When it comes to local marketing, precise targeting is key. In order to connect with the right audience, marketers must carefully target consumers based on their behaviors, where they live, and a number of other demographic characteristics. Of course, local marketers often only have a modest budget to work with, meaning they have to be particularly careful about how those marketing dollars are used.

For these reasons, programmatic ads and retargeting strategies are excellent options for local marketers. Unlike traditional display ads of the past, programmatic ads offer a range of capabilities, including a precise level of control over who sees them. By pinpointing the right consumers, these ads can increase both your rate of conversion and your ROI.

Programmatic ads are also an exceptional tool for retargeting users. Targeting previous customers dramatically boosts your likelihood of making a sale. In fact, you have a 60-70% probability of selling to an existing customer, while your chance of converting a new lead is much lower at 5-20%.

How to Use Programmatic Ads & Retargeting to Boost Customer Retention

As programmatic ads are so flexible, they can be used in a number of ways to increase customer retention rates and thereby stretch your marketing dollars. Take a look at our tips below to learn how to use programmatic ads to help your local marketing campaign achieve its full potential.

Keep it Consistent

Programmatic ads fall into the category of visual media, offering tons of flexibility and creative control. However, it’s important to ensure the visuals used in these ads convey your intended message. 

In addition, the look and feel of these ads needs to be consistent with other visuals used by your brand, such as on your landing page, email blasts, and other ad types. This will ensure previous customers instantly recognize your ads and pay attention to the messaging they contain.

Create Custom Audiences with Facebook

Facebook is an incredibly powerful resource, both for understanding your target audience and advertising to them. With Facebook, you can upload an email list to create a custom audience including your existing customers and possible leads. This can be done in the Audiences tab of the Facebook Ads Manager.

This custom audience function offers in-depth information about your customers, including details such as age, gender, profession, location, and interests. Relevant data can then be used to target both existing customers and potential leads through Facebook Ads. 

Facebook Ads are affordable and allow you to connect with your audience on a more personal level. This means they shouldn’t be overlooked in their effectiveness for retargeting consumers.

Minimize Shopping Cart Abandonment

If visitors to your site often fill their shopping carts but fail to actually make a purchase, you’re not alone. According to Statista, 88% of online shopping orders were abandoned in March 2020. Even if you’re able to reach just a fraction of the customers who have items waiting in their shopping carts and convert those items into purchases, it could make a huge impact on your sales!

Retargeting these in-limbo users can help you achieve this goal. A follow-up email with details about a discount, bonus, or reduced shipping rate may be the nudge abandoning visitors need to finally follow through with their purchase.

You can also encourage follow-through with remarketing ads, which target users who have previously visited your site. As these types of programmatic ads have incredibly high click-through and conversation rates, they’re an excellent way to keep your brand top-of-mind with both existing and potential customers.

Give New Platforms a Try

Stand out from the competition by trying something new. Many popular platforms are becoming saturated with programmatic ads, making it harder to cut through the noise. However, on platforms where programmatic ads are new or underutilized, your brand can be seen as a trailblazer. For example, OTT-CTV advertising is one option to look into to have your ads displayed via streaming services and devices.

Selling to existing customers is often cheaper and more straightforward than generating new leads. Therefore, targeting this audience should be a top priority for any local marketing campaign. 

With programmatic ads and retargeting strategies, it’s easier than ever to keep your brand front and center for the consumers who are most likely to make a purchase!