Dropshipping advertising is very similar to advertising any other business, but there are a few key differences to keep in mind. In fact, when it comes to dropshipping, the number one most important factor is where you choose to advertise. Below, you can learn more about the best practices for dropshipping advertising as they relate to choosing a location for your ads.
Understanding Paid Ads
Before exploring where you should advertise, it’s helpful to briefly touch upon how you should advertise your store. When it comes to dropshipping advertising, there are two major buckets, or categories: paid advertising and search engine optimization.
- Paid Ads: Paid advertising allows you to set a budget (starting at $10 a day) for a social media platform or search engine to advertise your brand on their website or network. Sometimes, the company pr platform promises to show your ad to X number of people based on the amount you pay. In other cases, your ad is shown to individuals when it is relevant, and you pay for that ad every time someone clicks on it, up to your specific daily budget. You can invest in paid ads for a short period of time, or you can set a budget for a month or even a year’s worth of ads.
- Search Engine Optimization: Search engine optimization (SEO) is always a long-term investment, and it’s designed to help drive organic traffic to your store through search engines like Google. The better your SEO, the more traffic you can get. SEO often costs less upfront, and if you take the time to learn about it, you can do it yourself for free. It can take a year or more to really reap the benefits, and it’s also important to remember that search engines change their SEO algorithms, so you need to keep up with those changes to remain relevant.
Social Media is King
Dropshipping advertising can occur anywhere, but for the best possible results with the least upfront investment, there’s no denying that social media is king. There are numerous social media networks out there, but not all of them are created equal. If you want to reach the most people, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok should be your primary focus. They are the biggest and most popular platforms in the world today, which means you are far more likely to reach your target audience with paid ads.
Of course, paid ads aren’t the end of dropshipping advertising on social media. A huge part of advertising is making sure that your audience knows you exist, and social media is a great way to do that. Create accounts on these three platforms for your business, then make sure you log in and post something that is relevant, helpful, or interesting to your audience as often as you can. Facebook is best for general or long-form posts, Instagram is best for photos, and TikTok is best for video content. Don’t forget that you can share your posts across all three platforms, and don’t forget to engage with your target audience with your business profile. Make sure to comment on posts that are relevant to your industry, like others’ posts and comments, and interact with people in your community regularly.
Google Ads for Later Growth
Many people who want to get started with dropshipping advertising are curious about Google Ads. Google offers a pay-per-click (PPC) service in which they show your ad based on relevant searches, and you only pay when someone clicks that advertisement. Though it can be helpful, it can sometimes be a crapshoot for brand new businesses. Most dropshipping experts recommend starting with paid social media ads, then moving over to Google’s PPC ads when profits are up and the brand is more recognizable.
Of course, it’s important to remember that no two situations are ever the same, so you may find that Google Ads benefit you from the start. For the best possible results and reach with the least investment, though, social media is the best course of action.
What about TV, Radio, Billboards, & More?
Many entrepreneurs want to know why dropshipping advertising generally doesn’t extend to TV, radio, billboards, and other, more traditional forms of advertising. Because ecommerce takes place completely online, it’s best to invest your advertising dollars in the online space. There have been some instances in which dropshippers have eventually transitioned into opening bricks-and-mortar stores selling the same goods, and in these situations, traditional advertising methods could be far more beneficial. For the most part, though, online advertising – especially on social media – offers the best bang for your buck, so to speak.
As time goes by and your profits start to increase, you might find that a billboard or a radio commercial is helpful, especially if you know that much of your target audience regularly drives a specific highway or listens to a specific radio station. It’s rare, but it can and sometimes does happen. The longer you practice dropshipping, the more you will learn about the best methods for advertising based on your industry and your audience.
When it comes to dropshipping advertising, too many people focus their marketing budgets on the wrong areas, then get upset when they simply don’t generate any traffic. Why Unified is a team of experienced marketing professionals, and the company includes dropshipping marketing in all four of its subscription tiers. This way, you can let Why Unified handle the marketing for you while you sit back and enjoy the profits over time.
