Cox Media's re-marketing Q&A is an eBook that answers six important questions pertaining to the optimization of a local business's re-marketing strategy.

1. Re-Marketing Strategies & How to Apply Them
A Q&A Factsheet for Businesses of All Sizes

2. What are some examples of re-marketing?
Re-marketing falls into two overarching categories for advertisers.
Re-marketing strategies nurture and deepen relationships with existing customers
by building additional touch points into ongoing conversations with consumers.
While these touch points could be done online, there are offline retargeting
strategies that are equally effective. One way is to provide customers new
information about a product or service via an email newsletter.
The second category is re-marketing technologies, which target consumers
based on previous online shopping behavior. Popular with businesses that have
a strong online selling presence, this approach uses web technology to target
display advertising to online shoppers who have seen ads and not taken action, or
have abandoned web-site shopping carts. According to eMarketer.com, six in 10
shoppers abandon shopping carts — so, for the e-Commerce business, making use
of re-marketing technologies is a critical component for online businesses.2
Why focus on re-marketing strategies?
Re-marketing strategies provide a competitive edge in a crowded market. You can cut
through clutter, increase brand recognition and remain top of mind by delivering
messages that resonate with specific shoppers based on their prior behavior. For
example, a florist can identify all customers who purchased Mother’s Day flowers last
year and send them an email promoting a special arrangement or gift ideas as the next
Mother’s Day approaches.
1Re-Marketing Q&A | ©2015 Cox Media
The average business spends four to 10 times more to acquire a customer than it spends
to retain one, according to industry analysts.1
To maximize marketing dollars, progressive
businesses are now focusing on “re-marketing,” or reengaging consumers who have
previously interacted with the brand. Re-marketing creates additional touch points that not
only grab a consumer’s attention, but also deepen relationships with customers and moves
them deeper into the sales funnel.
This Q&A offers examples of re-marketing tools and strategies, and explains why
they’re so important. It also presents practical goals and tips to deploy an effective
re-marketing campaign alongside expert viewpoints to help you refine your strategy.
Re-Marketing Q&A

3. What should be the goals of a re-marketing or client
reengagement campaign?
Your aim is to move customers further down the purchase path and make the
business more relevant and important to the customer. If a customer hasn’t
patronized a business in weeks or months, a re-marketing campaign can draw
them back. Appalachian Outfitters, a Midwest sporting goods store, sends
regular customers email invitations to in-store seminars to learn first aid skills.
This strengthens the relationship, because customers consider the retailer an
information source and not just a place to shop.
Re-marketing campaigns can also be used to reinforce your brand message or
introduce a new message. Your monthly email newsletter might focus less on new
products and more on your participation in community events.
How do you identify and compile targets for a
re-marketing campaign?
The National Retail Federation projects that retail mobile commerce will grow
between 7% and 10% this year.3
“A list of permission-based subscribers helps make
the information on your list more accurate, therefore making the messages you send
to your audience more targeted and effective,” said social media consultant Brian
Honigman.4
Despite the widely held perception that email marketing annoys consumers, experts
say that more consumers are actually opting in to email newsletters, which are great
vehicles for re-marketing.5
The traditional method of capturing email addresses
at the point of sale remains effective, because it allows you to gather a variety
of additional information — such as the reason for the customer’s purchase —
which you can use to target consumers for future promotions.
Loyalty programs are another effective tool for building re-marketing lists. Frequent
shopper programs encourage consumers to revisit your business while allowing you
to capture customer information.
Marketers who deploy re-marketing strategies with re-marketing technologies rely
on services such as Google Analytics that allow them to build lists of consumers
who have abandoned web-site shopping carts. These lists can be filtered to identify
shoppers who exhibited certain behavior — for example, direct a promotion for free
shipping to visitors who added items to a shopping cart but didn’t make the purchase.
Re-Marketing Q&A
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4. What are some important factors to consider for the content
of a customer reengagement message?
Target customers based on their buying patterns, interests and demographics.
“Sending occasional updates to a customer based on their past browsing, usage
or purchasing habits is a no-brainer and a great way to encourage repeat sales and
increase customer lifespan,” said email marketing expert Chris Hexton of Getvero.6
It’s important to use a customer service-oriented tone. Send a new message or a
variation of the previous message. Don’t just deliver the same message twice and
call it “re-marketing.”
Remember that it might take a series of messages to convert customers. A popular
strategy is to time the delivery of three messages, and include a special offer to buy
with the third communication.
What are key considerations regarding the timing of
a re-marketing campaign?
For services or products that people buy repetitively or seasonally, contact
consumers before they would normally make the purchase. For example,
1-800-CONTACTS sends existing customers an email three days before the
customer is due to run out of contact lenses.
During the holidays, tailor re-marketing messages to promote important selling
days. Notify customers about special Black Friday deals, or share a re-marketing
message two weeks before Christmas to update customers on shipping deadlines.
Re-Marketing Q&A
3
Maintaining relationships with existing customers and prospects is a vital component of
a good marketing plan. Re-marketing gives you the opportunity to deepen these crucial
relationships while moving customers closer to a purchase.
Re-Marketing Q&A | ©2015 Cox Media

