What is remarketing?
Average website conversion is only 2–3%. Remarketing re-engages people who already showed interest. On WhatsApp that means opted-in marketing templates, Click-to-WhatsApp ads, and cart/win-back flows — Clarins reported 4.5× open rate and 7× conversion vs email. Remarketing is targeting people who already interacted with your brand — visited the site or app, or bought before — but did not complete the desired action, or whom you want back for a repeat purchase. The goal is a second chance with a warmer audience than cold ads.
Last updated: 26 August 2026
You already paid to get people to the site, the app, or the ad. Most of them still leave. WhatsApp for Business cites a typical website conversion rate of only 2–3% — so 97–98% of visitors bounce without the purchase or the form. Remarketing is how you spend against that leftover intent instead of buying a colder audience from scratch.
This playbook keeps that WhatsApp Business Platform guide intact — remarketing vs retargeting, journey stages, and the Clarins proof point — then shows how to run it on official Cloud API with Ominiflow: Click-to-WhatsApp ads into a live inbox, then opted-in marketing templates for cart, loyalty, and win-back.
Primary source: What is Remarketing? A Guide to Remarketing Ads (27 August 2025), WhatsApp for Business. Marketing templates need documented opt-in. Individual results differ.
2–3%
average website conversion — 97–98% leave without converting
4.5×
higher open rate vs email (Clarins Lipstick Day on WhatsApp)
7×
higher conversion vs email on the same campaign
Clarins partnered with WAX on personalized WhatsApp messages to previous customers. Self-reported; not identifiably repeatable. WhatsApp for Business write-up.
Too long? Start here
- Remarketing re-engages people who already touched the brand (site, app, purchase). Retargeting is the conversion-heavy subset — usually paid ads to push a specific SKU now
- WhatsApp does both: Click-to-WhatsApp ads for paid retargeting; Marketing templates for cart, expired sub, loyalty, upsell — only to opted-in numbers
- Clarins: 4.5× opens and 7× conversion vs email on a personalized previous-customer campaign (self-reported)
- Best practices: personalize from CRM, time and cap frequency, A/B the template — then watch quality rating
- On Ominiflow: CTWA → bot/inbox → marketing messages · retargeting feature · start free
What remarketing is
Remarketing is sending targeted ads or messages to people who already interacted with your website or app — they left without the purchase, the trial, or the form — or to past buyers you want back. Classic examples: a SaaS trial ad after someone hit pricing and bounced; a hotel ad after they searched a city and never booked.
It matters because those people are warmer than a cold prospect. They already spent attention. The job is to stay visible while they decide — on other sites, in social feeds, and, on WhatsApp, in a thread they actually open.
Case · Clarins × WAX
Clarins wanted a conversational relationship and a read on which products people liked, so remarketing could get sharper. With WhatsApp partner WAX they ran a Lipstick Day campaign of personalized messages to previous customers — and reported 4.5× higher open rate and 7× higher conversion than email. The copyable pattern is not “blast the list.” It is previous customers + personalization + a channel they read.
Remarketing vs retargeting
WhatsApp draws the line this way: remarketing is the broader relationship play — keep talking to people who already engaged, deepen consideration. Retargeting is the conversion subset — they looked at a product; paid ads (often on third-party sites) try to close it now.
On Cloud API you usually run both on the same number:
| Retargeting (paid) | Remarketing (owned thread) | |
|---|---|---|
| Surface | Facebook/Instagram Click-to-WhatsApp ads, Ads in Status, display, search | Opted-in Marketing templates in WhatsApp |
| Job | Restart or continue a chat from an ad | Cart, loyalty, win-back, upsell after opt-in |
| Data | Pixel, catalogue, custom audiences | CRM / Shopify events + documented consent |
| Ominiflow | Ad click lands in bot + shared inbox | Triggered or scheduled campaigns with stop-on-reply |
Do not mix them into one blast. An ad clicker who never opted in cannot get a festival promo template. A Shopify buyer who ticked WhatsApp at checkout can.
Where it sits in the journey
WhatsApp’s buyer-journey sketch is pre-purchase → purchase → post-purchase. Conversations inside the ad flow help discovery; the same number should still be there after the order.
Pre-purchase
Click-to-WhatsApp ads, browse-abandon, lead qualify. Speed-to-lead is the lever — the chat has to answer, not dump them on a homepage.
Purchase
Cart reminder, pay link, COD confirm. Utility for “your order is packed”; Marketing for “your cart is waiting” — correct category or quality rating pays for the shortcut.
Post-purchase
Loyalty, replenishment, upsell, review. This is remarketing as relationship, not another 10% off the same SKU they already bought.
Lapsed
Win-back after 30–90 days of silence. Cap frequency. Suppress blockers and STOP.
