Remarketing on Google vs. Remarketing on Facebook (Meta) vs. Remarketing on YouTube

What is Remarketing and Why Is It Essential?

Remarketing is a smart way to reconnect with people who’ve already visited your website or app, giving you a second chance to turn their interest into action. Instead of trying to attract brand-new visitors, remarketing focuses on digital marketing re-engagement, reaching out to warm leads who already know your brand and have shown interest. This approach highlights the key benefits of remarketing, including lower CPA and higher efficiency. 

One of the biggest advantages is the significant improvement in remarketing conversion rates, as these audiences are far more likely to take action compared to cold prospects. With rising digital noise and shorter attention spans, staying top of mind through remarketing is essential for nurturing leads, boosting ROI, and maximizing the value of your existing traffic.

How Remarketing Drives Better Results

As any salesperson knows, cold calling is the worst. Reaching out to people who have maybe never heard of you may be necessary to grow your business, but your success rate is low. Much more effective is warm-calling – that is, calling someone who has already expressed some level of interest, or who you or a member of your team has previously reached out to. 

These calls have a much higher success rate; studies show that while the average initial cold call has a measly 2% success rate, subsequent touch points dramatically increase the likelihood of conversion; as many as 80% of all sales are made between the fifth and twelfth point of contact. 

These stats may be about traditional marketing, but they just as easily apply to digital marketing, too. Remarketing – showing your ads to people who are already familiar with or even interested in your brand – is a far more effective way of getting conversions. Remarketing has a dramatically higher conversion rate, and lower cost per conversion, than reaching out to a cold audience. 

Unfortunately, as we’ve discussed before on this blog, a lot of marketers are not very good at remarketing. So, let’s take a deep dive into three of the most valuable and effective channels for remarketing – Google, Facebook (Meta), and YouTube – and see how they stack up.

Google Ads Remarketing: Reach Across the Web

How Google Remarketing Works: Audience Targeting & Tracking

Through Google Ads (formerly called Google AdWords), advertisers can remarket to audiences across the Google Display Network (GDN), which covers a vast array of websites and apps, including prime internet real estate like YouTube. 

How to use Google remarketing? It’s simple. Add a tracking pixel to your website, which will track users who visit specific pages or take specific actions. From here, you can then segment these users into different audiences and target them with tailored ads. 

Setting Up Google Remarketing Campaigns: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. Install the Google Ads Tag or use Google Analytics to create remarketing lists.
2. Create different audience segments based on user behavior, e.g., cart abandoners, home page visitors, product page visitors, and so on.. 
3. Build and design ad creatives using various formats – text ads, display ads, responsive ads, video ads, and others.
4. Set your bids, budget, and targeting options based on factors like geographic targeting or demographics

Advantages of Google Remarketing: Massive Reach & Dynamic Ads

The upsides for remarketing on Google are immense. The GDN covers over 2 million websites, giving you access to a massive audience. Google also provides powerful tools that you can use to create hyper-specific remarketing audiences; you can target based on behavior, demographics, the device type they usually use, and more.

Google also allows you to create dynamic display ads, which can change based on the products or pages a user interacted with. This provides a more personalized experience while also increasing conversion rates based on more relevant and highly targeted ads.

Challenges of Google Remarketing: Complexity & Ad Fatigue 

Creating Google AdWords remarketing ads can be intimidating for beginners due to the many options available and complex, sometimes unintuitive interface. Display ads also generally have lower clickthrough rates compared to search ads. Plus, over-targeting users can lead to advertising brand fatigue from repeatedly seeing the same ads – which can lead to negative brand associations.

Google Remarketing Best Practices for Higher ROI

To prevent brand fatigue, consider using Frequency Capping options to ensure that your targeted prospective customers aren’t seeing your ads too often. 

Show personalized product ads to users who browsed specific items on your site by using Dynamic Remarketing. 

Regularly update your Creative Assets to prevent the ads from getting stale.

