel and the TikTok Pixel are both detected on this listicle. Those pixels are what let the brand show a follow-up ad to someone who read the five reasons but didn't buy.

Open the pageSee their ads

Getting retargeting right

  1. Install and test your pixels

    Retargeting depends on the Meta Pixel and similar tags firing on every page and on purchase. Test them after any site change.

  2. Change the message, not just the audience

    Someone who saw your page already knows the pitch. Show them reviews, an answer to an objection or a reason to buy now.

  3. Cap how often people see it

    The same ad ten times a day turns interest into annoyance. Set a frequency cap and a time window.

Ask Replo: "show which pages visitors leave without buying".

Find where they leave

Retargeting questions

Is retargeting the same as remarketing?
Mostly, yes. Retargeting usually means ads shown to past visitors; remarketing often covers email and SMS to people who shared their details too. Both aim to bring back people who already showed interest.
Does retargeting still work without cookies?
Yes, with smaller audiences. Privacy changes mean pixels see fewer visitors, but server-side tracking such as the Meta Conversions API and your own email list fill much of the gap.
How long should a retargeting window be?
Match it to how long people take to decide. A low-price impulse item might need 7 days; furniture or skincare regimens might need 30 to 60. Test two windows and compare cost per order.

Related terms

Browse the glossary

Meta Pixel

The Meta Pixel is a snippet of code on your site that reports visits and purchases back to Meta so it can measure and optimize your ads.

Marketing attribution

Marketing attribution is deciding which ads, emails and touchpoints get credit for a sale.

Bounce rate

Bounce rate is the share of visits that leave after viewing one page without interacting.

Social proof

Social proof is evidence that other people buy and like a product, such as reviews, ratings, customer counts and press mentions.

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