Retargeting Ads Examples: Effective Ideas + Expert Tips

Retargeting ads target people who have previously engaged with your brand. They can be delivered on social media platforms, search engine networks, email, and marketplace networks like Amazon. Learn from these examples to improve your retargeting campaign and boost conversion rates.

You only get one shot, according to Eminem.

Clearly, he wasn’t talking about digital marketing. Because in this industry, we take every shot we can to re-engage our audience.

Retargeting ads are one of the best ways to re-engage past customers or target brand-aware people who’ve interacted with your website — but need an extra nudge to return and convert.

Ready to seize everything you ever wanted? Let’s stop quoting Eminem and get down to the good stuff.

Here, we share successful retargeting ad examples and best practices across different platforms to help you turn website visitors into loyal customers.

What are retargeting ads?

Retargeting ads are personalized online ads that are shown to people who previously engaged with your brand.

Retargeting ad campaigns run on platforms across the web — from social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, to mobile apps and third-party websites — to get brand-aware visitors to return to the site to complete a purchase.

How do retargeting ads work?

Retargeting ads work by adding a snippet of code to the backend of your site. This code, also called a pixel tag, tracks visitors through cookies.

When someone visits your site, it logs their activity and allows you to show ads to them later on other platforms.

Benefits of retargeting

Retargeting strategies strike while the audience is hot, capitalizing on previous interest in your business or products (versus targeting cold prospects).

Benefits include:

• Build brand familiarity and recall
• Deliver personalized messaging based on previous site behavior
• Reach users at the right time in the buyer’s journey
• Improve ROAS and reduce customer acquisition costs

Using website activity data, retargeting ads can be extremely relevant, personal, and effective at driving conversions. When executed right, site visitors feel like the business understands their needs and is helping to fulfill the buyer’s journey.

Retargeting vs. remarketing

While sometimes the terms are used interchangeably, the two methods are different:

• Remarketing primarily uses organic channels like email marketing to re-engage existing customers.
• Retargeting uses paid ads to re-engage people who have previously engaged with your website but didn’t convert. This is more of a first-time acquisition method.

Further reading: Remarketing vs Retargeting: Are They the Same or Different?

Retargeting ad examples by platform

Effective retargeting ads offer flexibility to re-engage your audience across the many platforms they spend time on online.

Let’s take a look at retargeting ad inspiration across popular platforms — from ecommerce to travel to B2B:

Facebook

1. OleHenriksen: Seasonal urgency and a promotion

OleHenriksen’s Facebook retargeting ad promotes a 25% discount to entice people who may have browsed their vitamin C products or summer skincare in the past.

It likely uses seasonal behavioral data to reach users who have been seeking “summer glow” solutions.

Why it works:

• Clear offer and messaging: “25% OFF” is bold and visible in both the text and image.
• Seasonal relevance: Phrases like “summer glow” and “summer exclusive” create timeliness and a sense of urgency.
• Visual consistency: The signature orange packaging reinforces brand recognition.
• Compelling CTA: “Shop Now” offers a conversion path for warm leads.

2. Avocado Green Mattress: Value-based messaging

This Facebook ad from Avocado Green Mattress leans into affordability and sustainability, targeting people who have shown an interest in their products or eco-friendly bedding.

This ad shows that retargeting doesn’t always need to leverage discount codes or sales. Instead, Avocado uses value-based messaging to address concerns and re-engages potential customers.

Why it works:

• Strong value proposition: The ad copy addresses skepticism: “Yes, an affordable mattress can be certified organic!”
• Trustworthy visuals: The “CERTIFIED ORGANIC” badge, along with natural lighting and a cozy setup, reinforce authenticity.
• Brand reinforcement: The embroidered logo on the mattress is discreet but reminds viewers of what they considered.

Google Search and Display

3. American Express: Retargeting with enticing benefits

American Express’ sleek display ad targets users likely interested in premium travel benefits and who’ve shown past interest in applying for a new credit card.

Why it works:

• Aspirational visuals: Well-dressed business traveler, a calm airport lounge — the ad’s image paints a picture of the card’s benefits.
• Clear value proposition: “Access to 1,400+ Airport Lounges Worldwide” is specific and enticing.
• Brand trust and authority: The AmEx Express Platinum card is recognizable and a prominent element of the ad, encouraging brand awareness.
• Non-commital but direct CTA: “Learn More” aligns with people who need more information before converting.

4. DSW: Product retargeting via Search ads

DSW takes advantage of Google’s robust retargeting ad options by serving up dynamic, search retargeting ads.

When searching “kids shoes size 10 toddler,” the second option I see just so happens to be the exact pair of Marvel Spiderman shoes I looked at with my three-year-old.

Why it works:

• Product-specific targeting with dynamic display of previously viewed items.
• Clear, high-quality visuals of the exact product.
• Social proof via review ratings in the ad.
• Google Ad Extensions: Price, shipping, reviews, and promos offer conversion-boosting detail.

Google Discovery

5. HelloFresh: Gmail ad with social proof and a discount

This HelloFresh Gmail ad is a great example of retargeting people in the decision-making stage.

Why it works:

• Social proof: “9/10 say they feel healthier” lends instant credibility.
• Sense of urgency: “Flash Sale: 50% Off” makes the user want to act faster.
• Pain point relief: “Skip the grocery store hassle…” empathizes with the users’ struggles.
• Visuals and low-stress CTA: A tasty image combined with an easy CTA grabs attention.

X (formerly Twitter)

6. Karma Shopping

X offers many different ad formats, including video ads, dynamic product ads, carousel ads, and more, and unique audience targeting options, like the ability to target individuals engaging across 10,000 conversation topics.

