Why Your Social Media Strategy Feels Like a Bad Date (And How to Fix It)
August 23, 2024
Ever had an ad follow you around the internet like a persistent ghost? You check out a lawnmower or a power drill, and suddenly, it’s everywhere—haunting your social feeds, popping up in your emails, and stalking you across every website you visit.
That, my friend, is retargeting.
The sad thing is, it’s often used in the most annoying, repetitive, and downright sloppy ways. But when done right, retargeting can be one of the best ways to boost your return on investment and actually get your prospects to convert.
Let’s talk about how to make this work without creeping people out.
Unless you’re selling something as impulsive as chocolate or chewing gum, most people don’t buy from you on a whim. There’s a process—a customer journey. (Yeah, it’s a bit of a buzzword, but it makes sense, so stick with me.)
Why does this matter? Because understanding the journey your customer goes through means you can strategically pop up at the right time—and that’s where retargeting shines.
Almost every product or service has a decision process that looks something like this:
Now, why do you care about this? Because the earlier you can get in front of your prospects, the better your chances of converting them into paying customers—and the less it costs you to make that sale.
If you find them at Stage 5, they’re likely just price shopping. You’re coming in too late to the game. Ideally, you want to reach them at Stage 3—when they’re exploring solutions, and BOOM, there you are with exactly what they need.
Here’s the catch: the average person’s attention span is terrible. Even if you grab their attention at the perfect moment, they’ll probably forget you five minutes later. They click away, they get distracted, and POOF—you’re forgotten.
That’s where retargeting saves the day.
If someone’s interested in your product or service, wouldn’t it be amazing if you could keep the conversation going? Retargeting lets you do exactly that. But here’s the key—you’ve got to do it right.
Instead of showing the same bland ad over and over (cue the internet stalking vibes), we’re going to retarget smartly by giving them something fresh.
Here’s the plan:
Rather than hammering people with the same ad repeatedly, offer them new content each time they see your ad. Record 3–5 short videos, each highlighting something new or helpful about your product or service. This way, you’re not just trying to sell them—you’re actually educating them and providing real value.
Bonus: Every time you offer valuable information, you’re subtly working the reciprocity reflex.
When someone helps you out without expecting anything in return, you feel a little pull to return the favor. It’s human nature.
Here’s how it works in marketing: If you keep providing useful information that actually helps people, they’ll begin to see you as a trusted resource. By the time they’re ready to buy, guess who’s at the top of their list? You.
You won’t have to hard sell or pressure them into making a decision. By the time they contact you, they already feel like they owe you something for all the value you’ve given.
Crazy concept, right? But it works, and it makes closing deals a hell of a lot easier.
Retargeting doesn’t have to be the digital equivalent of a stalker following someone home. Done right, it can turn cold prospects into warm leads, and warm leads into loyal customers—without coming off as creepy or annoying.
Play around with retargeting in your business. Try offering fresh content each time your prospects see you again, and watch how it transforms your results.
Talk soon,
Arno
P.S. Curious about how I’d handle the retargeting part of your advertising? Here’s what to do:
Get in touch with our agency today. If we’re a good fit, I will personally take a look at your company and your marketing, come up with a strategy of what I’d do differently, and discuss it with you in-depth on a call.
No cost, no obligation.
If you want to work together, I’ll tell you exactly how that works. If you don’t want to work together, that’s fine too. No hard selling, no pressure, no annoying sales tactics.
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