Using Facebook Ads to advertise products is probably the most popular marketing method for ecommerce.
But, should you use Facebook Ads for your dropshipping store?
Facebook Ads have some huge pros like amazing targeting features, the ability to use the Meta Pixel, and their Artificial Intelligence. But, don't forget that you can still lose money with Facebook Ads and that it takes time to master the platform if you're a beginner.
Before discussing the pros & cons of Facebook Ads in detail, let's first take a look at why people use Facebook Ads for their dropshipping store.
Why do people use Facebook Ads for their dropshipping store?
Let's start by discussing why people actually use Facebook Ads for their dropshipping store.
Well, the primary goal of using Facebook Ads is obviously to attract potential buyers into visiting your dropshipping store.
Every person of the 2 billion monthly users on Facebook could potentially buy your product.
By showing Facebook ads to this active user base, Facebook advertisers aim to achieve the highest ROAS (Return On Ad Spend).
But why do people use Facebook Ads instead of other methods of driving traffic such as Instagram influencers, Google Ads, or even Pinterest?
Is it the best advertising method? Is it the easiest? Is it the cheapest?
To find out, just continue reading ?
Should you use Facebook Ads for your dropshipping store?
This question kind of depends on your product and whether you are targeting warm or cold audiences.
Definition "Warm audience": All people who have already seen or who know about your brand, products, or social media accounts
Definition "Cold audience": All people who have not heard of or interacted with your brand, products, or social media accounts
Facebook Ads for cold audiences
If you are targeting cold audiences, Facebook Ads are the most effective when advertising products that people buy impulsively.
An impulse purchase is an unplanned decision to buy a product or service. This happens when someone is casually scrolling through Facebook to kill some time, but suddenly sees an awesome ad like this one below (which they wouldn't have searched for otherwise) and continues to purchase the product.
Not all products are often bought impulsively though. For example, not a lot of people are going to buy protein powder because of a Facebook Ad. Instead, they will look on Google for the best protein powder whenever they need a new one.
Bonus: When you are ready to create your own Facebook ads, check out this article for 9 awesome dropshipping Facebook ad examples!
Facebook Ads for warm audiences
Facebook Ads are amazing for targeting warm audiences.
With Facebook Ads, you can create custom audiences that let you target warm audiences separately.
This allows you to make custom-made ads that are targeted specifically at your warm audience, which are really effective.
For example, you can make ads that offer an extra 10% off for people that have viewed your product but didn't buy it yet.
Another great thing about warm audiences is that they are much easier to convert than cold audiences! This is because of the rule of seven, which is a marketing rule of thumb that states that people have to see or hear about your marketing message at least seven times before they take action and buy your product.
So, if people have already seen your Facebook ad, you will have a higher chance of converting them!
Pros of using Facebook Ads
So, in general, I would advise every dropshipper to try and use Facebook Ads for their dropshipping store!
But in case you still aren't convinced, here are some pros of using Facebook Ads.
Don't worry though, in the end, I will also show you the cons of using Facebook Ads so you can make the best decision!
1. Ability to show ads to your target audience
If you know your target audience, you can target them with Facebook Ads! (If you don't know them, then you can check out this article here)
Facebook collects a lot of data from each user. They can actually have up to 52.000 data points from each user!
This is why you can fine-tune the target audience based on conversion goal, location, age, gender, demographics, interests, behavior, and language.
2. Make use of Facebook's Artificial Intelligence
Facebook wants you to make money with Facebook Ads because if you make money, you will spend more on ads, and they will also make more money in return.
That is why Facebook has already spent years developing its AI system for Facebook Ads.
The goal of the AI system is to predict which users will take which actions.
The system has become extremely good at it now, which allows you to select a marketing objective in Facebook Ads.
Do you want people to like your post? Select the engagement objective.
Or do you want people to buy your product? In that case, you can select the conversions objective.
And as you can see, those aren't the only marketing objectives!
If you want to learn more about how Facebook uses machine learning and AI to deliver their ads, check out this article.
3. Opportunity to make use of Facebook's retargeting possibilities
Facebook keeps track of everything. Not only on their own platform, but they also keep track of the behavior of people who've clicked on your ad!
Visit time, add to carts, initiate checkouts, newsletter signups, product views, and buys are all monitored by Facebook, but only if you have a Meta Pixel installed!
Related article: Learn more about the benefits of installing a Meta Pixel here. That article will also go in-depth on how to install it correctly!
