{"id":1144,"date":"2020-05-29T23:59:00","date_gmt":"2020-05-29T23:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.contrado.com\/blog\/?p=1144"},"modified":"2021-10-01T07:08:46","modified_gmt":"2021-10-01T07:08:46","slug":"dropshipping-ads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.contrado.com\/blog\/dropshipping-ads\/","title":{"rendered":"Dropshipping Ads For Beginners: Higher Profit, Lower Stress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Since its inception, dropshipping has made\nit easy for entrepreneurs to open businesses worldwide. If you can write a\nproduct description and have basic design skills, you can set up a fantastic\nwebsite and start selling. The only issue is, once you have a store, how do you\nget the word out? How do you set up dropshipping ads that actually work?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, marketing and advertising are where\nmany dropshippers fall short, missing out on incredible revenue. You might have\na great business plan, but you can\u2019t do much if no one knows about it. How do\nyou get your business out there and reach the right people?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this blog post, we\u2019ll show you that you\ndon\u2019t need to be a marketing guru to finesse your dropshipping ads. You\u2019ll be\nhappy to know it\u2019s even easier than you think! Don\u2019t believe us? Read on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Advertise Dropshipping for Total Beginners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

How you set up dropshipping advertising is completely dependent on the resources at your disposal. Luckily, you can do a lot with dropshipping ads even if you have very little. Do you have some nice photos? Can you edit a short clip? What about writing a great sales pitch? All of these things can produce great advertising. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Prepare Your Dropshipping Ads<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"prep<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are 3 things you need to bear in mind\nbefore you\u2019re advertising on ANY platform:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Your target audience<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Almost every advertising platform needs to know who you’re advertising to. Have a think about who this could be. If you\u2019re a dropshipper selling shoes, it won\u2019t help you much to advertise to people looking for shirts. The more target audiences you can identify, the better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Your campaign goals <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

What are you trying to achieve with this\ncampaign? More sales? Brand awareness? Traffic? Engagement? More followers?\nThese things tell advertising platforms how to run your ad, and to who. They\nanalyze users who frequently click on ads versus those who actually buy\nsomething. If you\u2019re looking for sales, the platform will run your dropshipping\nads to people more likely to buy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Your keywords<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s some technical jargon for you! In\nsimple terms, keywords are words and phrases people enter into search engines\nto find something. Going with the example above, say you\u2019re a dropshipper who\nsells shoes with a sunflower print. There are people searching for \u2018espadrilles\nwith sunflowers\u2019 or some variation of the phrase. It\u2019s your job to know these\nphrases and target your campaigns accordingly. Read on to find out how. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve got a clear vision for your\ncampaign, how do you get it out there? What platforms should you run it on?\nWell, we\u2019ve got you covered. Check out our 6 ways to set up dropshipping ads\nbelow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where to advertise dropshipping?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1.\nPay-per-click (PPC)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"ppc\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The behemoth of online advertising, it\u2019s no surprise that Google has its very own advertising system: \u2018pay-per-click’ or PPC. Essentially, in this model of advertising, businesses pay a small fee each time someone clicks on their ad. The most popular form of PPC is sponsored search results. You know when you Google something and the first 3 results are sponsored businesses? That\u2019s PPC, and you can do it too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this type of dropshipping ad, you won\u2019t\nneed any images or videos, just some stellar copywriting and a budget. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The way PPC works is by targeting keywords. Remember those? Now, a keyword like ‘espadrilles with sunflowers\u2019 might be perfect for your business, but it\u2019s also incredibly specific, so not many people are likely to search that. You might find more search volume around a keyword like \u2018cute espadrilles\u2019, \u2018fashion espadrilles\u2019, and so on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writing Your Dropshipping Ads<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once you find appropriate keywords with good search volume, it\u2019s time to create an ad. Let’s say you’re targeting the keyword ‘cute espadrilles’. The PPC ad will read something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"dropshipping<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

See how the keyword is mentioned in both the title and description? This is how you target ads with a keyword. The problem is, if you\u2019re targeting these keywords, your competitors are likely to as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bidding <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"bidding\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

