7 Alternatives to Remarketing Ads for Re-Engaging Customers

Exploring alternatives to remarketing ads can open up new avenues for re-engaging customers. We’ve gathered insights from seven experts, including marketing consultants and e-commerce business owners, on effective strategies beyond traditional ads. From leveraging email nurture sequences to employing browser push notifications, discover a spectrum of methods to reconnect with your audience.

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Leverage Email Nurture Sequences

Email nurture sequences offer a powerful alternative to remarketing ads for re-engaging customers. This targeted approach leverages your existing customer data to deliver personalized, value-driven content directly to your audience’s inbox.

Unlike remarketing ads, which can feel intrusive, email nurture sequences allow you to craft a narrative that resonates with each customer segment. By providing tailored insights, exclusive offers, or educational content, you’re not just chasing a sale—you’re building a relationship.

This method also gives you more control over the customer journey. You can strategically time your communications to coincide with key decision-making moments, gently guiding prospects back to your brand without the hit-or-miss nature of ad impressions.

Moreover, email nurture sequences often prove more cost-effective than continual ad spending, offering a higher ROI when executed skillfully. They also provide valuable data on customer engagement, allowing you to refine your approach over time.

By choosing email nurture sequences, you’re not just re-engaging customers—you’re creating a dialogue that can lead to lasting loyalty and increased lifetime value.

Michelle Merz, Marketing Consultant, Slantics

Initiate Email and SMS Re-engagement

One of the most successful strategies we have for re-engaging customers is through email and SMS campaigns. If a customer does not shop with us within 60 days (average repeat business is 45 days), an email and SMS campaign is sent to them asking them to return. If they still do not purchase, another email is sent three days later with a heavy discount code to push them to buy with us again. We have seen a good 20-25% of customers place another order with this strategy. While the discount hurts our margins, it is better to not lose them as a customer.

Jeff Michael, Ecommerce Business Owner, Supplement Warehouse

Personalize Emails With A/B Testing

An effective alternative to remarketing ads for re-engaging customers is personalized email campaigns, combined with A/B testing to refine the approach. For example, we once had a situation where our remarketing ads weren’t performing as expected. To tackle this, we turned to email marketing, segmenting our customer list based on their browsing and purchase history.

We crafted personalized emails with tailored product recommendations and tested different subject lines and call-to-action phrases. One A/B test revealed that emails with personalized product suggestions had a 25% higher open rate and a 30% higher conversion rate than generic emails. Another test showed that using a sense of urgency in the subject line, like “Last Chance to Get Your Favorite Items!” significantly increased engagement.

By focusing on personalized content and continually testing and optimizing our emails, we managed to re-engage a significant portion of our customer base. This approach not only revived interest but also strengthened customer loyalty and drove repeat purchases.

Jörg Dennis Krüger, Author, Expert and Mentor, The Conversion Hacker®

Utilize WhatsApp for Customer Retargeting

WhatsApp marketing is a gold alternative to expensive ads. First, deplatform the customer by doing lead ads, pop-ups, chat widgets, and taking marketing consent. Then, retarget them via WhatsApp; it works great for many of our customers across the globe.

Rohan Rajpal, Co Founder, Spur

Employ Browser Push Notifications

One specific alternative to remarketing ads for re-engaging customers is browser push notifications.

These notifications are brief, clickable messages that appear directly on a user’s device, even if they are not currently visiting your website. They enable you to reach customers in real time, encouraging them to return to your site or complete an action, such as finishing a purchase.

I love this approach because of its immediate engagement. Since they appear directly on the user’s device, they provide timely reminders that can prompt quick responses. Additionally, browser push notifications offer high visibility because they bypass the crowded spaces of traditional digital channels.

Furthermore, you can personalize these notifications based on user behavior, ensuring that the messages are relevant and tailored to the individual, thereby increasing the likelihood of re-engagement.

Overall, browser push notifications provide a direct and effective way to re-engage customers without relying on traditional remarketing ads.

Peter Bryla, Senior Community Manager, LiveCareer

Send Occasional Email Greetings

One approach that has been successful for us is sending out occasional email greetings to maintain a baseline of brand awareness. Customer birthdays or major holidays like New Year’s or the Fourth of July work especially well for this. This is an especially good fit for us since customers don’t generally use our services very frequently. They’ll usually go years between moves, so simply making sure they remember us will give us a leg up in the future.

Nick Valentino, VP of Market Operations, Bellhop

Re-Engage With Targeted Email Marketing

A great way to use remarketing ads to re-engage is through email marketing. You can do this by personalizing content and sending targeted emails that cater to the specific interests or behaviors of previous customers—like abandoned-cart reminders, product recommendations, or special offers—all of which will allow you to re-engage them more effectively. This approach creates a direct and personalized connection, encouraging customers to return and complete their purchases.

Jacinta Austin, Marketing Manager, IUPAT

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