1/28/2025

Retargeting Strategies: When to Exclude Past Purchasers in Facebook Ads

Understanding the Shift in Retargeting
Retargeting is a powerful strategy used in digital marketing, especially when deploying Facebook Ads. It's all about engaging those potential customers who’ve shown interest in your products or services but didn’t complete the purchase. However, as many marketers have discovered, not all strategies work universally, particularly when it comes to excluding past purchasers. Knowing when & how to exclude these past buyers can be a game-changer for optimizing your return on investment (ROI).

The Art of Strategic Exclusion

So, when should you exclude your past purchasers in your retargeting campaigns? It comes down to understanding the sales funnel stages and the behaviors of your customers.

Recognizing Their Journey: The customer journey doesn’t end at the checkout page. Post-purchase, the customers have new preferences, interests, or even set expectations based on their prior purchasing behavior. Thus, your ads need to evolve with them.
Avoiding Ad Fatigue: Bombarding someone who's already purchased from you with the same ads can lead to disengagement. No one likes feeling inundated with ads for items they just bought.
Cost Efficiency: Retargeting ads can be pricey. If your budget aims to reach new customers, excluding previous purchasers can help optimize allocation.

Implementation Techniques

There are various ways you can implement these exclusions:

Creating Custom Audiences: With tools provided by platforms like Facebook Ads Manager, you can easily create custom audiences that specifically exclude past purchasers. By using the Custom Audience feature, you can filter through your audience data and target only those who haven't bought yet.
Frequency Algorithms: Facebook allows you to set Frequency Caps. This means you can decide how many times a certain audience sees your ad within a particular period. Frequent exposure without new engagement can lead to ad fatigue, which we really want to avoid.
Utilizing Lookalike Audiences: Once you set exclusions on past purchasers, consider creating a lookalike audience based on the behavior of previous customers. This way, you can reach fresh users who share similarities with your existing customer base while steering clear of past customers.

Best Practices for Exclusion Strategies

Here are some best practices when considering retargeting exclusions:

Consider Timeframes: Exclude buyers based on recent purchases, such as those within the last 30 days. This gives customers a grace period before you try to upsell them new products.
Customer Segmentation: Not all customers are the same. Depending on buying habits and interests, you may want to use different exclusion tactics for different segments of customers.
Engagement vs. Purchase: Instead of excluding users who’ve made a past purchase outright, consider how you might still engage them with relevant information.
Ad Variety: Change up the content you show past purchasers. Instead of promoting the same products, provide offers on complementary items, services, or even alternative products.
Take Data-Led Decisions: Dive deep into your analytics. Tools like Facebook's Audience Insights can provide valuable data on engagement metrics, helping you decide the best course of action.

Case Study: Learning from Struggles

In a discussion on Reddit surrounding retargeting past purchasers, many marketers voiced their difficulties in getting ROI from retargeting ads aimed at users who've previously bought products. A campaign running for over three weeks with zero sales made many question the wisdom of targeting buyers again. It serves as a reminder that successful retargeting is not merely about reaching people, but also about reaching the right people.

The Power of Arsturn

So, here’s where Arsturn enters the picture! Imagine creating a CUSTOM CHATBOT that can handle inquiries from your audience, effectively targeting their needs while providing efficient responses. Arsturn’s platform allows you to create interactive chatbots that can seamlessly engage with new customers while subtly managing communications with past purchasers through tailored interactions. With no coding required, you can boost engagement rates and conversions in just minutes.

Key Features of Arsturn:

Easy Integration: You can effortlessly embed chatbots on your website, handling customer inquiries without the fuss.
Customer Insights: The platform provides valuable data and analytics, which can refine your strategies in exclusion processes.
Tailored Solutions: Whether you're running an eCommerce store or a personal blog, Arsturn can adapt to your unique needs, ensuring that your conversations drive results effectively.

Conclusion

Excluding past purchasers in your retargeting strategy is necessary for SUCCESS in modern marketing. It requires a considered approach driven by both analytics & creative thinking. As you evolve your campaigns around this insight, explore innovative tools like Arsturn to enhance audience engagement, enabling meaningful connections throughout the buyer’s journey, while continuously optimizing your advertising efforts. With the right strategies & tools, your retargeting can flourish and turn those leads into loyal customers.

Recap of Key Strategies

Use Custom Audiences to target only those who haven't purchased.
Implement Frequency Caps to prevent ad fatigue.
Take advantage of Lookalike Audiences to find new potential customers.

Ready to elevate your retargeting ads? Visit Arsturn today and transform your engagement strategies!