5. Consumers today have access to more information, products and businesses than
ever before. In order to stay top-of-mind and maximize advertising dollars, businesses
should take a multi-channel approach to re-marketing strategies. Following are best
practices from Sujan Patel (http://sujanpatel.com/), a digital marketing expert and VP
of Marketing at When I Work, an employee scheduling software. He has written for
myriad publications focusing on marketing tips and best practices, including American
Express OPEN Forum, Entrepreneur, Fast Company and Forbes.
How can SMBs embrace both traditional and digital marketing to engage
and maintain relationships with consumers?
Patel: The key really is to embrace multi-channel marketing. You have to be able to develop campaigns
that nurture prospects through digital channels as well as more traditional advertising channels, such
as TV or radio. It requires more work, but it results in stronger, more valuable relationships with your
customers — the ones who are going to refer you more business.
What marketing trends do you believe have the most impact for SMBs?
Patel: Over the past five years, content marketing has been growing in importance for SMBs. For
example, there are more companies blogging than ever, and it’s because consumers now crave
information more than ever. The other area that a lot of SMBs have been benefiting from is email.
When done right, email marketing can drive significant ROI for SMBs.
Re-Marketing Q&A
4
Expert Viewpoint:
Sujan Patel on the Multi-Channel
Re-Marketing Approach
@sujanpatel
Re-Marketing Q&A | ©2015 Cox Media

6. What do you believe are the most common mistakes SMBs make in their
re-marketing strategies?
Patel: The biggest issues for SMBs are not correctly identifying who their ideal customers are and
where to find them. SMBs end up taking a broad approach and receive the wrong type of traffic
instead of their targeted audience. This is especially important when re-marketing because they’ll
end up just wasting their time and money advertising to the wrong people.
You have to not only know who your target audience is, but also create very granular campaigns so that
your messaging is relevant. For example, if someone visits a specific product or section of your site,
create an ad specific to that product or section. Messaging is a big part of it, but at the end of the day it
comes down to your ability to interpret and act on data.
Can you share any final tips or best practices for SMBs looking to improve
their re-marketing strategies?
Patel: The first thing I would recommend is doubling down on figuring out who your ideal customer
actually is. You can do this by talking to current customers, developing customer “personas” or profiles
and scouring through various metrics to really zero in on the target audience you’re trying to reach.
Once you have all of that information collected, use it to make your email marketing campaigns better.
You have to be able to develop authentic, ongoing relationships with your customers, and a great way
to do that is through email.
Re-Marketing Q&A
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7. The marketing landscape is changing at a rapid pace. Traditionally, businesses of
all sizes relied on traditional advertising channels to get the word out to consumers.
As a result, the companies that spent the most money on advertising grabbed the
most attention. But now, SMBs have the chance to acquire customers and build
lasting relationships by implementing a targeted mix of traditional and digital
marketing. In the following Q&A, Erin “Mack” McKelvey, Managing Partner and
CEO of marketing agency SalientMG, uncovers how SMBs can develop an optimal
brand marketing plan.
How has the practice of capturing customer attention and loyalty
changed for SMBs?
McKelvey: Marketing for SMBs has in many ways mirrored what has happened for large businesses.
Advertising in the Yellow Pages has given way to geo-targeted Facebook advertising and other
digital channels. Additionally, the advent of social media has given SMBs an opportunity to reach
their customers on a one-to-one basis that they never had before.
What role does social media play for SMBs that want to successfully
engage and build relationships with customers?
McKelvey: Social is essential. When a consumer is researching products and companies, social
channels play an important role in delivering information and getting them past “consideration”
and into “intent to buy.”
Re-Marketing Q&A
6
Expert Viewpoint:
Erin “Mack” McKelvey on
Branding for Re-Marketers
@MackMcKelvey
Re-Marketing Q&A | ©2015 Cox Media

8. When companies are thinking about their social channels, this may sound simple, but the most
important thing is to have a plan and strategy. Know who your audience is and how you want to
communicate to them. Have a plan in place to engage with customers when they respond. Narrow
your social channel participation to where your customers are – you don’t have to be on every
new channel, but do invest time and energy into doing well with the ones that are important to
your audience.
Many companies are sort of winging it, and just having a clear plan in place can give many
businesses a leg up. Consistency and authenticity should shine through social channels.
Do you have any final tips or best practices for businesses striving to
get the most value out of their re-marketing strategies?
McKelvey: First, don’t rush to tactics; really spend the time to determine what you are trying to
achieve. Then, be prepared to test and learn, which I can’t stress enough. There are certainly best
practices in marketing, but there is no blueprint for success that is applicable to every business. It starts
with strong messaging, and then it’s about finding the tactics that work for you. Third, do not think of
marketing as a “nice to have.” Marketing permeates every facet of your business, and SMB owners
must make marketing a part of their day-to-day roles. Think of marketing as a critical weapon in your
proactive arsenal to drive your business and, ultimately, revenue.
Re-Marketing Q&A
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9. Resources
1
The Chartered Institute of Marketing
http://www.camfoundation.com/PDF/Cost-of-customer-acquisition-vs-customer-retention.pdf
2
eMarketer.com
http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Retailers-Rethink-Shopping-Cart-Abandonment/1009645
3
Internet Retailer, U.S. Annual E-retail Sales Surpass $300 Billion for the First Time, https://
www.internetretailer.com/2015/02/17/us-annual-e-retail-sales-surpass-300-billion-first-ti
4
The Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brian-honigman/how-sms-text-messaging-
retains_b_3697107.html
5
MyCustomer.com
http://www.mycustomer.com/topic/marketing/three-email-marketing-mega-trends-and-how-
maximise-their-benefit/162695
6
Getvero.com
http://blog.getvero.com/pump-up-your-ltv-with-email-remarketing-increase-your-customer-
lifespan-part-2-of-3/
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Re-Marketing Q&A
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