You and your competitors will all bid on these targeted keywords. So how do you ensure your ad shows up and gets clicks? You\u2019ll need to make sure these 4 things are in order: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Keyword relevance: <\/strong>how good is the ad itself? Is the keyword accurate to the product or service you\u2019re advertising? <\/li>
  2. Landing page quality: <\/strong>when a customer clicks through, is the landing page relevant? Does it look good? Is the content persuasive and relevant? Is the call-to-action clear & what the customer searched for? <\/li>
  3. Quality score: <\/strong>this is Google\u2019s rating of the quality\/relevance of your keywords, landing pages, and PPC campaigns. Better quality scores mean more clicks & less costs. <\/li>
  4. Creative: <\/strong>it’s necessary for your ad copy to create intrigue and stand out from your competitors. What unique selling points does your business offer? Fast delivery? High-quality? How does the ad stand out from others? <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    If these 4 requirements are met, you\u2019ll be able\nto outbid your competitors and run successful PPC campaigns in no time.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Facebook Ads <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \"facebook<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Outside of PPC, social media is the most\neffective advertising tool to run dropshipping ads, and none compare to\nFacebook. Facebook is widely known as the most effective advertising platform\nbecause of its wide reach and variety of users. Clicks and conversions are\nhigher on Facebook than any other social media channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Even if you don’t use Facebook personally,\nit’s an important advertising tool for your business. All Facebook dropshipping\nads fall into 2 categories: photo or video. So you\u2019ll need some great pictures\nor a snappy video to run successful ads on Facebook. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After you create an account, the Ads Manager is your hub for all Facebook advertising. There, you can set up, run, monitor, and create new ads. The structure of the Ads Manager is like a pyramid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Pyramid of Dropshipping Ads on Facebook:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Top:\nCampaigns<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Middle:\nAd sets, which make up campaigns<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Bottom:\nAds, which make up ad sets & run actively on Facebook<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So, for example, let’s say you’re running a campaign on your fantastic espadrilles! The entire campaign might be called something like ‘Espadrilles Campaign’. Your ad sets might be: ‘High-quality espadrilles’ where you focus on the quality, and ‘Fashionable espadrilles’ where you focus on the design. Within the ‘High-quality espadrilles’ ad set, you may have ads like the following: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"espadrilles\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    3 Tips for Successful Dropshipping Ads on Facebook<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \"successful<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Unlike PPC, you don’t need to bid on\nkeywords, but you do still need to bid on a placement over your competitors.\nLike PPC, there are a few traits to ensure your campaign is successful:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Know your objective<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Because Facebook is a social media, your objective may or may not be sales-related. Maybe you want more followers or local awareness of your business. The objectives you could choose are as follows: brand awareness, local awareness, reach, traffic, engagement, app installs, video views, lead generation, conversions, product catalog sales, store traffic, or messages. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Target your ads based on interest<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    One unique aspect of Facebook dropshipping\nads is you can target ads based on interest. Facebook likes are a goldmine for\ndropshipping advertising. An obvious example, if you’re a travel accessories\ndropshipper, is to target people with an interest in travel. Along with this,\nyou could target people with an interest in different airlines, people who like\nvarious popular travel destinations, or users who like big name travel brands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Make sure they’re visually appealing<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Unlike PPC, all Facebook ads are photo or\nvideo-based, so you need to feature one of these along with some copywriting.\nIf you go the route of a photo-based ad, ensure that your unique selling points\nare mentioned (high quality, fashionable prints, made of canvas fabric, etc)\nand the call to action is clear. The call to action could be ‘Shop now!’,\n‘Browse espadrilles’, ‘Learn more’ or something similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Other\nThings to Know About Facebook Ads<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \"facebook<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re developing a photo or video ad for Facebook, you can use it for Instagram too! Instagram is included in Facebook\u2019s Ad Manager, so you can easily run ads on both platforms with one tool. If you\u2019re on the fence about learning some graphic design skills, it might be worth the investment. One ad can go a long way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Plus, the world of Facebook advertising extends even beyond ads! Many dropshippers take advantage of Facebook groups and forums to promote their product. Facebook groups are steadily rising in popularity. They’re private communities full of people who share a common interest. The communal, safe environment a Facebook group creates is the perfect breeding ground for customers sharing word-of-mouth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you’re a small business owner, it’s\nworth finding groups that are relevant to your business. Like an espadrilles\nenthusiast group. Or create your own!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3.