a single source, nothing corroborates it

Set ad frequency by how much the problem hurts

How many times somebody must see the message is a function of how badly they need the fix: one or two exposures for an urgent need, three to seven for a tolerable one, and anywhere from eight to over a hundred when you first have to convince them a problem exists at all. Business buyers convert on fewer impressions than consumers, with one study finding business ads ahead by a wide margin on conversions per impression. In the middle band, run push and pull together, ads that remind people a fix exists plus articles covering each option they might search. For a low urgency consumer product, test frequencies well above the usual guidance: one retailer went from three retargeting impressions a day to fifteen or twenty and reported higher revenue at every step.

The method

1. 01

   Expect business buyers to convert on far fewer impressions than consumers, because purchase urgency is higher when the problem is a work problem.

2. 02

   For a low-urgency consumer product, test retargeting frequencies far above the usual guidance rather than capping at a few impressions a day.

3. 03

   For a moderate, tolerable problem, run push and pull together: ads that remind people a fix exists, plus articles covering each option they might search for.

4. 04

   If your product is a vitamin, budget for sustained push marketing, because you first have to convince people a problem exists at all.

5. 05

   Plan ad exposures against pain intensity: one or two are enough for an urgent need, three to seven for a moderate one, and anywhere from eight to over a hundred for a vitamin.

What it returned

• 402%

  A ReTargeter study found B2B ads beat B2C ads by 402% on conversions per impression.

• 15

  Indochino went from three retargeting impressions per person daily up to 15-20, and reported higher revenue and ROI with every increase.

• Product examples in this band: Baremetrics replacing a monthly spreadsheet update, Sprintly replacing interruptions for status updates.

• Stamps.com and Squarespace run constant podcast advertising; a dentist mails reminder postcards every six months and follows up by phone to book a checkup.

Sources

• What type of pain is your business solving?Justin Jackson · justinjackson.ca · Low pain (vitamin) · undated