Your Safest Bet in Cannabis Advertising: Retargeting Campaigns Pay Off

Every abandoned cart is money on the table. Retargeting campaigns are how you turn near misses into pay-outs. Nearly 70% of online carts never make it to checkout, but retargeting gives you a chance to win them back. For cannabis businesses, where ad restrictions make it tough to reach fresh audiences, this is one of the few ways to reliably grow sales. Instead of chasing cold prospects, cannabis retargeting campaigns let you focus on the people who already showed interest. In this part of the cannabis eCommerce funnel, you’re not introducing your brand, instead, you’re finishing the conversation and closing the sale.

What Are Retargeting Campaigns?

At its core, a retargeting campaign is simple: you’re reconnecting with someone who already knows your brand. Using cookies, mobile ad IDs (MAIDs), or pixel tracking, you can follow up with people who visited your site, read your content, or browsed products but didn’t convert.

Because these audiences are already warmed up, a retargeting ad campaign usually delivers stronger engagement and lower acquisition costs than cold prospecting. Think of it as continuing a conversation with someone who paused mid-sentence, instead of shouting into a crowded room.

Why Cannabis Brands Need Retargeting Campaigns

Here’s where it matters most: cannabis brands can’t play by the same rules as other industries. Cannabis advertising laws limit who you can reach and how. Retargeting flips that challenge into an advantage. By focusing on people who already raised their hand—whether they abandoned a cart, viewed your menu, or read a blog—you’re working with a qualified audience.

Cannabis retargeting campaigns also stretch your budget further. They cost less per acquisition than prospecting ads and open the door for loyalty campaigns that encourage repeat visits and long-term relationships.

Retargeting Campaign Best Practices

Retargeting only works if it’s handled with precision. Here are a few best practices worth keeping in mind:

• Segment by behavior: A cart abandoner needs a reminder to complete checkout, while a blog reader might need education before making a purchase.
  
• Control frequency: Too many impressions can feel like harassment; just enough keeps you top of mind.
  
• Stay compliant: No consumption imagery, no medical claims, and nothing that appeals to minors. Lifestyle and brand storytelling win here.
  
• Optimize your landing pages: A strong call-to-action and smooth checkout process can make or break a campaign.
  

Meta Retargeting Campaigns for Cannabis Brands

Facebook and Instagram provide powerful social media tools for reconnecting with past visitors. A Facebook retargeting campaign allows brands to show ads to users who engaged with posts, clicked ads, or visited a website.

For CBD and hemp businesses (where policies allow), dynamic product ads can showcase specific SKUs that users have already viewed. Another tactic is creating lookalike audiences from highly engaged retargeting pools, expanding your reach to people with similar behaviors.

Meta retargeting campaigns do come with restrictions—ads must comply with Meta’s advertising policies, which means avoiding any direct references to THC products or non-compliant imagery.

Google Ads Retargeting Campaigns

Google Ads retargeting campaign strategies give cannabis brands visibility across the Display Network, YouTube, and beyond. For example, a shopper who viewed a product page might later see a compliant banner ad while reading an article, or a video ad before a YouTube clip.

Because cannabis ads face compliance limitations, many brands rely on content placements—such as educational blogs or awareness campaigns—rather than direct product advertising. Still, these efforts can drive meaningful traffic and conversions when paired with optimized landing pages.

Programmatic Ads Retargeting Campaigns

Programmatic advertising adds another layer of sophistication to retargeting strategies. Unlike single-channel approaches, programmatic campaigns give brands the ability to reconnect with past visitors across a wide range of digital environments—websites, mobile apps, streaming platforms, and connected TVs.

This channel is especially effective because it allows you to use first-party and verified audience data to reach people who have already shown interest in your brand. Examples include:

• Shoppers who visited your site but didn’t complete checkout
  
• Visitors who engaged with educational content
  
• Customers who haven’t purchased in a while and may be due for a reorder
  

Key practices for programmatic retargeting include:

• Audience segmentation: Tailor messaging to different intent levels (e.g., new prospects vs. past customers).
  
• Cross-device strategy: Ensure ads follow the consumer journey whether they’re on desktop, mobile, or streaming platforms.
  
• Frequency management: Prevent ad fatigue by setting thoughtful exposure caps.
  
• Creative variation: Use different messaging approaches—educational, lifestyle, or reminder-based—depending on the audience segment.
  

When paired with optimized landing pages and clear calls-to-action, programmatic retargeting can help cannabis brands extend reach, reduce wasted ad spend, and guide potential customers back into the funnel.

Tracking and Measuring Retargeting Campaigns

The success of retargeting comes down to measurement. Key performance indicators (KPIs) to track include:

• Click-through rate (CTR): Are users engaging with your ads?
  
• Conversion rate: Are they completing purchases or sign-ups?
  
• Return on ad spend (ROAS): Are you generating revenue efficiently?
  
• Ad frequency: Are you balancing visibility without oversaturation?
  

Tools like GA4, Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads, and MediaJel’s marketing attribution dashboard provide insights, but attribution challenges remain in cannabis advertising. Multi-touch attribution and first-party data collection can help bridge these gaps.

Turning Near-Misses Into Payouts

Abandoned carts, half-read blogs, unfinished checkouts—these aren’t dead ends, they’re open bets waiting to be cashed in. Retargeting campaigns give cannabis brands the chance to step back in and guide the customer across the finish line. By segmenting audiences, staying compliant, and leveraging Meta and Google Ads tools, you can transform missed opportunities into measurable wins.

Every abandoned cart is money left waiting. With cannabis retargeting campaigns, you don’t have to fold—you can turn those near-misses into payouts and watch your ROI climb. Contact MediaJel today to launch your cannabis retargeting campaigns.