Video retargeting is a powerful tool for marketers looking to drive conversions and sales. In a world where consumers are inundated with ads, video can help cut through the noise and grab attention. By using videos in retargeting campaigns, brands have an opportunity to tell their story in a compelling way and strengthen their relationship with potential customers.
What is retargeting?
Retargeting, also known as remarketing, is a digital marketing technique used to target advertisements to people who have already interacted with your website, brand or products. The goal of retargeting is to remind people of your brand and encourage them to return and complete desired actions like making a purchase.
For example, say someone visits your online store, browses some products but leaves without buying anything. With retargeting, you can show ads for the products they viewed or similar items to remind them about your store and prompt them to return. Retargeting helps brands stay top of mind and nudge consumers along the marketing funnel.
How does video retargeting work?
Video retargeting works very similarly to regular display retargeting. The main difference is that video ads are served instead of static banner ads. These video ads can appear on websites, social media platforms, YouTube and even connected TV.
Like with banner retargeting, video retargeting relies on cookies, pixels and ad IDs to track who’s visiting your website. When a visitor lands on a page and that tracking code is triggered, they are added to a retargeting audience. Then when they leave your site and browse elsewhere online, your video ads can be dynamically served to them.
The process involves:
- Adding tracking code like a Facebook pixel to your website
- A user visits your site triggering that code to activate retargeting
- User leaves your site and browses other sites and social media
- Your video ads are served to that user as they browse the web
This reminds the user about your brand and prompts them to take action. The familiarity of seeing your brand helps strengthen your connection with potential customers.
What are the benefits of video retargeting?
There are several key advantages to using video retargeting as part of your marketing strategy:
Increased engagement
Videos in ads see much higher engagement rates than static images. On Facebook for example, video posts see 135% more organic reach than photo posts. And video ads have click-through rates 2-3x higher than image ads. Higher engagement means more people will actually watch and interact with your retargeting.
Tells a story
A short video can convey a story and emotional connection that an image cannot. Brands have the power to spark interest, evoke feeling and communicate their key messages through video.
Video is flexible
From 6-second bumper ads to 60-second brand videos, you have options when creating video content. Test different lengths, styles and concepts to see what resonates most with your audience.
Memorable
Consumers are much more likely to remember video marketing than static ads. In fact, 72% of customers prefer video over text for brand information. Video’s sights, sounds and motion make it more engaging and memorable.
Higher conversions
Compelling video that tells your brand story in an impactful way can drive conversions higher. Consumers prefer video and are more likely to take action after watching a video that resonates with them. Use video retargeting to prompt purchases from site visitors who previously browsed but didn’t buy.
Examples of effective video retargeting campaigns
Now that we’ve looked at how video retargeting works and why it can be so effective, let’s look at some real world examples of brands excelling with this strategy:
Dollar Shave Club
Dollar Shave Club used humorous videos of people struggling to open ridiculously over-packaged razors to retarget site visitors. These funny videos align perfectly with Dollar Shave Club’s brand and prompt visitors to return to buy their affordable, convenient razors.
Wayfair
Wayfair created many different retargeting videos featuring their diverse product catalog. Visitors who browsed bedframes would later be served ads showcasing beds. Checking out storage options meant seeing video ads for storage furniture. Tailoring the video ads to the products users showed interest in helped drive more conversions.
Michaels
For DIY and arts & crafts brand Michaels, video retargeting on Facebook proved incredibly effective. They served short, catchy videos focused on specific products customers had browsed on their site. These customized video ads helped increase conversions by 27.5%.
Spotify
Spotify promoted their premium music streaming service with videos tailored to the musical tastes of website visitors. They served different videos featuring preferred music genres and artists to targeted users. Aligning music interests helped them convince more people to upgrade to a paid subscription.
The success of these campaigns proves that when video retargeting aligns closely with brand identity and website behavior, it can pay big dividends.
Best practices for video retargeting
Here are some top tips to maximize the impact of your video retargeting efforts:
- Use actual site visitor data – Let user behavior on your site inform what video ads you serve them.
- Tailor videos to audience interests – Videos that align with someone’s tastes and preferences perform better.
- Keep it short – Try 6 or 15 second ads to hook attention quickly.
- Test different formats – Experiment with different video styles to see what converts best.
- Measure results – Use A/B testing and track conversions to optimize efforts.
- Retarget most engaged – Targeting engaged site visitors who show purchase intent converts better.
- Use emotions – Funny, inspiring or dramatic videos that evoke emotions tend to perform well.
- Make it brand-focused – Videos that communicate your brand identity see higher engagement.
Choosing a video retargeting provider
To start retargeting with video, you’ll need to select a video advertising provider. Here are some top options to consider:
Google Ads
Google Ads makes it easy to create and manage video ads. You can target users who previously visited your site across Google properties like YouTube. And Google’s large audience and powerful targeting gives great reach.
Facebook & Instagram
Run video ads on Facebook or Instagram feeds to reach users who engaged with your site or content. Their detailed audience insights help you further target your ads.
Criteo
With Criteo you can retarget visitors across thousands of publishers. And they offer AI-powered creative testing to optimize video performance.
AdRoll
AdRoll offers cross-device retargeting so you can serve video ads beyond just desktop. Their intuitive interface makes it easy to create and manage video ad campaigns.
There are many options, so do some research to find the right fit for your budget, needs and audience. Most providers also offer the ability to integrate video retargeting with your other marketing activities for unified campaigns.
Is video retargeting right for your brand?
If you haven’t incorporated video into your retargeting mix yet, now may be the time. Consider these key questions:
- Do you have an existing retargeting program?
- Do you have interesting video content or assets to leverage?
- Can you craft short, engaging video ads aligned with your brand?
- Are you able to track site engagement to inform retargeting?
- Is your goal to increase brand awareness or conversions?
If you answered yes to most of those, your brand is likely a good fit to start video retargeting. The ability to track site activity is key so you can serve relevant video ads that remind visitors of the products or content they showed interest in.
If you don’t have existing video assets, invest in working with designers and videographers to bring your brand storytelling to life through video. The right video ads can captivate viewers and spur them to conversion better than standard display ads.
Conclusion
Video retargeting presents an enormous opportunity for brands to connect with potential customers and drive conversions through interactive, engaging ads. By crafting customized videos aligned with audience interests, marketers can remind consumers about their brand in a compelling way that breaks through the noise of endless advertising.
While creating great videos requires an investment, the higher engagement rates and conversion potential make video retargeting well worth it. As consumers increasingly look to video for brand information, it should be a key part of your digital marketing strategy. Use video retargeting to tell visual stories tailored to your customers and watch the results come through.