A beginner’s guide to retargeting ads for nonprofits

The verdict is in — according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) — “Over 90% of marketers report that retargeting performs as well as or better than search, email, and other display.”

For-profit companies have long relied on new technologies in marketing to drive sales in the digital era. But nonprofits are beginning to leverage these same tools to re-engage website visitors and boost their impact.

The average American sees somewhere between 4,000 and 10,000 ads every single day. So to put it mildly, it requires time, effort, and budget to keep your story front and center.

Luckily, retargeting ads are one of the most cost-effective, impactful ways nonprofits can connect with new and old supporters alike.

What are retargeting ads?

Ever gone looking for a new pair of shoes online, and long after you’ve stopped looking, the exact pair of shoes you wanted starts popping up wherever you go?

That’s retargeting ads in a nutshell!

If a nonprofit’s website has a specific kind of code built into it (at Feathr we call it the Super Pixel), then long after a person leaves the website, they can be served digital ads, reminding them of their interest in an upcoming event, inspiring mission, or membership perks.

Many of those 4,000 to 10,000 ads we all see every day have very little impact because we have zero interest in whatever it is. That’s the definition of a billboard. Everybody sees them, but they aren’t necessarily catering to the individual.

It’s the exact opposite with a retargeting ad. If someone made it to your event page or donation page, they likely didn’t stumble there by accident. They’re interested. And a retargeting ad is the perfect way to say, “remember me?”

Where do I sign up?

You’d be surprised how many options you have when it comes to retargeting. In Google Ads, they call it remarketing, and Facebook and Instagram have the same opportunities!

And even though Google Search and social retargeting can be highly effective, they are usually more expensive than the standard display ads. That’s because you’re working in Google’s and Meta’s worlds.

In Feathr, you can use the same technology that Google and Meta use, but have more control of pricing and flexibility with placement.

Every platform is going to have a slightly different process for setting up and launching retargeting ad campaigns, but they aren’t going to be so different. Here’s a little bit of what you can expect before your mission starts popping up in front of potential donors, volunteers, or attendees:

Step 1: Install a tracking pixel

A tracking pixel is simply a little bit of code that lives on your website. This allows you (if the person opts into cookies!) to follow their interactions with your site, and more importantly, follow up with them.

In Feathr, we call this piece of code the Super Pixel because of all the amazing things you can do with that newfound information. But Google also makes it easy with their Google Tag Manager, or in Facebook, it’s the Meta Pixel.

Step 2: Create an audience segment

Now that you’ve started paying attention to who’s on your website and what pages they’re visiting, it’s time to lump them into groups, or segments.

Volunteers are going to go to different pages than donors or people who are thinking about attending the next gala. So go into Feathr or Google or Meta and break those groups into smaller chunks. 

That way you can send more relevant messages to each of these unique segments.

Step 3: Design those ads

Now the fun really starts. It’s time to get creative and start building your ads!

The main thing is to keep it simple. Don’t try to say too much when it all needs to fit on the side of a screen. Be clear about what you’d like people to do. And make sure that the ads match your branding and give them a good idea of what the page they’ll land on will look like. We all like to know what we’re getting into.

But if you’d like even more input before letting the creative process take over, here are a few nonprofit advertising examples.

Step 4: Go for it!

In Feathr, the last step is to publish those ads. We know how it feels to click publish, so definitely dot your I’s and cross your T’s, but at the end of the day, just click it!

However, publishing is only the beginning — be sure to regularly check in on campaign performance. If it’s spending too much, decrease the budget or limit how many ads your audience is seeing. If the campaign isn’t spending enough, maybe try to broaden the audience or increase your bids.

Relationships aren’t something you can just check off and be done with. And the same is true for nonprofit digital marketing. You’re building relationships — even if they are online — so once those ads launch, it’s important to pay attention to how your people react.

Four quick tips

In marketing, best practices are worth a dime a dozen. That’s because what really matters is finding the unique messages that connect with your unique people.

That being said, we do have four simple rules that can be a good place to start as you begin the journey into retargeting ads:

1. Keep it fresh: If you're running a longer ad campaign (3+ months), make sure to switch out your ad creatives. That way your people don’t get tired of seeing the same old, same old.
2. Do these ads match?: Ads need to match the person’s initial interaction with your organization, and they need to lead them where they expect to go. What I mean is that you shouldn’t serve a potential donor an ad to sign up and volunteer. And then it would be even worse if the ad they clicked to volunteer led them to an event registration page! 
3. A/B then C/D test your ads: Test different headlines, images, and CTAs. Then test them again with new options. Decide never to stop learning because your organization should stay ahead of the competition for years to come. 
4. Don’t let the knowledge go to waste: Now that you’ve done the hard work of testing, don’t be one of those people who know everything but don’t do much with it. Knowledge is only power if it’s used well. So leverage all that hard-earned data, and get out there and make an even bigger impact on the world! 

So many marketers have to make decisions based on gut feelings alone. And when there isn’t good data to go around, that may be the best they can do. But when you have good data and reporting, make sure to let the information lead you into deeper connections with your community.

Prepare for takeoff!

We love working with nonprofits because you’re working to make the world a better place. And we know that you have plenty of choices when it comes to finding the right software to spread the word. 

But if you do have questions about how Feathr can partner with you, please reach out and start a conversation today — even if it’s simply to bounce around ideas about what retargeting ads for nonprofits look like!

Feathr is built for nonprofits to best connect with their committed communities. From email templates to pre-built campaign plans (something we call Flights), our team is ready and able to lend a hand during your takeoff!