Just when you thought you had digital ad campaigns down pat, consumer behavior changes yet again.

Thanks to increasingly effective analytics and social media platforms jumping on the algorithm bandwagon (including Instagram), consumers are self-selecting more than ever. Paired with complex interests, preferences, and varied consumption behaviors, a Facebook ad simply targeting women ages 25-34 living in metropolitan areas is highly unlikely to yield productive results.

The more responsible (and ROI-worthy) approach: Launching digital ad campaigns that keep up with user preferences, internet browsing, and “window shopping” behavior — also known as “retargeting.” While hardly a new concept, the mastery of it is a moving target for marketers.

Enter personas. If your business doesn’t already have them, they are well-worth the time and resource investment. If you do have them, dust them off and refresh them regularly. Personas are developed by asking the right questions of your consumers and forming “characters” based on the answers to those questions. Marketing efforts catered to pique and nurture the interest of these characters result in engagement and more sales.

No need to throw your current plan out the window. Well-researched and thorough personas usually don’t need to command a separate line item in the marketing budget, as there are many resources available to get you started. Then, when it comes to targeting those personas, platforms like Google Adwords and AdRoll augment your digital campaign efforts. These platforms help your brand follow your persona from the time spent window shopping on your website to their favorite social media platforms (you can compare retargeting platforms here).

So the next time you’re looking to target women ages 25-34 living in metropolitan areas, lean on your personas. When it converts to actual leads and sales you’ll be glad you did.