Retargeting
Retargeting, also called remarketing, is showing ads to people who have already interacted with your website, app or content, to bring them back to complete an action.
How it works
A tag or pixel records visits, and ad platforms build audiences from those visitors. You can then show relevant ads, for example the product someone viewed, as they browse other sites and apps.
Privacy has changed retargeting
Apple's App Tracking Transparency limited cross-app tracking on iOS; Meta estimated the change cost it $10 billion in 2022 (CNBC, Feb 2022). Cookie consent rules in the UK and EU, and health data rules in the US, restrict what can be tracked. Advocate Aurora Health's disclosure that tracking pixels may have exposed data on up to 3 million patients (Fierce Healthcare, Oct 2022) shows the risk in sensitive sectors.
Using it well
Build audiences from consented data, cap frequency, exclude recent buyers and avoid sensitive categories such as health conditions. First-party lists from your own CRM are increasingly valuable. See performance marketing.