Meta Remarketing: Connecting with Social Audiences

Remarketing on Meta platforms lets you retarget users across some of the most highly trafficked social networks in the world, including Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. The vast Meta ecosystem, paired with its advanced audience segmentation options, make it one of the best options for remarketing alongside Google.

How Meta Remarketing Works: Leveraging User Data

To get started with Facebook remarketing ads, you’ll first need to install the Facebook Pixel on your website to track user actions – including page views, product purchases/add-to-cart, or form submissions.

Setting Up Meta Remarketing Campaigns: Pixel & Custom Audiences

1. Install the Facebook Pixel/Meta Pixel on your website to start gathering data about visitor behavior.
2. Create Custom Audiences in Facebook’s Ads Manager based on the users’ actions, like viewing a product or visiting specific pages.
3. Build creative assets tailored to the types of ads you want to be running, like carousel or slideshow ads.
4. Set up the campaign’s budget; targeting options like age, gender, or hobbies; and whether you want to run these ads on the various platforms within the Meta network, like Facebook or Instagram.

Benefits of Meta Remarketing: Deep Targeting & Visual Engagement

The Meta network has an incredible depth of user data, which you can leverage for highly targeted remarketing based on a number of factors – age, gender, location, marital status, even hobbies or interests, just to name some. You can also use custom and lookalike audiences to expand your reach in ways that you might not have expected.

Facebook and especially Instagram are highly visual platforms, which can be great for businesses that have visually striking products like fashion. When you remarket on the Meta ecosystem, you’re getting your products in front of billions of engaged eyes, since these are some of the most used platforms in the world.

Meta Remarketing Challenges: Privacy & Competition

There has been increased scrutiny on consumer privacy concerns over the last few years. Things like iOS 14’s privacy update have made it more difficult for Meta to collect and use data and accurately track users, which may negatively impact the accuracy of remarketing data. Because of these changes, advertisers now face smaller retargeting audiences and less detailed data, which makes it more challenging to deliver personalized ad experiences. The growing trend toward data protection, including the deprecation of third-party cookies and heightened user opt-in requirements, continues to challenge traditional remarketing efforts on Meta’s platforms.

Meta is also a rather competitive advertising platform, which means Facebook and Instagram retargeting ads can be more expensive than on some other platforms, especially if you’re targeting highly competitive demographics.

Facebook’s automatic ad placement feature can be highly efficient, but you ultimately do have less control over your ad placement than you would on other advertising platforms, like Google. Combined with reduced tracking precision, this limited control can further hinder optimization efforts, forcing marketers to rely more heavily on broader strategies and creative testing to maintain performance.

Meta Remarketing Best Practices: Engagement & Exclusions

Use Exclusion Lists to ensure that you aren’t remarketing to people who have already converted – this wastes your ad spend and annoys customers who might be less inclined to come back for repeat purchases or evangelize your brand.

Video Ads tend to have higher engagement rates on Facebook and Instagram, so they make a great tool for remarketing on Facebook and other Meta platforms. 

Test different Ad Formats to see which of them resonate best with your target audience – like carousels, stories, and in-feed ads. 

YouTube Remarketing: Engaging Audiences with Video

Though technically under the Google ecosystem, YouTube advertising should be thought of as its own particular type of beast due to its video-only format. Remarketing on YouTube involves primarily showing video ads to users who have already interacted with your brand on your website, app, or YouTube channel. These ads go in front of (or in the middle of) relevant YouTube content, reaching users as they watch videos.

How It Works: YouTube remarketing operates by tracking user interactions with your videos and channel, such as views, likes, shares, comments, and subscriptions. When someone engages with your content, Google Ads adds them to a remarketing list. You can then target these warm audiences with tailored video ads across YouTube and the Google Display Network. For example, if a user watches one of your product videos but doesn’t convert, you can retarget them later with a follow-up ad that highlights a special offer, testimonial, or demo. This data-driven targeting helps you stay top of mind and re-engage viewers who have already shown interest in your brand.

