The dumb mistake we made with retargeting (and how we fixed it).
- Munhib Asrar
- Paid Ads, Retargeting
We were retargeting like it was 2015.
Big audience. One-size-fits-all creative. No segmentation. Just vibes.
It kinda worked. Until it didn’t.
We looked at the numbers and realized: we were spending money reminding everyone of everything. No relevance. No strategy. Just noise.
Here’s how we cleaned up the mess:
1. We stopped lumping everyone together.
Someone who viewed our pricing page ≠ someone who just visited the homepage.
We broke audiences into stages: lurkers, warm leads, hot prospects.
Each one got its own ad. Tailored messaging. Better engagement.
2. We ditched the discount trap.
Our old retargeting ads screamed “10% off!”
The new ones? Focused on value. Social proof. Case studies. Real outcomes.
People came back not for a deal—but because they believed.
3. We capped our frequency.
Turns out, seeing the same ad 17 times doesn’t convince anyone. It annoys them.
We pulled it back. Set frequency limits. Our CPC dropped. CTR went up. Peace was restored.
4. We tested timing.
Immediate retargeting? Meh.
Waiting 2-3 days? Way better. It gave people space to think, then pulled them back in just as curiosity peaked.
5. We made landing pages match the message.
The old flow: click an ad, land somewhere generic.
Now? If you see an ad about our SEO strategy, you land on our SEO strategy. Seamless.
The takeaway?
Retargeting only works when it respects the buyer’s journey. Otherwise, it’s just digital yelling.
Thinking of hitting pause yourself?
Just don’t go in blind. Pair it with good SEO, strong landing pages, and tracking that doesn’t lie.
