The Difference Between Retargeting & Remarketing Explained

In digital marketing, the terms retargeting and remarketing are often used interchangeably. Many businesses assume they’re the same — but in reality, they are two different strategies with distinct goals and channels. Understanding the difference can help you design smarter campaigns, allocate budgets effectively, and avoid wasting money on the wrong approach.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you should run retargeting ads or focus on remarketing campaigns, this breakdown will make everything clear.

1. What Is Retargeting?

Retargeting is primarily about ads. It involves showing targeted ads to people who have already interacted with your business in some way — such as visiting your website, watching your videos, or adding products to their cart.

1. Platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Google Display, YouTube.
2. Goal: Bring back warm audiences and push them to convert.
3. Examples:
4. Someone browses a product page → sees an ad for the same product on Instagram.
5. A person watches 75% of your reel → gets shown a testimonial ad the next day.

Retargeting = reminding people through paid ads.

2. What Is Remarketing?

Remarketing is more about direct communication. Instead of relying on paid ads, it reconnects with customers through channels like email, SMS, or WhatsApp.

1. Platforms: Email marketing tools, SMS platforms, WhatsApp Business.
2. Goal: Nurture relationships, re-engage inactive users, and encourage repeat purchases.
3. Examples:
4. Sending a cart abandonment email.
5. WhatsApp message: “Your order is still waiting, complete checkout today.”
6. SMS reminder about a seasonal discount.

Remarketing = reminding people through direct messages.

3. Key Differences Between Retargeting & Remarketing

4. How They Work Together

The real power comes when you combine retargeting and remarketing:

1. Use retargeting ads to bring visitors back to your site.
2. Use remarketing emails/WhatsApps to follow up with offers, trust signals, or reminders.

For example:

1. A user abandons a cart.
2. Retargeting ads remind them of the product.
3. Remarketing email/WhatsApp nudges them with a discount code.
4. Together → Higher conversion chances.

5. Real Example

An e-commerce fashion brand used both:

1. Retargeting: Instagram ads for people who added items to their cart.
2. Remarketing: Automated WhatsApp reminders for the same users.

Result → Cart recovery rate improved by 45% compared to using only ads or only messages.

6. Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Treating both terms as the same and mixing strategies.
2. Using only retargeting ads but ignoring follow-up channels.
3. Overloading customers with too many remarketing messages.
4. Forgetting segmentation (past buyers need different messaging than cart abandoners).

7. Pro Tips

1. Always run retargeting + remarketing together for best results.
2. Use remarketing to build loyalty, not just push sales.
3. Automate remarketing with tools like WhatsApp flows or email sequences.
4. Refresh retargeting creatives often to avoid fatigue.
5. Segment audiences by behavior for both strategies.

Retargeting and remarketing may sound similar, but they serve different purposes. Retargeting uses ads to re-engage warm audiences, while remarketing uses direct communication like email or WhatsApp to build long-term relationships. Together, they create a complete system for driving conversions and repeat sales.

At AlmostZero, we help businesses design retargeting funnels and remarketing sequences that work hand in hand — boosting sales, improving loyalty, and maximizing ROI.

Want to stop losing leads and start converting them into loyal customers? Partner with AlmostZero and let’s build your retargeting + remarketing system today.