Karma Shopping uses X to promote its app, used to find coupon codes and incentives for online purchases.

Why it works:

• Clear value messaging: “Don’t overpay” and “maximize savings” speak to frugal users.
• Social proof: Customer testimonial builds credibility.
• Ease-of-use focus: Ad outlines the process in five steps.
• Visual demo: Screenshots show the tool in action.

B2B retargeting

7. Yelp uses data to grab B2B attention

Yelp recognizes that modern B2B buyers prefer self-serve research. Their retargeting ad aims to attract business decision-makers with social proof and clear ROI framing.

Why it works:

• Tailored language: Messaging like “your brand” and “your next customers” targets business owners, not consumers.
• Monetary incentive: $100 gift card offer for booking a demo.
• Data-backed persuasion: The ad leverages compelling buyer research.

Our one critique? The ad is a little busy, with a lot of competing messages fighting for attention.

Expert tips for effective retargeting

Follow our retargeting ads checklist to perform quality assurance on every campaign.

1. Identify your campaign goals

Which metrics matter most to your business?

Whether you’re trying to increase content downloads, drive repeat orders, or boost upsells, each goal requires a nuanced approach.

2. Segment your audience

Anything from website activity to location or region can better define your audience to improve ad relevance.

Then, make sure your ad copy and creative speak to their pain points and needs — not product features or business pitches.

3. Leverage channels customers engage with

Each ad platform should be considered thoughtfully, based on audience behavior, ad budget, and campaign goals.

4. Optimize your ad creative

Don’t overlook the visual design of your ads; it’s a crucial part of the customer experience.

Ensure each ad features:

• Clear, easy-to-read messaging
• Focused visuals (avoid too many competing elements or clutter)
• High-quality images
• Layout and size in compliance with each platform’s specifications
• Brand colors, fonts, and logos

5. Leverage zero and first-party

Create custom audiences to personalize your retargeting ads based on the person’s previous interactions with your website.

Display product imagery or complementary services messaging aligned to the last pages they visited to deliver a more compelling and relevant experience and maximize ad spend.

6. Create a clear and descriptive call-to-action

Your retargeting ad goal is to drive people to act. A strong call-to-action is clear and descriptive (e.g., “get the whitepaper,” not “submit”).

7. Optimize your landing pages

Tailor your landing page to reflect your ad copy and creative for a consistent user experience.

Check that your landing page is:

• Optimized for mobile devices
• Consistent and complementary to the ad copy, creative, and themes
• Tested for any interaction — webforms submit effortlessly, coupon codes work, etc.
• Features a strong CTA guiding customers to their next action (e.g., downloading, contacting, buying, exploring)
• Accessible for all users following ADA standards
• Secure, fast, and compliant with data privacy regulations

8. Set frequency caps

Don’t inundate your audience with the same retargeting ads.

Set logical frequency caps to deliver enough ads to drive conversions, but not so many that customers become annoyed and form a negative impression of your business.

Typically, we recommend displaying your ad no more than 3-7 times a month to the same audience. The ad is a valuable extension of the previous brand experience, not an invasive and annoying interruption.

9. Monitor performance for optimization opportunities

Test new creative, messaging, copy, audience targeting, day/time scheduling, channels, and more.

Look at all aspects of the digital experience for ways to improve conversions, maximize your budget, and fine-tune your audience.

Retargeting ad mistakes to avoid

Poorly executed retargeting ads risk frustrating your audience and wasting ad budget on uninterested parties.

Let’s look at five common retargeting ad mistakes:

1. Causing ad fatigue

Set frequency caps to limit how frequently your ad is served up to the same individuals so you don’t overwhelm your audience.

Seeing an ad for a recently abandoned product may convince you to purchase, but seeing that ad dozens of times across every website or social site you visit may turn you off that brand altogether.

“High-frequency levels can lead to ad fatigue and decreased engagement, while too low a frequency may result in missed opportunities,” says Shawn Plummer, CEO of The Annuity Expert. “Striking the right balance is crucial.”

2. Poor context and timing

Retargeting ads work best when triggered by defined events (e.g., last visit date is more than 30 days), with ad copy aligning to that event.

Use ad scheduling to serve ads to your target audience at their most opportune time.

3. Overlooking ad creatives

Quality creative design captures attention and boosts your brand’s credibility.

Your retargeting ad creative should be:

• Well-designed and high-quality
• Reflecting your ideal audience
• Optimized for both the display platform specifications and mobile devices
• On-brand and recognizable

4. Lazy segmentation

Don’t risk your ad budget retargeting everyone with the same irrelevant ads.

Take the time to segment your audience based on behavior and engagement, and then serve up complementary ad creative and copy for a more personal, relevant, and higher-converting experience.

5. Irrelevant landing pages

Your ad copy should link to a relevant website page (e.g., a “get a free consultation” ad should link directly to the “free consultation” landing page, not a catchall homepage).

Up the relevance by using the same design aesthetic and messaging in both the ad and landing page. A consistent experience puts new customers at ease and helps them convert faster.

The takeaway

Retargeting ads are a powerful vehicle to increase click-through rate (CTR), combat cart abandonment, and turn potential buyers into loyal customers.

When done right, these types of ads can maximize your marketing efforts and complement your existing ads strategy.

But running effective marketing campaigns isn’t easy. At HawkSEM, we customize each client’s marketing strategy — including retargeting ads.

From lead generation to ecommerce, we have a long list of client success stories (check out our case studies to learn more).

Ready to build remarketing campaigns that bring in results? Contact us today.

This article has been updated and was originally published in February 2024.