The Ultimate Retargeting Marketing Strategy - [Proven System]

Brad Smith • August 10, 2025

Key Takeaways:

  • Follow up 24+ times across 3 different channels in the first 30 days to prevent leads from forgetting about you
  • Focus on keeping customers on platform first (get followers) before driving to landing pages
  • Use multi-channel retargeting system: email, social media ads, and organic content working together
  • One client generates $100K/month with $90K profit using this exact retargeting approach
  • Prioritize relationship-building over immediate clicks for better long-term conversion rates


Hey there, I'm Brad Smith, owner of AutomationLinks, and I've been in the marketing game for over 10 years, helping over 2,500+ brands scale with predictable results. Today I'm pulling back the curtain and showing you the exact system one of our clients uses to generate $100K/month with $90K in profit by mastering retargeting.

The Problem Most Businesses Face

If you're not following up with your leads 24+ times across 3 different channels in the first 30 days, you're leaving serious money on the table. Your leads don't care about you, they don't like you, and they completely forget about you.


The Solution: Multi-Channel Retargeting System

This proven retargeting system works because it focuses on relationship-building, not just clicks. The system helps reduce cost per lead by focusing on warm traffic, increases conversions through personalized omnichannel follow-ups, and generates more leads without increasing ad spend.


  • Time to See Results: Within the first 30 days of implementation
  • Best For: Any business trying to get more leads online - e-commerce, coaching, real estate, or B2B


How Does the 3-Channel Follow-Up System Work?

When I talk about three different channels, I mean one would be email, one would be YouTube, one would be Facebook. That's three good channels there. The key is understanding that the average customer doesn't trust you yet, so we really need to implement these 24 touch points on three channels.


Key Point: Most businesses fail because they try to convert cold leads immediately instead of building relationships first.


How It Works:

  1. Bring cold traffic into your ecosystem through targeted ads
  2. Get them to follow your social profiles OR sign up for your email list
  3. Retarget them with valuable content across multiple platforms
  4. Build trust through consistent, helpful follow-up
  5. Convert when they're ready to buy


Where to Find Your Ideal Customers (ICP Targeting)

Your ideal customers - where exactly are they hanging out? We call this the ICP (Ideal Customer Profile). For me, my ideal customers are actually on X and they're on YouTube. You might be watching this YouTube video now - I'm providing value, helpful content, and you don't have to click or buy anything. But now you're getting into my pixels.


Platform-Specific Strategy:

  • YouTube: YouTube knows you watched this video, so they're going to show you another video
  • X (Twitter): If you come from X, they know you're going to see my Twitter ad
  • Facebook/Instagram: If you like, comment, or follow, the pixel will retarget you
  • Google: Set up search terms for people actively looking for your services
  • LinkedIn: Perfect for B2B relationship building


The key is bringing people that have never heard of you before into your ecosystem and start doing retargeting.


How to Build a High-Converting Landing Page

I wanted to show you exactly what our landing page looks like - this is one of the highest converting landing pages we've ever used. We make these for people all the time, and it's designed to get more conversions.


Landing Page Strategy:

  • Create something of high value that you're going to give them in exchange for their email
  • As soon as somebody downloads my system, I'm going to build a relationship through email
  • The page will pixel them for retargeting ads
  • Use clear value proposition - why would they fill out the form?


Expected Outcome: Our landing page converts 17% more visitors to leads compared to standard approaches.

For more on creating high-converting landing pages, see The Complete Guide to Creating a High-Converting Landing Page.


Why You Must Stay on Platform for Retargeting

One thing I teach all of our clients is we want to try to keep your customers on platform with ads. When you look at an ad, the first instinct is to get them to fill out a form and go to the website. Wrong.


Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn - all of these platforms don't want you making their users leave their platform to go to your platform. So what we want to do is get them to follow you the first time they hear about you.


Platform-First Strategy:

  • First time they see you on Instagram: Get them to follow your Instagram page
  • X (Twitter): Provide value and get them to follow your profile
  • LinkedIn: Same approach - follow first, convert later
  • TikTok: Focus on follows and engagement over immediate clicks


When they're ready to buy, when they do trust you, when they do like you, that's when they'll go to the link in the bio and fill out a form on your landing page or book a call.


Full Ad and Email Follow-Up Breakdown

From the social media follow, what we're doing is bringing people into the profile, then sending automated emails when they sign up for the landing page, then setting up retargeting ads.


The Follow-Up Sequence:

  1. Organic posts to build relationship and provide value
  2. Retargeting ads showing helpful, educational content
  3. Email automation for those who joined your list
  4. Consistent touchpoints across all three channels for 30 days


Ad Content Strategy:

  • Engagement ads and follower ads cost pennies per click instead of dollars per click
  • Focus on helpful, educational, high-value content
  • Use "leave a comment" calls-to-action to boost engagement signals
  • Avoid direct selling in retargeting ads


For advanced email strategies, check out Simple Email Automation That Generates More Sales.


