How do I use retargeting in Pinterest Ads?

Retargeting in Pinterest Ads is a powerful way to re-engage users who have already interacted with your brand or shown interest in your products. It allows you to remind them about your offerings and guide them towards conversion. Here's how you can use retargeting effectively in Pinterest Ads:

1. Set Up a Pinterest Tag on Your Website
The first step to retargeting is to track the actions of visitors on your website. This is done through the Pinterest Tag, a small piece of code that you add to your site. It helps you track user interactions (such as page visits, product views, and purchases) and target those users with personalized ads.

Install the Pinterest Tag: You can find the Pinterest Tag in the Pinterest Ads Manager under "Conversion Tracking." Add this tag to all pages of your website, or just the ones you want to track (e.g., product pages or checkout pages).

Event Tracking: Set up custom events (such as 'Add to Cart' or 'Checkout') to track specific actions on your site, which will help you create more targeted retargeting campaigns.

2. Create Retargeting Audiences
Once you have the Pinterest Tag installed, you can create custom retargeting audiences based on specific actions that users have taken on your website. These audiences include:

Website Visitors: Users who visited your website but didn't convert. You can retarget them with relevant products or promotions.

Product Viewers: Users who viewed specific products on your site but didn't make a purchase. You can show them similar products or remind them of the item they viewed.

Cart Abandoners: Users who added items to their cart but didn't complete the purchase. Show them ads to encourage them to finish checking out, often with incentives like discounts.

Past Purchasers: Users who have already made a purchase. You can retarget them with related products or upsell opportunities.

Custom Audiences: You can also upload customer lists (such as email addresses) or create audiences based on specific actions from your site.

3. Set Up Retargeting Campaigns in Pinterest Ads Manager
To start running retargeting ads, follow these steps in Pinterest Ads Manager:

Create a New Campaign: Go to your Pinterest Ads Manager and create a new campaign. Select "Consideration" or "Conversions" as your campaign objective, depending on whether you want to drive traffic or sales.

Choose a Retargeting Audience: Under the "Targeting" section, select "Custom Audiences" and choose from the available retargeting lists, such as:

Website Visitors

Product Viewers

Cart Abandoners

Customer List

You can also combine multiple audiences for more granular targeting.

Create Your Ad Creative: Craft compelling ad creatives based on your audience. For example:

For Cart Abandoners, show them the product they viewed with a discount or limited-time offer.

For Product Viewers, show them similar products they may be interested in.

Set the Duration and Budget: Choose the duration of your retargeting campaign (e.g., 7, 14, or 30 days) and set your budget.

Launch the Campaign: Once your campaign is set up, launch it and monitor its performance.

4. Use Dynamic Retargeting (If Applicable)
Pinterest offers dynamic retargeting which automatically shows users the exact products they interacted with on your site. This is particularly useful for e-commerce businesses.

Dynamic Retargeting is great because it pulls the exact product data (like product images, descriptions, and prices) and displays it to the user in the ad.

To use dynamic retargeting, you'll need to integrate your product feed with Pinterest's dynamic retargeting feature, ensuring your product catalog is up-to-date.

5. Create Sequential Retargeting Ads
Rather than showing the same ad over and over, consider creating a sequence of retargeting ads to guide users through the buyer's journey:

Stage 1: First touch (e.g., user visits a product page) – Show a general product ad.

Stage 2: Cart abandonment – Show an ad with a special offer or reminder of the items left in the cart.

Stage 3: Post-purchase – After a customer buys, show upsell or cross-sell ads.

This kind of sequential targeting can improve conversion rates by offering more tailored messaging at each stage.

6. Test and Optimize Your Retargeting Ads
Like any ad campaign, testing and optimization are key to success:

A/B Test: Try different ad creatives, headlines, and CTAs to see what resonates best with your retargeted audience.

Frequency: Keep an eye on how often your ads are being shown. Too many impressions can lead to ad fatigue, so make sure you don't overwhelm users with repetitive ads.

7. Measure and Adjust Your Campaign
Once your retargeting campaign is live, track its performance in Pinterest Analytics to see how it's performing:

CTR (Click-Through Rate): Are users clicking your ads more?

CPC (Cost Per Click) and CPA (Cost Per Acquisition): Are you getting good value for your ad spend?

Conversion Rate: How many of the retargeted users are actually completing the desired action?

Adjust your targeting, budget, and creative based on the results.

Retargeting Tips for Success:
Use Engaging Creatives: Make sure your ad creative stands out and offers value. For cart abandoners, show urgency (e.g., "Hurry, your items are almost sold out!").

Offer Incentives: For users who haven't converted, offering a discount or exclusive deal can entice them to complete their purchase.

Avoid Overexposure: Keep track of your ad frequency. Too many impressions can cause users to ignore or become irritated by your ads.