Setting Up YouTube Remarketing: Channel & Ad Account Integration

1. Connect your Google Ads account with your YouTube Channel. 
2. Create a Remarketing List based on video views, subscriptions, likes, or shares.
3. Design your video ads in various formats, considering where they will be placed (e.g., skippable in-stream ads, non-skippable ads, bumper ads). 
4. Set up targeting options like demographics, or content interests (i.e., if you sell fishing equipment, you probably want your ads to appear in front of content that appears to fishing or outdoors enthusiasts). 

Advantages of YouTube Remarketing: High Engagement & Specific Targeting

YouTube is one of the most popular, high-trafficked sites on the internet. Its format is also highly engaging; people are actively watching content on YouTube as opposed to idly browsing the internet or social networks like Facebook or Instagram. You can create remarketing lists based on highly specific YouTube interactions, like views or channel subscriptions. Videos also offer a unique way to show off your products in ways that static display ads simply can’t.

YouTube Remarketing Drawbacks: Content Creation & Ad Disruptiveness 

Video ads generally require more time and resources to create compared to display ads, and while YouTube may have a massive user base, certain industries or niches may not perform as well on this platform. Furthermore, video ads can be disruptive in a way that display ads aren’t; if a consumer gets annoyed because they need to sit through the same 30-second ad before every video they want to watch, it could negatively polarize them against your brand.

YouTube Remarketing Best Practices: CTAs & Short Videos

Ensure your video ads have a strong call to action (CTA) that encourages users to return to your website or complete another desired action. 

Keep video ads short and engaging, especially for non-skippable formats. Skippable ads are almost always cheaper than non-skippable ones, so if you can make the sales pitch in the first ~5 seconds or so before most users skip, you’ll get better ROAS.

Monitor video engagement metrics like view rate or watch time to optimize your performance. A YouTube marketing agency can help implement these best practices effectively, using their expertise to fine-tune targeting, messaging, and ad formats for maximum impact.

Bing Remarketing: A Cost-Effective Alternative?

While often overshadowed by the more popularly used Google, Bing (aka Microsoft Advertising) still commands a significant portion of the search market. Bing’s remarketing ads work similarly to those on Google Ads, allowing advertisers to display ads across the Bing Search Network and its partner sites.

How It Works: Bing’s remarketing functionality relies on the Universal Event Tracking (UET) tag, a snippet of code you place on your website to collect data on user behavior, such as page visits, time spent on site, purchases, or form submissions. Once the UET tag is installed, Bing Ads can build remarketing lists based on specific actions users take. These audiences are then targeted with tailored ads displayed throughout the Microsoft Advertising Network, reaching users on platforms like Bing, MSN, Outlook.com, and various partner websites. This allows you to re-engage users who have already visited your site with tailored messaging, increasing the chances of conversion while optimizing your ad spend.

Setting Up Bing Remarketing Campaigns

1. Install the Bing UET (Universal Event Tracking) Tag on your website to track user behavior.
2. Create remarketing lists based on users who have visited specific pages or shown interest in various products.
3. Build search ads or display ads that will be shown to users across the Bing Search Network.
4. Set your bids, targeting, and creatives.

Benefits of Bing Remarketing: Lower Competition & High-Value Users 

Bing typically has much less competition than Google does, which can lead to lower cost-per-conversion rates for marketing of all sorts, including remarketing. Bing users also tend to have higher household incomes, which can make them more valuable to advertisers for higher-end products or services. 

Limitations of Bing Remarketing: Smaller Market Share 

Bing’s market share is smaller than Google’s, and while that does mean it can be more affordable and efficient, there are simply fewer opportunities here. Furthermore, while Bing’s targeting capabilities are robust and quite adequate, it doesn’t quite have the advanced, granular targeting capabilities found in Google Ads and Meta platform remarketing.

Bing Remarketing Best Practices

Take advantage of Bing’s lower costs to run a highly efficient, affordable remarketing campaign.

