Retargeting
Retargeting is showing ads to people who have interacted with you before: they visited a product page, started an order form but didn't complete it, or watched your ad video. Their audiences are built from a tracking pixel or engagement within the platform itself, and you reach them with a message that assumes they already know the product.
Also calledRemarketingPixel-based retargetingAudience retargetingDynamic retargeting
The formula
Retargeting audience size = Unique visitors within the time window − People who completed an order
- Time window: the number of days a visitor stays on the list, like 7 or 14 days.
- Unique visitors: people, not visits; if someone came back three times, they count once.
- People who completed an order: usually excluded so you don't pay to show ads to someone who already bought.
Worked example
Is retargeting actually cheaper?
- 1Store in Saudi Arabia: 4,000 unique visitors in 7 days, 120 of whom completed an order.
- 2Retargeting audience size = 4,000 − 120 = 3,880 people.
- 3Acquisition campaign: 6,000 SAR gave 120 orders → 50 SAR per order.
- 4Retargeting campaign: 1,500 SAR gave 40 orders → 37.5 SAR per order.
Takeaway: Orders are cheaper in retargeting, but your audience is capped at 3,880 people and only grows if you spend on new acquisition; so don't move your whole budget there.
What it means in practice
Retargeting reaps but doesn't sow. Its size is limited by how many people visited you, so if you stop acquisition campaigns the list dries up in days and order cost climbs. Always read it as a layer on top of acquisition, not a replacement for it.
Segment your list by purchase readiness: someone who started an order form is much further along than someone who watched three seconds of a video. Spend on the close segment first with a message that removes doubt: shipping time, cash on delivery, and exchange policy.
Change the message—don't repeat the same ad. If someone saw the first ad and didn't order, they won't change their mind seeing it a fifth time. Show them something new: real user experience, or an answer to an objection you hear in confirmation calls.
Common mistakes
- Targeting people who already bought with the same product ad: wasted spend and a bad feeling for a customer who just paid.
- Time window too long on a product where the buying decision is fast, so you pay to show the ad to people who forgot about it weeks ago.
- Measuring retargeting success by its return alone: many of its orders were actually made by the acquisition campaign, and the right call is on your whole account numbers.
- Running it before your visitor count hits a reasonable level: a tiny audience raises ad cost and burns out your list fast.
Questions and answers
When do I start retargeting?
Once your acquisition campaign has gathered enough visitors to build a list worth spending on. Starting with a tiny audience raises ad cost and uses up the list in two days. Watch your audience size inside the platform before you set aside a separate budget for it.
What's the right budget split for retargeting?
There's no one right answer for everyone. The rule of thumb: let acquisition stay your main spender, and grow retargeting spend as your new visitor count grows. Track the order cost delivered on each side separately.
Does retargeting work with cash on delivery?
Yes, and it's especially useful for someone who started an order form and hesitated. The strongest message removes their reason for hesitation straight on: delivery to their state, cash payment at delivery with no upfront charge, the expected arrival time, and the chance to inspect the product.
How do I build retargeting lists?
From two sources: the tracking pixel on your pages, which records a visit, form start, and order completion; and engagement inside the platform itself, like video views or comments. The second source works even if tracking on your site breaks.