Pros and Cons of In-Platform Sequential Retargeting with Facebook ads
Author: Mario Idrizov (media buyer at Markademics)
Following the iOS 14 update, where users gained the option to decide whether to share data with apps and platforms, sequential retargeting with users who took specific actions on your website noticeably weakened. This decline occurred as the pixel’s functionality was hindered by the loss of important user data. However, within Facebook, In-Platform data remains accessible and can still be leveraged for what is known as Sequential Retargeting.
What is In-Platform Sequential Retargeting in Facebook?
In-Platform Sequential retargeting is when users inside the platform go through a sequence of ad experiences after they are engaged with a certain post or an ad. Instead of seeing the same repetitive retargeting ad such as the catalog ones, they will see a variety of ads as they move through the sequence.
Why it’s useful to have Sequential Retargeting in your strategy
Hard to get an ad fatigue: The displayed content is fresh and doesn’t repeat as each user progresses through the sequence, increasing the likelihood of users engaging with your ads.
Nurturing prospects: The sequence can address the various objections a prospect may have about buying from your brand.
Standing out: Each time your prospect scrolls through their social feed they will see different content which increases the time spent on your ads by each user.
When is it good to use In-Platform sequential retargeting?
For products or services that need more time to be explained, let’s say you are selling ‘dog food’ and need to convince your prospect that the food you are selling will help your prospect’s beloved ones to get rid of the stinky breath and the falling hair, and also improve their overall health. Sometimes, one ad is totally not enough to explain all of the questions that a prospect might have before considering a purchase, especially if this prospect is at the top of the funnel and doesn’t know anything about you.
Simply allowing your prospect to go through your sequence significantly increases the likelihood of maximizing purchases. This is because the touchpoints will vary, from answering their questions to addressing their objections through social proof provided from your ads.
This can be applied for different niches, such as skincare, Health and Wellness, etc,
Potential outcomes of using In-Platform sequential retargeting
By having this approach you will develop a system that will lead a cold prospect to a customer in a very organized manner. This will help you to spend your ad budget more precisely and get better CPA and ROAS in general.
How to use In-Platform sequential retargeting
As Video has the highest ability to explaining a product or service we will use only video format ads to walkthrough the potential customers from point A to point B, also Video viewers are not affected by iOS
For a good setup, we recommend beginning with 5 video formats. This approach allows for a transition from a broad to a more targeted communication strategy, utilizing various formats to introduce the product or service in a more gradual manner.
Here is a potential structure:
Video 1: (introduction): Introduce your product or service by using video length up to 30 seconds
Video 2: (3 Reasons why): Target minimum 50% of the video viewers from video 1
Video 3: (Review): Target minimum 50% of the video viewers from video 2
Video 4: (Us vs Them): Target minimum 50% of the video viewers from video 3
Video 5 (irresistible offer): Target minimum 50% of the video viewers from video 4
– Video 5 will serve as the culmination of our efforts, building on the groundwork laid by the preceding videos to address potential customer objections comprehensively.
At this stage, our focus is on converting prospects into customers. To achieve this, we must present an irresistible offer, such as ‘Buy 1, Get 1 Free’ or ’30-50% off on the first purchase,’ ensuring that the value proposition is too compelling to ignore.
What resources you will need to have proper setup
1. Creative
Having a proper setup for sequential retargeting will require good preparation beforehand. You will need at least 5 different video formats which will help you to show your product from different angles. That’s why you will have to prepare a logical order of the content you will use.
Example:
Video 1 – Introduction
Video 2 – 3 Reasons why
Video 3 – Review
Video 4 – Us vs Them
Video 5 – Irresistible offer
2. Budget
-It’s challenging to provide an exact cost estimate for this structure since CPMs can vary by niche and region. However, a minimum budget of €25 per day is advisable to ensure sufficient reach and engagement.
3. Time
– After launching the structure, it’s recommended to wait at least 2 weeks before drawing any firm conclusions. Each video requires sufficient views to gauge its performance accurately.
Is In-Platform sequential retargeting applied by non-marketers?
As a one-person team responsible for all aspects of the process, including content preparation, technical setup, monitoring, and making data-driven decisions to achieve lower CPA and higher ROAS, managing this process might prove more challenging compared to having a team supporting you
Pros and cons of In-Platform Sequential retargeting
Pros:
- A great way to address all prospect objections before purchase
- Once validated, it can deliver positive ongoing results.
- Once validated, it needs slight maintenance. You can imagine it as a very well-assembled machine that will require minor maintenance if some parts don’t work well and need to be changed
- Lowering the CPA
Cons:
- It is not recommended for small business that can’t spend enough the reach bigger audience
- Need at least 10k views on Video ad before creating the audiences
- Need more time to show it’s performance, at least 2 weeks.
Summary
In-platform sequential retargeting offers a compelling opportunity to engage with individuals who have already interacted with your ads inside Facebook, fostering a sense that your brand provides everything a potential customer needs. This strategy can be applied in various ways, making it adaptable to different marketing objectives.
If you’re interested in implementing sequential retargeting with the guidance of specialists who can optimize your CPA and ROAS, reach out to our team without hesitation.
