If you’ve ever gained followers on X (formerly Twitter) only to have them forget about you, this guide is for you! Retargeting your followers ensures they see your content repeatedly, building trust and increasing the chances of conversions. Follow this step-by-step method to set up cost-effective X Ads and keep your audience engaged.
🎯 Step 1: Create an X Ads Account
Before you can run retargeting ads, you need an X Ads account:
- Go to ads.twitter.com and sign up.
- Set up your billing information.
- You’re ready to create your first campaign!
If you need help, check out tutorials on setting up an X Ads account.
📢 Step 2: Create a Retargeting Campaign
- Go to the X Ads dashboard and click on “Create Campaign.”
- Choose the ‘Reach’ objective – this ensures your ad is shown to the most people.
- Name your campaign (e.g., “Middle of Funnel Retargeting”).
- Set a budget – even $5 to $10 per day can be effective!
💡 Pro Tip: Avoid the “Promote” button—it’s not optimized for retargeting.
🔄 Step 3: Set Up Retargeting Parameters
Now, let’s refine the audience:
✅ Target verified X users (optional, but recommended).
✅ Keep demographics wide open (age, gender, language) unless you have a specific target group.
✅ Limit location to relevant countries (you can select up to 5).
Important: Do NOT use interests, keywords, or likes—this is strictly for retargeting past interactions.
👀 Step 4: Retarget Engaged Users
Here’s where the magic happens! You’ll retarget people who have already engaged with you:
- Select “People who saw or engaged with your past posts.”
- Target:
- Those who saw your tweets.
- Those who engaged with organic posts.
- Your followers.
🚨 Turn OFF optimized targeting – this prevents X from wasting your budget on bots or irrelevant users.
🤝 Step 5: Use Relationship-Based Ads
Instead of pushing sales, build relationships with your followers! Your ad should:
✔ Introduce yourself & your business.
✔ Share a helpful story or personal insight.
✔ Have NO call-to-action (No “Buy Now” or “Click Here” – just pure value).
🔗 Pro Tip: Use your pinned tweet as the ad—it already has engagement, which builds social proof!
🔄 Step 6: Test Multiple Ads
Test different styles of relationship-based content:
🔹 One about X Ads (educational content).
🔹 One personal post about yourself.
🔹 One with a helpful industry tip.
How to do it:
- Click “Create Another Ad.”
- Select “Use Existing Post” and pick a high-performing tweet.
- Repeat this for at least 3-5 different ads.
💡 Pro Tip: Start with 20 test ads, then narrow down to the best-performing ones.
✅ Final Thoughts: Why This Works
By setting up this retargeting system, you ensure that:
✔ Your followers don’t forget you.
✔ You build trust through repeated exposure.
✔ When they’re ready to buy, you’re top-of-mind!
