Retargeting vs Prospecting: The Fundamental Difference
- Prospecting — showing ads to new users who haven’t interacted with your brand
- Retargeting — showing ads to users who’ve previously visited your site, clicked an ad, or engaged with your content
Both are essential. The best campaigns use both in concert — prospecting fills the top of the funnel, retargeting closes conversions at the bottom.
Comparison: Retargeting vs Prospecting
| Factor | Prospecting | Retargeting |
|---|---|---|
| Audience size | Very large | Limited by site traffic |
| CPM | Lower | Higher (smaller pool) |
| CTR | Lower | 2–10x higher |
| Conversion rate | Lower (cold traffic) | Higher (warm audience) |
| Best stage | Awareness, reach | Conversion, retention |
| CPA | Higher | Lower |
Popunder Ads for Prospecting
Popunder ads excel at prospecting — they reach massive audiences at low CPM, exposing new users to your brand or offer at scale. This makes popunder campaigns ideal for:
- Building brand awareness in new GEOs
- Driving initial traffic to offers for retargeting pixel collection
- Testing new verticals and offers with minimal investment
Setting Up a Retargeting + Prospecting Funnel
- Step 1 — Prospecting: Run popunder campaigns on Adsailor to drive broad traffic to your landing page. Set up a retargeting pixel on landing page visits.
- Step 2 — Collect audience: After 5,000–10,000 unique visitors, your retargeting pool is large enough to work with.
- Step 3 — Retargeting: Use Google Ads, Facebook Ads, or native platforms to retarget non-converting visitors with a different message or offer.
- Step 4 — Optimize: Measure overall funnel CPA across both prospecting + retargeting spend combined.
Drive qualified traffic and fill your retargeting pools for $50. Get started →
Budget Allocation: Prospecting vs Retargeting
| Stage | Recommended Budget Split | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Early (testing) | 90% prospecting / 10% retargeting | Need to build audience first |
| Growth | 70% prospecting / 30% retargeting | Retargeting pool growing |
| Mature | 50% prospecting / 50% retargeting | Balanced funnel |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is retargeting more effective than prospecting?
Retargeting delivers lower CPA, but you need prospecting to build your audience. Both are necessary — retargeting alone is limited by your existing traffic.
Can popunder ads be used for retargeting?
Most popunder networks don’t support pixel-based retargeting directly. Use popunders for prospecting and dedicated retargeting platforms (Google, Facebook) for follow-up.
What’s a good retargeting window?
30–90 days is standard. For high-consideration purchases, extend to 180 days. For impulse offers, a 7-day window is sufficient.