Target high-value demographics like corporate professionals, who are more likely to use Bing as their default search engine.

Amazon Remarketing: Converting High-Intent Shoppers

As the largest ecommerce platform in the world, it should be no surprise that Amazon has its own remarketing network. Amazon offers its own ad platform, called Amazon DSP (Demand Side Platform), where you can run remarketing campaigns. 

Through Amazon DSP, you can target users who have interacted with your brand’s products on Amazon or visited your website – both within the Amazon store ecosystem itself, or across a broader range of websites and apps that offer access to Amazon through partnerships. 

Amazon’s ability to tap into high-intent, ready-to-purchase users makes remarketing on Amazon extremely appealing to businesses.

How It Works: Amazon DSP (Demand-Side Platform) enables advertisers to programmatically buy display, video, and audio ads both on and off Amazon. What sets it apart is its access to Amazon’s vast first-party shopping data, including browsing behavior, purchase history, product views, and wish lists. This powerful data allows brands to build highly targeted remarketing audiences, such as shoppers who viewed a product but didn’t purchase or those who purchased complementary products. Once audiences are defined, Amazon DSP serves personalized ads across Amazon-owned sites (like IMDb) and a wide network of third-party websites and apps, helping you stay top of mind and drive conversions with precision and scale.

Setting Up Amazon Remarketing Campaigns

1. Set your brand up using Amazon DSP, whether through an Amazon remarketing agency or directly, if your business meets Amazon’s requirements.
2. Implement the Amazon Tracking Pixel on your website to monitor user behavior, if you’re targeting off-Amazon activity. 
3. Build Audience Segments based on Amazon activity, e.g., users who viewed or purchased specific products.
4. Design creatives, including display or product-focused ads.
5. Set targeting parameters, including product-related searches, category views, and past purchase history.

Advantages of Amazon Remarketing: Purchase-Ready Audiences & First-Party Data

Amazon users often visit the site once they’ve made up their mind to purchase something and they want to research the best options. Since they’ve already decided to purchase something, this dramatically increases the likelihood of conversion, if you can make the case that your brand is superior to your competition. 

Amazon has access to unique, first-party data from its platform, which means you can target users based on their actual shopping behavior, not just browsing habits. You can also target users with dynamic product ads about specific items they viewed.

Amazon Remarketing Challenges: Cost & Niche Applicability

Remarketing on Amazon can be more expensive than on other platforms, specifically because of that high conversion potential. Amazon also imposes minimum spend requirements for DPS access.

Amazon is also most effective (if not solely effective) for businesses that sell physical products – that is, the ecommerce space – and is less ideal for service-based businesses or B2B brands.

Amazon Remarketing Best Practices: Dynamic Product Ads

Use Dynamic Ads for the exact products users viewed on Amazon. This significantly improves relevance and the likelihood of conversion. 

Use Amazon’s deep pool of shopping data to refine your audience targeting. Focus on users who have shown interest in other products in your category, or those who have abandoned carts. 

You can also combine these options with Amazon Sponsored Products ads to ensure visibility across the whole platform.

How to Choose the Best Remarketing Platform for our Business

Remarketing is a vital tool in the arsenal of any digital marketer, offering the opportunity to re-engage with warm audiences who have already expressed interest in your brand. Each platform has its strengths and drawbacks, and the choice of where to focus your remarketing efforts should depend on your business model, target audience, and marketing objectives.

Follow these key guidelines to find the remarketing platform that aligns best with your business goals and audience needs.

Consider Our Business Model: E-commerce, B2B, or Services?

Different platforms cater better to specific business models. For example, Amazon DSP excels for e-commerce brands due to its rich shopping data, while LinkedIn or Bing might be better suited for B2B companies. Service-based businesses may find Facebook and Google’s diverse targeting options more useful.

Define Our Target Audience: Where Do They Spend Their Time Online?

Understanding where your ideal customers spend most of their time online is crucial. Younger audiences may be more reachable on YouTube and Meta platforms, while professionals might frequent LinkedIn or Bing-powered search.