\nInstagram Ads<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \"instagram<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Another great advertising platform for dropshipping ads, Instagram is great for engagement: even with a small audience, you’re likely to still get likes, comments, follows, views, and so on. Instagram is a fantastic tool for brand identity, brand awareness, and cultivating a community. And, thanks to product tagging and the new in-app Shop tab, your followers can get from ad to check out in just a few taps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Before these features, dropshipping advertising on Instagram was limited to influencer marketing with sponsored posts. This is still prevalent on the app, but its drawbacks can often outweigh any benefits. It requires negotiating, is often expensive, and influencers are not held accountable if they don’t deliver. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But now, by using Facebook’s self-serve advertising platform, anyone can learn to run Instagram ads directly from their account. Like Facebook, Instagram utilizes visual advertising, so you’ll need images and videos to create ads for Instagram’s platform. There are 5 types of Instagram dropshipping ads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Instagram Ad Types<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \"ad<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    1. Photo ads<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    The simplest of Instagram ads, this type of advertisement only requires a single photo. These can be in landscape, portrait, or square orientation. Businesses often feature a single product in a photo ad and link it to the product page. An effective, simple sales funnel from ad to checkout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Video ads<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Instagram video ads can be up to 60 seconds long in either square or landscape orientation. Like the photo ad, it features a single video. Businesses often use a split-screen that is partially video and partially text to promote memberships, deals, or an in-depth view of a single product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    3. Carousel ads<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    These can have anywhere between 2 to 10 images and\/or videos that users can swipe through. Each image or video has its own caption that changes with each swipe. Carousel ads are great for featuring your product range or different versions of one product. Each image or video has a call to action at the bottom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Slideshow ads<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    Like video ads, slideshow ads, appear as a video in the user’s feed. The difference is that slideshow ads feature a series of still images that play as a video, similar to a slideshow. You can add text and audio to your slideshow ads to make them even more engaging. They have similar benefits to carousel ads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    5. Story ads<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    These are the newest kind of Instagram\ndropshipping ads, which play as a user flips between stories. Businesses can\nshare ‘self-destructing’ photos or videos that last for a limited amount of\ntime, and disappear to the next story in the queue. Story ads are placed\nstrategically between stories from the user’s following, so appear more\nfriendly and local. They are great for building brand awareness and ad recall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can run Instagram ads on the same\nplatform as Facebook: your Ads Manager. So once you’ve mastered Facebook\nadvertising, move onto Instagram next!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    4. Twitter Ads<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
    \"twitter<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Twitter exists in a league of its own with advertising. Unlike Instagram, it is not linked to Facebook’s Ad Manager, so it has a unique advertising atmosphere. Like Instagram, Twitter is great for building brand awareness, identity, and community with your customers. Twitter is also a great tool for influencer marketing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here are some of the ways you can run\ndropshipping ads on Twitter: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    1. Sponsored tweets:<\/strong> you can pay popular accounts to tweet about your business or product & link back to you.<\/li>
    2. Twitter card:<\/strong> this tool tweets an ad consisting of an image & call to action. When people click this, their name and email are saved so you can compile a mailing list.<\/li>
    3. Campaigns:<\/strong> similar to Instagram and Facebook, you can run ads on Twitter as part of a campaign using images and videos. You set a budget for how much you’d like to spend and a timeframe for how long the ad will run. <\/li>
    4. Advanced Search: <\/strong>this tool allows businesses to search for topics that people are talking about. This way, businesses can join the conversation, catch people’s attention, and increase their following and engagement. <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      For a complete list of how to advertise on\nTwitter, check out our blog post about Making Money on Twitter<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      5.\nYouTube Ads<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
      \"youtube<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

      The grand finale: YouTube dropshipping ads!\nThese ads are the most expensive and require the most expertise to run, but\nthey\u2019re still worth knowing about as a small business owner. As your business\ngrows, more advertising possibilities open up, and YouTube ads are one of them.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Video advertisements are a proven method of gaining revenue, and YouTube ads perform best by far. The amount of daily YouTube visitors, however, is the reason why it\u2019s so expensive. Plus, the way you advertise is completely different.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Bidding<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \"bidding\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

       YouTube ads use a bidding system like other\nadvertising platforms, but it\u2019s completely based on your campaign\u2019s objective.\nYou either pay the cost-per-view (CPV) or cost-per-acquisition (CPA). Acquisition\ntakes into consideration the traffic generated & revenue produced by the\nad. There are 4 types:<\/p>\n\n\n\n