Understanding and Using B2B Remarketing to Recover Leads

B2B remarketing is a marketing strategy focused on reconnecting with business leads who have interacted with your company but did not complete a purchase or inquiry. It works by showing these prospects personalized ads or messages to remind them of your product or service and encourage them to take the next step toward buying. This article covers why B2B remarketing is important for small businesses, practical steps to set it up, a realistic example, common mistakes to avoid, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Why this comes up / what goes wrong

Small and mid-sized businesses often lose valuable leads because prospects visit their website, request information, or engage with sales but do not convert. These leads can easily go cold due to slow follow-up, generic messaging, or the prospect’s distractions. Without a way to stay visible and relevant, your business misses chances to win these customers. B2B remarketing solves this by targeting these interested prospects with tailored messages or ads, keeping your brand top of mind and encouraging action.

Step-by-step

1. Identify your remarketing audience: Use your CRM or marketing tools to find prospects who visited your website, opened emails, or interacted with sales but didn’t convert. Check for recent activity and contact details.

1. Segment your leads: Group prospects based on their behavior or interests, such as the pages they visited, products they viewed, or company size. Segmentation helps you create relevant messages.

1. Choose remarketing channels: Decide where to reach your prospects. Common channels include LinkedIn ads, Google Display Network, email sequences, or social media platforms relevant to your industry.

1. Create targeted content: Develop ads or messages that address specific needs or objections for each segment. Use clear calls to action that invite prospects to re-engage or ask questions.

1. Set frequency and duration: Plan how often your ads or messages will appear and for how long. Avoid overwhelming prospects by limiting ad frequency and campaign length.

1. Monitor and optimize: Track key metrics like click-through rates, conversions, and cost per lead. Use this data to refine your messaging, targeting, and budget.

1. Integrate with sales follow-up: Coordinate remarketing efforts with your sales team’s outreach to ensure timely and consistent communication. Using a built-in CRM dialer can streamline calls and follow-ups.

Example (fictional figures)

A plumbing company in Austin, Texas, wants to reengage 500 website visitors who requested a quote but did not book a service.

• They allocate $5,000 for a LinkedIn remarketing campaign.
• The campaign targets these 500 prospects with ads highlighting a 10% discount.
• The click-through rate (CTR) is 8%, so clicks = 500 × 8% = 40 clicks.
• The conversion rate from clicks to booked service is 25%, so conversions = 40 × 25% = 10 new jobs.
• Average job revenue is $1,200.
• Total revenue from remarketing = 10 × $1,200 = $12,000.
• Return on ad spend (ROAS) = $12,000 ÷ $5,000 = 2.4.

This means every dollar spent on remarketing returned $2.40 in revenue.

Common mistakes

• Not segmenting leads: Sending the same message to all prospects reduces relevance and engagement. Prevent this by grouping leads based on behavior or needs.

• Ignoring frequency caps: Showing ads too often can annoy prospects and hurt your brand. Set limits on how many times an ad appears to each prospect.

• Poor message alignment: Using generic ads that don’t address previous interactions lowers engagement. Tailor content to each segment’s interests and past actions.

• Neglecting integration with sales: If sales teams are unaware of remarketing efforts, follow-ups may be inconsistent or duplicated. Use a CRM with a built-in CRM dialer to coordinate communication.

• Not tracking results: Without monitoring, you cannot improve campaigns. Use analytics tools to measure performance and adjust targeting, messaging, and budget.

For managing communications effectively, consider tools like WhatsApp and SMS CRM to complement remarketing efforts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between B2B remarketing and retargeting? Remarketing and retargeting both involve targeting previous visitors or leads with ads or messages. Remarketing usually refers to email campaigns or personalized outreach, while retargeting often means showing display ads online.

How long should a B2B remarketing campaign run? The duration depends on your sales cycle. For longer B2B sales, campaigns may run for several weeks to months to nurture leads. Monitor engagement and adjust the timing accordingly.

Can small businesses afford B2B remarketing? Yes. Remarketing budgets can be scaled to fit small businesses. Even modest spending can improve lead conversion by focusing on interested prospects.

Which platforms work best for B2B remarketing? LinkedIn and Google Display Network are popular for B2B due to professional targeting options. Email remarketing sequences are also effective when integrated with your CRM.

How does a CRM help with remarketing? A CRM organizes your leads, tracks interactions, and enables targeted follow-up. Tools like a built-in CRM dialer help your sales team contact leads efficiently, complementing remarketing campaigns.

For more about managing leads and communication, see HelloGrowthCRM for the United States.

Key takeaways

• B2B remarketing targets past prospects who didn’t convert to re-engage them.
• Segment leads by behavior to personalize messages and improve results.
• Use appropriate channels like LinkedIn, Google, and email for remarketing.
• Coordinate remarketing with sales outreach for consistent follow-up.
• Track campaign performance and adjust to maximize return.

Start improving your lead follow-up and sales by trying remarketing. Start on the Free Forever plan (200 leads, no credit card).