How much text to include in remarketing content for best performance?

Text in ads is like a tool, and when used correctly and at the right time, it can be very effective.

This is especially true when you’re running remarketing ads.

Remarketing ads are already time consuming and take a lot more effort, so making sure you know how to optimize text, more specifically, how much text, can help your ad performance.

Let’s take a deeper look into using the right amount of text to use in your ad creative and in what situations!

When doing remarketing a high text amount performs 80% better

There are many different ways to edit your collection ads that will impact performance.

But overall, our data shows that using a high amount of text in retargeting ads - that is, covering more than 20% of the ad with text - leads to 80% higher results than the average.

These are people who have already interacted with your brand in some way but didn't make a purchase, so this is your chance to sell them on your offer.

However, don't be afraid to include more text in your content!

This gives you the space you need to communicate the value of your offer, the benefits, or why they should buy from you instead of a competitor.

Just be careful not to overdo it. An ad that is cluttered and difficult to read will be ignored and won't lead to a sale.

The goal is to re-convince them that this is the product for them, so stick to using enough text to give information and cover any doubts.

Read about how text amount affects non-remarketing messages here.

However, not all remarketing messages are the same.

Does a high-text amount help the performance of all types of remarketing content?

Let’s take a look at one particular type of remarketing messaging: Sales.

When doing remarketing sales, a high text amount performs 47% better

When it comes to remarketing content that is promoting a sale, the same principle applies.

Sales ads can tell and show your customers just how good your offer is, from the price, price drop, and other additional information.

A high text amount in these ads leads to a 47% higher performance than the average.

More text in your remarketing sale content allows you to clarify the details, such as the exact savings in percentage, or to create a sense of urgency by mentioning that the sale is for a limited time only.

Remember, these are people who have already shown interest in your brand.

They may just need that extra "push" to make a purchase.

Try and use a high text amount for a better performance from your remarketing sales campaigns.

Learn about using text in eCommerce content.

Even though remarketing sales ads perform better with high text amounts, can the same be said for other types of messaging?.

When doing remarketing about News a low text amount converts the best

Another way to try to convert customers is by retargeting them with content promoting new products or collections.

Maybe they looked at your products and decided they weren't quite what they were looking for.

In that case, a new collection of products might catch their attention.

However, when it comes to remarketing ads about new products, a low text amount performs 37% better than the average!

This might be because if you're offering new products, people are generally motivated by curiosity and the excitement of something new.

Using too much text here could possibly take attention away from the product itself.

By using less text and letting the product speak for itself gives a better feeling of ‘“exclusive” and “new”, which lets the audience go in and discover it themselves.

So if you're running a news campaign through remarketing, include less text in the ad to hook their attention and curiosity and get them to explore your new offers.

Consider text amounts the next time you run remarketing ads

The amount of text in your retargeting content can make a big difference in the performance of your ads

For remarketing sales, a high text amount is effective, as it allows you to clarify the details and create a sense of urgency.

For news campaigns, a low text amount is better, as it helps to maintain the curiosity and excitement of something new.

In both cases, it's important to strike a balance and not overcrowd your ad with too much text.

However, results may vary based on your brand and industry, so as always, do some testing on your own!

Data section

The dataset from this article is based on 215M impressions and 6K pieces of individual content on Meta (Facebook) platforms. It takes into account data from all countries and industries, with the campaign objective of Conversions. The period is from 1. September 2021 - 16. September 2022.

Numbers are looking at correlation only, not causation. Remember to check your own data: numbers for different brands, industries, and contexts will vary.

If you were intrigued about a specific insight, you can go in-depth into the various dimensions and how data can be segmented in Confect, here.