Best Retargeting Tools and Automation Systems

Platform-Specific Recommendations:

Google and YouTube:

  • Set up search terms for people specifically looking for your services
  • Use YouTube ads to direct people to landing pages
  • Google searchers are ready to buy - they're actively searching


Social Media Platforms:

  • Use engagement-focused ads first
  • Set up retargeting pixels on all platforms
  • Focus on building followers before driving traffic off-platform


Essential Tools:
I recommend using something like 
GoHighLevel that has landing pages and automated emails to always follow up with your leads. Make sure you have pixels and retargeting ads set up so they start seeing your ads on every platform.


Time Investment: You need about one to three really good videos and images that stand out, are on brand, and provide value to your ideal customers.


Quality Content and Organic Strategy

It doesn't stop at just setting up the system. You need to focus on quality of these ads. You want to make sure you're doing helpful, educational, high-value videos and images.


Content Requirements:

  • Hire a photographer for professional images
  • Hire someone to make professional videos
  • Hire an editor for polished content
  • Create content that provides value, education, and help


Organic Content Strategy:
You need good organic content because that's when all the ads will work best. You need helpful content, retargeting ads, and then you can truly scale. Don't stop doing your organic videos because that's when all the ads will die off.


For content automation strategies, see How to Automate All Your Social Media Content in 1 Hour a Week.


How to Scale Your Brand Using Retargeting Ads

Start dialing it in. Start getting those top-of-funnel ads running. Start driving new people to your channels, but don't stop doing your organic videos.


Scaling Strategy:

  1. High-converting landing page with something of high value
  2. Automated email sequences using professional CRM systems
  3. Multi-platform pixels and retargeting ads
  4. Quality content creation - professional videos and images
  5. Consistent organic posting to support paid efforts


Expected Results: Our client example shows $126,000 a month with $99,000 in profit and a 5.39 ROAS (return on ad spend). Anything over 3 ROAS is considered good in the advertising world.


Next Steps: Implement Your Retargeting System

This retargeting system works for any business because it focuses on relationship-building through automation, platform-specific behavior, and consistent follow-up. Whether you're in e-commerce, coaching, real estate, or B2B, this strategy adapts to where your customers are and how they behave online.


Your Action Plan:

  1. Set up high-converting landing pages with valuable lead magnets
  2. Install pixels on all relevant platforms where your ideal customers hang out
  3. Create 1-3 pieces of high-quality, helpful content
  4. Set up automated email sequences for relationship building
  5. Launch engagement-focused retargeting ads across 3 channels
  6. Maintain consistent organic posting to support paid efforts


Ready to Get Started?
If you want my full 3-step retargeting system broken down so you can implement it yourself, comment "system" and my team will send it over.


Get more strategies and subscribe to my channel: Subscribe here.

  • How many touchpoints do I really need in the first 30 days?

    If you're not following up over 24 times on three different channels in the first month, you're going to miss out on so many leads. They don't care about you, don't like you, and completely forget about you.

  • Should I send people directly to my landing page from social media ads?

    No. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn - all these platforms don't want you making their users leave their platform. Get them to follow you first, then they can go to your link in bio when they're ready.

  • What's a good return on ad spend (ROAS) to aim for?

    We normally see anything over 3 ROAS is good. Our client example shows 5.39 ROAS, generating $126,000 a month with $99,000 in profit.

  • Which platforms should I focus on for retargeting?

    Focus on where your ideal customers are hanging out. For me, my ideal customers are on X and YouTube. Identify your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) and start there.

  • How much content do I need to create for this system?

    You don't need hundreds of pieces. You just need about one to three really good videos and images that stand out, are on brand, and provide value to your ideal customers.

  • What tools do you recommend for automation?

    I recommend using something like GoHighLevel that has landing pages and automated emails to always follow up with your leads. Make sure you have pixels and retargeting ads set up.

  • Should I hire professionals for content creation?

    Yes. Hire a photographer, hire someone to make professional videos, hire an editor. You want content that provides value, education, and help to your ideal customers.

  • How does Google advertising fit into this retargeting strategy?

    Google and YouTube ads work really well, but for Google ads, set up search terms. When somebody's specifically looking for retargeting ads or your services, they're ready to buy.

  • What's the difference between engagement ads and conversion ads?

    If I'm doing engagement ads and follower ads, I'm going to be paying pennies per click instead of dollars per click. Focus on building relationships first.

  • How important is organic content in this system?

    Critical. You need good organic content because that's when all the ads will work best. Don't stop doing organic videos because that's when all the ads will die off.

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