By David Bendtsen, a FetchBack National Account Executive
Well, here we go! 2012 is here already, and some of us still have Christmas cards hanging around the house (Santa stuck to the fridge with magnets reminding us of past vacations… or who to call for all of our plumbing needs). But it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get back to work—to put what we learned in 2011 into play this year. So, the big question is… what did we learn last year?
Personally, my daughter taught me what Pinterest is. So I finally know why there are craft projects all over the house. I also learned that I can’t hit my 5 iron 175 yards anymore and that my Seahawks are in another rebuilding year. I vote to bring Jim Zorn out of retirement!
When it comes to retargeting, as an industry, we’ve learned many things. Being in this business since the beginning, back when retargeting was still made out of wood, we’ve come to understand that it’s constantly changing. The job is never done, you can’t relax, and you never cross the goal line. Using another reference to football, winning the retargeting Super Bowl is always making 1st downs because there is no end zone—it’s a really, really long game.
So how did retargeting get smarter last year? In my opinion, the big deal is conceptual. Sure, there are lots of new technical capabilities that can improve performance and look good in brochures, but I’m still thinking our growth, as an industry, was in concept.
The concept I’m referring to is the understanding that every campaign is different. Every campaign has unique goals and sets of issues and more, needs to be structured uniquely. The cookie cutter approach to retargeting just doesn’t fit any longer. “Hey, our CPM is really low and we can serve dynamic ads!” just doesn’t translate to long-term performance. Good in a tradeshow booth, not in practice.
The concept amounts to truly comprehending desired outcomes and working backwards. After all, setting goals today means more than, “I want more conversions at $XX.XX CPA.” It’s about examining every stop prospects make on their journey through a site and designing a unique retargeting campaign just for them, all based on goals.
Back in the day, we were in a hurry to scoot prospects out the bottom of the funnel and wish them a good day as they waved goodbye and breezed down a dirt road, out of sight. Today, many campaigns have replaced the funnel with a resort. Prospects don’t live there, but they come back often because they feel safe and comfortable. Theirs is not a linear path from top to bottom and there are lots of side trips and adventures along the way. They like it there.
Yes, there are lots of new retargeting gizmos, technologies, and media practices that are fun to talk about for 2012. Some might be a good fit, others may not. So when it comes down to it, is this new concept of understanding a tailored solution really new? Nope, not really. But it’s kind of like green beans—how many times did your mom bug you about the importance of eating those? Even though you risked getting scurvy and your hair falling out, you still tried getting your Collie to eat them for you. Today, you realize the importance of a balanced diet, but again, it’s not a new concept. Likewise, some of us in retargeting have been “eating our green beans” for a long time, while others are still feeding the dog under the table.
So we stroll into 2012 with a new concept for some, a steadfast reminder for others. We stand in front of a blank chalkboard and we don’t start drawing until we know what we’re supposed to be drawing. Are we drawing a funnel? A resort? A funnely-resort? Or some shape only Dr. Seuss could get at first glance?
How we structure a retargeting campaign depends on what we’re trying to accomplish and how we want to get there. We have no idea what a campaign will look like until we examine from all angles and gain a crisp understanding of goals. Then, we pick up the chalk and start drawing.