Remarketing types — and the WhatsApp job
Display, email, social, search, video, mobile, and behavioural all still exist. WhatsApp is not a replacement for Ads Manager. It is the conversation those ads should open, and the owned follow-up after opt-in.
| Type | Usual surface | WhatsApp move |
|---|---|---|
| Display / native | Banners, Criteo, AdRoll | Retarget browsers; CTA can still be “chat on WhatsApp” where the format allows |
| HubSpot, Mailchimp drips | Keep email; add WhatsApp for the same segment when you have opt-in — Clarins’ gap vs email | |
| Social | Meta Ads Manager | Click-to-WhatsApp ads — remarket people who engaged, then continue in chat |
| Paid search / RLSA | Search captures intent; WhatsApp closes it if the landing is a chat, not a 12-field form | |
| Video | Pre-roll, in-stream | Product education in-thread (catalog, video message) after they click through |
| Mobile / in-app | App audiences | Same CRM ID → WhatsApp if they opted in at install or checkout |
| Behavioural | Events + profiles | Shopify cart, last category, language — the personalization Clarins was gathering in-chat |
Best practices that actually move revenue
WhatsApp’s list is personalization, timing/frequency, and performance monitoring. On Cloud API that is not abstract.
Personalize from first-party data — last SKU, size, language, city. Generic “we miss you” trains mutes. Same four fixes as the marketing message playbook: right segment, short path to buy, a real deadline, price/benefit first.
Time and cap it. Cart in hours, not days. Win-back in weeks. Festival bursts, not a daily drip. Test send windows for your market (evening IST for D2C is a starting hypothesis, not a law).
A/B the template — header image vs offer line, one CTA vs two. WhatsApp’s advantage is you can read replies in the same thread and adapt without waiting for a weekly email report.
Opt-in and quality. Marketing category only with consent. Pause above ~1% block rate. Warm with utility (orders, shipping) so the remarketing thread is already trusted — orchestration.
How to run this on Ominiflow
1. Catch paid demand in chat, not a form
Build Click-to-WhatsApp campaigns in Meta Ads Manager. Point them at your Cloud API number on Ominiflow so the click opens a bot greeting and a human can take over. Track which campaign created the chat. Product path: Click-to-WhatsApp ads.
2. Trigger owned remarketing from the store and CRM
Abandoned cart, browse-abandon, and 30-day silent leads belong in visual workflows — Marketing templates, stop when they reply. Shopify native; Zoho/HubSpot for pipeline win-back. Sequences: broadcasts and follow-ups · WhatsApp retargeting.
Ominiflow platform data (not Clarins): opted-in cart recovery often lands in the 15–28% band vs 3–8% email on comparable segments — 2026 benchmark. Not every cart is recoverable.
3. Keep purchase and post-purchase on the same number
COD confirm and shipping alerts are Utility; the next drop is Marketing. Split categories, share the contact. COD playbook: COD confirmation. Repeat-purchase points and VIP: WhatsApp loyalty program. Fashion parallel: D2C sales case.
4. Measure the conversation, not only CPM
Ads Manager for paid. Ominiflow campaign reports for delivered, read, clicks, replies, and unsubscribes. If block rate climbs, the remarketing is too frequent or too irrelevant — fix the list before you raise budget.
Tools WhatsApp names — where Ominiflow sits
Ads Manager still builds Facebook/Instagram ads. WhatsApp Business API is how you re-engage opted-in customers with marketing messages (cart, new drop, loyalty). Display networks (Criteo, AdRoll), Google, and email (HubSpot, Mailchimp) remain valid. Ominiflow is the Cloud API partner layer: templates, segments, inbox, and Meta conversation fees at cost — not a replacement for Ads Manager.
Start with one warm list
Do not remarket the entire 90-day file on day one. Pick cart abandoners or 60-day lapsed buyers, one language, one offer, one CTA to the SKU. Then clone.
- Documented opt-in; Marketing templates approved before the sale window
- Deep link to product or pay — not the blog
- Shared inbox so “interested” is a human reply, not a second bot loop
Ominiflow for Marketing · WhatsApp marketing software · Book a demo
FAQ
What is remarketing? expand_more
Remarketing is targeting people who already interacted with your brand — visited the site or app, or bought before — but did not complete the action you wanted, or whom you want back for a repeat purchase. The goal is a second chance with a warmer audience than cold ads.
What is remarketing vs retargeting? expand_more
Remarketing is the broader re-engagement strategy. Retargeting is the conversion-focused subset: they showed interest in a product, and you use targeted ads (often on other sites or social) to push the purchase. On WhatsApp, CTWA ads are typically retargeting; opted-in marketing templates are remarketing in the thread.
What types of remarketing are there? expand_more
Common types include display/native, email, social, paid search, video, mobile, and behavioural. They can run together. WhatsApp marketing messages and Click-to-WhatsApp ads sit alongside those channels rather than replacing Ads Manager or email.
Does WhatsApp remarketing need opt-in? expand_more
Yes for marketing templates on the Business API. You may only message numbers that opted in to hear from the brand. Utility messages (order packed, shipped) follow different category rules. Pause campaigns if block rate crosses about 1%.
How did Clarins use WhatsApp for remarketing? expand_more
Clarins and WAX sent personalized Lipstick Day messages to previous customers and reported 4.5× higher open rate and 7× higher conversion than email. Results are self-reported and not a guarantee. The transferable idea is previous-customer personalization on a high-read channel.
