How to Use Retargeting in B2B Display Advertising to Nurture Leads

In the competitive world of B2B marketing, retargeting has become an essential strategy for nurturing leads, especially when paired with display advertising. By focusing your ad spend on users who have already interacted with your brand, retargeting helps you stay top-of-mind, pushing potential clients further down the buyer’s journey.

In this blog, we’ll explore how you can use retargeting in B2B display advertising to effectively nurture leads without relying on comparisons, case studies, or specific examples. We’ll focus on the key strategies and techniques to integrate retargeting into your broader marketing efforts.

Understanding Retargeting in B2B Marketing

Retargeting in B2B marketing is the process of showing ads to individuals who have already visited your website, engaged with your content, or taken an initial step in the sales funnel. These users are often at different stages in the buyer’s journey, making retargeting a powerful tool for nurturing leads and converting them into customers.

In B2B, the buyer’s journey is typically longer and more complex than in B2C, requiring multiple touchpoints before a decision is made. Retargeting plays a critical role in ensuring that potential clients don’t forget about your solution while guiding them toward making a purchase.

Why Retargeting is Crucial for Lead Nurturing

In a typical B2B scenario, a lead may interact with your content, visit your website, or attend a webinar but might not be ready to make a decision. Retargeting helps to keep your brand in front of these potential clients as they evaluate different options. This consistent exposure nurtures the lead by:

1. Reinforcing Brand Awareness: Retargeting ensures that your business remains in the minds of potential clients. Frequent reminders can help differentiate your brand from competitors.

2. Building Trust Over Time: The more familiar prospects are with your brand, the more likely they are to trust you. Retargeting reinforces credibility by offering value over multiple interactions.

3. Guiding the Lead Through the Funnel: Different retargeting messages can be used to move leads from the awareness stage to consideration and finally to the decision stage. Tailored content based on previous interactions can increase the chances of conversion.

4. Reducing Abandonment: Many B2B buyers conduct research before making a decision. Retargeting minimizes the chances that a lead will forget about your company or get distracted by other priorities.

Steps to Implement Retargeting in B2B Display Advertising

To leverage retargeting effectively, it’s crucial to set up a structured process. Here are the steps to integrate retargeting into your B2B display advertising campaigns:

1. Segment Your Audience

Start by segmenting your audience based on their behavior and stage in the buyer’s journey. Retargeting allows for precision, so make sure you’re addressing the unique needs of each segment.

• Website Visitors: Target users who have visited specific pages on your website, such as product or pricing pages. These leads are likely further along in the buying process.
• Content Engagers: Retarget users who have interacted with your content, such as blogs, whitepapers, or webinars. They’re in the consideration phase and require more educational touchpoints.
• Previous Customers or Leads: These individuals may be ripe for upselling or cross-selling opportunities.

2. Set Goals for Each Campaign

Each retargeting campaign should have clear objectives that align with your overall marketing goals. Are you aiming to increase brand awareness, move leads down the funnel, or drive conversions? Setting these goals will help you create more effective ads and content.

For example:

• Top of Funnel: The goal could be to re-engage users with a new content offer.
• Middle of Funnel: The focus might shift to product comparisons, customer testimonials, or case studies to build trust.
• Bottom of Funnel: The goal should be direct conversions, such as scheduling a demo or signing up for a free trial.

3. Develop Targeted Ad Creative

Retargeting allows you to deliver tailored ads to different audiences. Creating ads that resonate with each segment is critical to the success of your campaign.

• Top-of-funnel audiences should see ads that reinforce the value of your solution or direct them to new content that builds awareness.
• Mid-funnel leads might respond to ads that offer a deeper dive into your product’s capabilities.
• Bottom-funnel prospects should see ads with clear calls to action, like scheduling a consultation or requesting a demo.

Remember to ensure that your messaging remains consistent across all channels while addressing the specific needs and questions of your leads at each stage.

4. Use Frequency Capping

One of the risks of retargeting is overwhelming your leads with too many ads. If a user sees your ad multiple times a day, it may come across as spammy, leading to ad fatigue and negative sentiment.

To avoid this, implement frequency capping, which limits the number of times a lead sees your ads in a given time frame. This ensures your message stays relevant and non-intrusive.

5. A/B Test Your Ads

To continually improve your retargeting efforts, it’s essential to A/B test your display ads. Testing different ad formats, headlines, CTAs, and images will help you identify what resonates best with your audience.

Start by running two or more variations of your ads for the same audience segment and monitor the results. Gradually refine your ad creative based on the performance data you collect.

6. Utilize Sequential Retargeting

Sequential retargeting takes your lead nurturing to the next level by presenting different ads in a specific order based on user interaction.

For instance, if a prospect visits your site but doesn’t convert, you can show an educational ad first, followed by a product-focused ad, and finally a direct CTA to convert. This method ensures a natural progression through the sales funnel without overwhelming your audience with repetitive messaging.

7. Align Retargeting with Your CRM

Integrating your retargeting efforts with your CRM data can significantly enhance lead nurturing. By syncing your CRM with your retargeting platforms, you can create highly targeted campaigns that reflect the specific needs, preferences, and behavior of each lead.

For instance, if a lead has already had a sales call but hasn’t converted, retargeting can be used to reinforce the benefits of your solution. If a lead has been dormant for a while, you can re-engage them with a tailored message that speaks to their past interests.

8. Measure and Optimize Your Campaigns

Finally, measure the success of your retargeting campaigns regularly. Key metrics like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and cost-per-lead (CPL) will give you insights into how well your campaigns are performing.

Use this data to optimize your campaigns, focusing on the ads that are driving the most engagement and conversions. This iterative approach will allow you to refine your retargeting strategy over time, ensuring maximum impact.

Conclusion

Retargeting in B2B display advertising is a powerful way to nurture leads, guiding them through the complex B2B buyer’s journey. By segmenting your audience, creating targeted ad campaigns, and aligning your efforts with your CRM, you can stay top-of-mind with potential clients and increase your chances of conversion.

Remember, retargeting is not a one-size-fits-all solution. It requires a careful, strategic approach that considers the needs of your audience at every stage of the buyer’s journey. With the right tactics in place, you can significantly enhance your lead nurturing efforts and drive more conversions through your B2B display advertising campaigns.