Why Retargeting Video Viewers Is a Smart Strategy

 When someone watches your video — especially more than 3 seconds, 10 seconds, or 50% of it — they’ve engaged. Even if they didn’t follow your page or comment, they’ve expressed curiosity. That makes them a warm audience.

Here’s why this is gold:

• They already know your content

• You don’t have to introduce yourself again

• It’s cheaper to advertise to warm audiences

• They’re more likely to convert into followers, customers, or leads

In other words, you’re not advertising to strangers — you’re re-engaging people who already showed some interest.

---

Requirements to Retarget Facebook Video Viewers

Before you can retarget video viewers, you’ll need to meet a few basic requirements:

✅ A Facebook Page (Not Just a Personal Profile)

You cannot run ads or access Ads Manager with a personal profile. You need a Facebook Business Page. This is where you’ll publish your videos and build audiences.

✅ A Meta Business Suite or Ads Manager Account

You’ll use Meta Ads Manager (or Meta Business Suite) to create your custom audiences and retarget viewers.

✅ At Least One Published Video

To create a retargeting audience, you need videos that have already been published and viewed by others.

---

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Retarget Facebook Video Viewers

Step 1: Log into Meta Business Suite or Ads Manager

Go to: https://business.facebook.com/

Use the account that manages your Facebook Page.

---

Step 2: Open the Audiences Tool

Once inside Business Manager:

• Click the "All Tools" menu (grid icon at the bottom left)

• Find and select “Audiences”

You may be redirected to Meta Ads Manager. This is normal.

---

Step 3: Create a Custom Audience

• Click “Create Audience”

• Choose “Custom Audience”

This tells Facebook you want to build an audience based on specific behavior (like watching your videos).

---

Step 4: Select Video as the Source

From the list of sources, choose:

“Video”

This allows you to create an audience of people who engaged with your videos on Facebook or Instagram.

---

Step 5: Choose the Engagement Criteria

You’ll now select what type of video viewer you want to retarget.

Options include:

• People who viewed at least 3 seconds

• People who viewed at least 10 seconds

• People who viewed 25%, 50%, 75%, or 95% of your video(s)

Pro Tip:
Choose 25% or more if you want better-quality audiences. Someone who watched 50% or 75% of your video is more likely to care about what you’re offering than someone who scrolled by for 3 seconds.

---

Step 6: Choose Which Videos to Include

Next, you’ll select which videos the audience will be based on.

• Choose individual videos you’ve posted on your Page

• You can select one or multiple videos

You could also create separate audiences for:

• People who watched one specific video

• People who watched any video on your Page

• People who watched videos in the past 30, 60, 90, or 365 days

---

Step 7: Name and Save the Audience

Give your custom audience a name you’ll remember. For example:

• “50% Viewers – Rabbit Farming Video – 30 Days”

• “Reels Viewers – 95% Watch Time – Last 60 Days”

Click “Create Audience.”

You now have a custom audience of video viewers.

---

Step 8: Create a Retargeting Ad

Now that your audience is built, you can use it to run ads.

• Go back to Ads Manager

• Create a new campaign (e.g., traffic, engagement, conversions)

• Under “Audience,” choose the custom audience you just created

You can then:

• Show them another video

• Offer a lead magnet (PDF, eBook, discount, etc.)

• Direct them to your product page, affiliate offer, or Facebook group

---

What Types of Ads Work Best for Retargeting Video Viewers?

Retargeted viewers don’t need heavy persuasion — they need relevance. Here are great ad types for warm video audiences:

a) “Part 2” or Follow-up Video

Example:

“You watched my first video on urban beekeeping — here’s what happened next…”

This works well because it continues the story and drives engagement.

b) Lead Magnet Ads

Example:

“Thanks for watching! Want my full guide on pig farming in Kenya? Download it free.”

This pulls people into your ecosystem (WhatsApp, email, etc.)

c) Offer or Promo Ads

Example:

“If you liked my video on online businesses, here’s 50% off my starter course.”

This converts viewers into paying customers.

---

How Much Does Retargeting Cost?

One of the best things about video retargeting on Facebook is that it’s affordable.

You’re not competing to reach cold audiences who’ve never heard of you. These are people Facebook has already identified as having engaged with your content.

Even with $5 to $10 a day, you can get:

• More follows

• More group joins

• More link clicks

• More DMs

• More sales

---

Bonus Strategy: Lookalike Audiences from Video Viewers

Once you have a strong audience of video viewers, you can go a step further.

Create a Lookalike Audience:

• Go to Audiences

• Click Create Audience > Lookalike Audience

• Choose your video viewer custom audience as the source

• Select a country or region

• Choose the size (1% = closest match, 10% = wider reach)

Now, you’re targeting people similar to those who already watched your videos. This is an excellent way to scale your reach with higher-quality viewers.

---

Other Retargeting Tactics You Can Use

Retarget Comments with DM Automation

If your viral video had comments, use tools like ManyChat or Chatfuel to message commenters automatically with a follow-up link, freebie, or CTA.

Retarget Facebook Group Visitors

If you link a group in your post or video and people click to visit (but don’t join), you can retarget them with:

• A video tour of your group

• Benefits of joining

• Exclusive group-only content

Retarget Engagement (Likes, Shares)

You can also create audiences based on:

• People who liked your post

• Shared or saved your content

• Engaged with your page

This creates broader retargeting pools beyond just video views.

---

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Using Too Broad of a View Threshold
   People who watched only 3 seconds are likely not serious. Focus on 25%+, ideally 50%+ for better results.

2. Not Segmenting Your Audience
   Group your audiences by topic or intent. Don’t lump all your video viewers into one list — that’s messy and inefficient.

3. Hard Selling Too Soon
   If your first retargeting ad is “buy now,” you may lose people. Warm them up with value first, then sell.

4. Not Using a Follow-Up Funnel
   Make sure your ad leads somewhere intentional: a group, website, offer page, or lead form. Don’t let retargeted traffic land on dead ends.

---

Final Thoughts: Retargeting Turns Viewers into Value

If you’re consistently posting videos on Facebook — especially Reels or long-form content — retargeting is your missing link to sustainable growth. It lets you maximize every view, every click, and every moment of attention you earn.

To recap:

✅ Create a Facebook Page
✅ Use Meta Ads Manager
✅ Build a custom audience of video viewers
✅ Run retargeting ads that provide value
✅ Segment your audiences and test what works
✅ Use lead magnets or group invitations for deeper engagement

Whether you’re promoting a personal brand, affiliate product, coaching business, farming guide, or YouTube channel — retargeting your video viewers gives you the ability to build momentum, grow intelligently, and turn casual views into loyal, monetized relationships.