5 Tips To Maximise Your Retargeting Strategy
In a competitive hospitality landscape dominated by OTAs, it’s more important than ever to make your marketing spend go that little bit further, and re-targetting already interested users is a great way to do it. By re-engaging potential guests who’ve already shown interest in your hotel or restaurant (but haven’t yet booked), retargeting gives you a second chance to convert them directly. Done right, it can be one of the most cost-effective ways to drive direct bookings, reduce your reliance on high-commission OTAs, and take back control of your guest journey.
In this blog, we’re going to share five proven tips to help you get more from your retargeting strategy, so you can stop letting bookings slip away and start building a stronger, more profitable direct booking strategy with a little help from Cab Hospitality.
What is a Retargeting Strategy?
A retargeting strategy is a digital marketing approach that focuses on re-engaging users who have previously interacted with your brand online, whether they visited your website, viewed specific products or services, or engaged with your content. Using tracking tools like pixels or cookies, retargeting allows you to serve tailored ads to these users as they browse other websites or platforms, such as social media or sites in the Google Display Network. The goal of this approach is to stay top of mind, encourage return visits, and ultimately drive conversions by targeting users who have already shown interest but didn’t complete a desired action, like making a booking or a purchase.
Our Tips
Offer incentives
If someone has already visited your website but didn’t book, they’re clearly interested in what you offer. They might just need a little extra push to complete the purchase or bookings. This is where incentives can make a big impact. By presenting a compelling offer through your retargeting ads, you can tip the balance in your favour and turn simple consideration into conversion.
Potential guests are likely comparing prices or evaluating options across OTAs and competitor sites. A well-timed incentive helps cut through that noise, positioning your business as the most attractive choice. Whether it’s a limited-time discount, a free drink on arrival, or an exclusive package deal, that added value can provide the nudge they need to book directly.
Even better, highlight your book direct benefits clearly on the site to prompt a purchase. Incentives such as free breakfast, flexible cancellation, or room upgrades encourage guests to skip the OTA and come straight to you. This not only helps increase your conversion rate but also protects your profits by reducing commission costs. In short, a small perk now can mean a big win later.
Segment your audience for a personalised experience
One-size-fits-all ads are no longer enough, especially when your audience has already shown clear signs of what they’re interested in. By segmenting your retargeting audiences based on the specific pages they viewed on your website, you can deliver tailored content that feels personal, relevant, and far more likely to convert.
For example, if a user browses your rooms page, your retargeting ads should then go on to highlight your best room types or current stay offers to that individual user. If they spent time on the weddings page, don’t show them generic accommodation ads; show them content related to your wedding packages, venue highlights, or couple’s testimonials. The same applies to other areas: private dining, restaurant bookings, or multiple locations. If they’re interested in your Camden restaurant, don’t waste ad space promoting a different location because it simply isn’t relevant to that individual.
Why it works
Tailored content that mirrors the user's journey signals that you’ve understood their intent, building trust, reminding them of your services and increasing the likelihood of them returning to book. However, don’t forget to exclude those who have already converted. No one wants to see ads for something they’ve already booked. Instead, use that opportunity to upsell with relevant extras like spa treatments, tasting menus, or room upgrades, based on what they’ve booked. This not only enhances the guest experience but also increases the value of each booking.
Utilise different platforms
To get the most out of your retargeting strategy, it’s essential to meet your audience where they are, not just where you hope they’ll be. Limiting your campaigns to a single platform like Facebook means you’re potentially missing out on huge segments of your audience who might be spending their time elsewhere.
A well-rounded retargeting strategy spans multiple channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, TikTok, Google Display, and even YouTube. Each platform offers different formats and behaviours, from Instagram Stories and TikTok Reels to Google Display banners and in-feed Facebook carousels, allowing you to stay visible and relevant throughout the user’s day.
For example:
- Someone might browse your site on their laptop, then scroll Instagram later. You can retarget them with a visual, scroll-stopping room photo.
- Another might browse articles on Google’s Display Network; your ad could appear at the perfect moment to reignite interest.
The key is to build a cohesive brand presence across all platforms, while tailoring your creative to suit each one. By diversifying your retargeting efforts, you increase your chances of capturing attention, reinforcing your message, and driving users back to your site, no matter where they are in their online journey.
Use urgency messaging
When it comes to retargeting, timing is everything, and using urgency messaging can be the difference between a lost booking and a confirmed guest. By adding a sense of scarcity or time sensitivity to your retargeting ads, you prompt users to act now rather than keep shopping around or simply forget.
Messages like “Last rooms remaining,” “Limited time offer,” “Ends at midnight,” or “Only 2 suites left for your dates” trigger fear of missing out (FOMO), a powerful psychological motivator. They help shift the user’s mindset from browsing to booking by creating the impression that availability is limited and hesitation could mean losing out. This is particularly effective for users already familiar with your offering. For some who have browsed and shown interest, they now just need that final push to actually book. Urgency taps into their decision making process and shortens the path to conversion.
Used carefully and honestly, urgency messaging makes your retargeting strategy far more action-driven, helping you capture intent while it’s still hot. However, on the flip side, if you show urgency messaging too frequently, in a way that consumers won’t believe (i.e. urgency messaging for every single thing they browse), or dishonestly, this can damage the trust with the consumer and lead to no sale at all.
Provide social proof
Sometimes, all a potential guest needs is reassurance, and that’s where social proof becomes one of your most powerful retargeting tools. If someone has visited your site but not booked, it could be because they’re not quite convinced yet. Seeing glowing feedback from other guests can tip the scales.
Integrating real reviews, testimonials, or guest ratings into your retargeting ads builds instant credibility. Whether it’s a quote about your incredible food, a shout-out to your attentive staff, or praise for your rooms and amenities, social proof makes your brand feel reliable and trusted. To maximise impact, rotate a variety of reviews to touch on different selling points, from the atmosphere at dinner to the comfort of the beds, stunning views, or friendly service. This way, even if users see your ad more than once, they’re getting a new reason to book each time.
For someone comparing you to other options, seeing what others genuinely love about you could be the final nudge they need to buy in. Social proof doesn’t just build trust, it builds conversion.
We can help
A well-executed retargeting campaign is one of the most powerful tools in a restaurant or hotel’s digital marketing arsenal. Why? Because it focuses on an audience that’s already shown interest: they’ve visited your site, browsed your rooms, or explored your offering. These are warm leads who just need the right message, at the right time, to convert. Whether it’s through tailored ads, compelling offers, urgency-driven messaging, or social proof, retargeting keeps your brand front-of-mind and encourages action from those who are closest to booking.
When combined with a wider marketing strategy, including SEO, email, paid social, and CRM, retargeting works even harder. It helps close the loop, reinforcing your message across multiple touchpoints and driving more direct bookings, more upsells, and more revenue; all while reducing your dependence on high-commission OTAs.
If you’re looking to improve your retargeting or want to build a smarter, more cost-effective marketing ecosystem, we can help. From strategy to setup, creative to conversion, we’ll work with you to ensure your campaigns are performing at their best, so you can make every click count. Get in touch today to start turning browsers into bookers.