Assess Our Marketing Goals: Brand Awareness, Lead Generation, or Sales?

Your goals will influence platform choice. YouTube’s video ads are excellent for brand awareness, while Google and Amazon provide strong direct sales opportunities. Lead generation may perform better on platforms with sophisticated form integrations or audience targeting.

Evaluate Our Budget & Resources: Video Production vs. Display Ad Costs

Consider your available budget and creative resources. Video-heavy platforms like YouTube require higher production investment, whereas Google Display or Bing might offer more budget-friendly options for static or simple animated ads.

Platform Comparison Matrix: Google vs. Meta vs. YouTube vs. Bing vs. Amazon

Comparing platforms based on factors like reach, targeting options, ad spend efficiency, and data privacy will give you clearer insight into which one suits your business objectives most effectively.

Beyond a Single Platform: The Power of Omnichannel Remarketing

To truly unlock the power of remarketing, relying on just one platform isn’t enough. An effective strategy embraces an omnichannel approach — leveraging multiple platforms to engage your audience wherever they spend their time online. This diversified reach significantly boosts your chances of converting potential customers by reinforcing your message across different touchpoints.

However, success in omnichannel remarketing requires careful management to avoid common pitfalls. Prevent brand ad fatigue by capping how often your ads are shown to the same users. Segment your audience thoughtfully to deliver the right message at the right stage — bottom-of-funnel (BoFu) ads shouldn’t be shown to top-of-funnel (ToFu) prospects, as their needs differ throughout the buyer’s journey. Lastly, keep your campaigns fresh and engaging with regular updates to your visuals and copy, ensuring your ads consistently capture attention across all channels.

Crucial Remarketing Best Practices (Across All Platforms)

Regardless of the platforms you select for your remarketing campaigns, some best practices are crucial to ensure maximum effectiveness. First, implement frequency capping to prevent ad fatigue — showing your ads too often can annoy potential customers and diminish returns. Next, practice precise audience segmentation to tailor your messaging according to where users are in the buyer’s journey; avoid showing bottom-of-funnel (BoFu) ads to top-of-funnel (ToFu) prospects, as their needs and interests differ greatly. Finally, commit to regular creative refreshes — updating both visuals and copy — to keep your ads engaging and relevant across all channels, preventing your campaigns from becoming stale.

Want help with remarketing on the world’s biggest ad platforms? You’ve come to the right place. Contact SevenAtoms today and see how we can help you remarket like a pro.

FAQ:

1. Which remarketing platform is best for e-commerce businesses?

The best remarketing platform for e-commerce businesses is Google Ads because it offers wide reach, detailed targeting, and works well with Google Shopping. Meta (Facebook and Instagram) is also great for visually showcasing products to people who’ve visited your site. Many e-commerce brands use both for better results.

2. What are the main differences between Google Ads and Meta (Facebook/Instagram) remarketing?

The main difference is where your ads show up. Google Ads shows remarketing ads across websites, YouTube, and Google Search, while Meta shows them on Facebook and Instagram.

Google is better for search intent and broader reach, while Meta is stronger for visual storytelling and social engagement. Both target past visitors, but the way people interact with ads is different on each platform.

3. Is YouTube remarketing effective for B2B companies?

Yes, YouTube remarketing can be effective for B2B companies. It helps you stay visible to decision-makers by showing video ads that explain your products or services. Videos can build trust and awareness, especially when targeting the right audience.

4. How can I avoid ad fatigue in my remarketing campaigns?

To avoid ad fatigue in remarketing, regularly refresh your ads with new images, messages, or offers. Limit how often the same person sees your ads, and use frequency caps. Also, try testing different ad formats and rotate your ads to keep things fresh and interesting.

5. Which remarketing platform is the most cost-effective for small businesses?

For small businesses, Facebook/Meta remarketing is often the most cost-effective. It lets you reach the right audience with lower budget options and flexible ad formats, making it easier to get good results without spending a lot.