This allows you to segment your visitors based on where they are positioned in the funnel. For example, you can make tailored ads specifically for people who added your product to their cart but didn't initiate checkout or purchase yet.
4. Make Lookalike Audiences to further improve your results
One of the most powerful Facebook Ads features is Lookalike Audiences.
Using Facebook's AI, you can make audiences of people who are likely to perform the same actions as your sample audience!
For example, if you select all people who have viewed your content, Facebook will make a bigger audience for you, which is more likely to view your content. Utilizing this feature will therefore lower your Cost per Content View and therefore your Cost per Purchase!
Facebook can even take the value of each event into account, so characteristics of people who have viewed content and later made a purchase will have a higher weight than people who have viewed content and left afterward!
If you are interested in Lookalike Audiences, you can read more about them here.
5. Advertise on multiple platforms
You may assume that you can only advertise on Facebook with Facebook Ads, but that's not true!
Since Facebook owns Instagram, you can also place your ads in the Instagram Feed, Stories, and other placements like on the Audience Network and Messenger platforms.
If you're just starting with Facebook Ads, then I suggest you start with the Facebook News Feed and Instagram Feed.
Don't forget that you don't need to combine them in one adset; you can also split it up into two adsets with the same targeting, but both on a different news feed.
If you're interested in learning more about the reasons why people use Facebook Ads, check out our article here as well!
Cons of using Facebook Ads
Nothing is perfect!
While Facebook Ads have some amazing pros, don't expect that it's a method to get rich quick. Facebook Ads take some effort to master and understand, and the best way to do that is to use it!
Here are some cons of using Facebook Ads.
1. Ad manager may seem daunting for beginners
While the Facebook Ad Manager is awesome to analyze your ad results once you know how it works, it can seem pretty complicated if you're a beginner.
There are many different settings and sections available within the Business Manager, but don't worry, just start creating an ad and you will definitely learn how to use it step-by-step.
Plus, we have more Facebook articles planned, so don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom!
2. Possibility of losing money
Don't think that Facebook's AI will always make you money. It is still possible to get a ROAS (Return On Ad Spend) lower than 1 on Facebook and lose money.
In this example, I got a ROAS of 0.44, which means that for every dollar I spent on Facebook Ads, I only got 0.44 dollars back in revenue.
Remember: No advertising platform gives you a guarantee to make money. It's definitely possible to lose money while advertising, especially if you're a beginner. Just remember that it's a learning process and a real business, not a get rich quick scheme.
3. It takes time for your Meta Pixel to "mature"
For every ad you will launch on Facebook Ads, the first stage of the ad will be the learning phase.
This is the phase where Facebook's AI needs to collect some data before it can predict which users will take which actions and therefore determine to which users it should show your ad.
The learning phase lasts until your Meta Pixel gets around 50 optimization events, and during this phase, it's likely that you will experience inconsistent results.
4. Ad manager bans
The last con of Facebook Ads is Ad Manager bans.
Just like Paypal, Facebook can ban your Ad Manager account for no apparent reason.
Often, it's difficult to get in contact with them to get your account (and Pixel data!) back.
That's why I recommend first reading Facebook's ad policy here before you start spending money!
Plus, you can check out our other article here about advertising restricted products.
Facebook Ads vs Google Ads, which one should you use?
Maybe you are asking yourself: "Should I advertise with Facebook Ads or Google Ads?"
Well, that depends.
Most people have a preference for the platform that works best for them.
You now have some knowledge of the pros and cons of Facebook Ads, but I have some great news for you. We've also made an article about whether or not you should use Google Ads!
So, go ahead and check out that article. After reading it, I would suggest starting with the one that interests you the most, but don't forget to try the other option as well to see which one gives you the best results!
Plus, you can check out our full Google Ads vs. Facebook Ads comparison article here.
Conclusion
Facebook Ads are awesome for advertising your dropshipping store. Many people have made a lot of money with advertising on Facebook Ads, but don't forget that many people have lost a lot of money too!
There's much more to Facebook Ads then I was able to tell you about here, but I hope to cover everything about the platform in future articles. So, don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates whenever a new article comes out.
I do hope that you now have some more understanding of Facebook Ads.
If you're interested in learning more about Facebook Ads, then don't forget to check out our other Facebook articles:
- Facebook Ads for Ecommerce Stores: A Beginner’s Guide
- 13 Facebook Ad Beginner Mistakes & How To Avoid Them
- Why Are My Facebook Ads Not Converting? 11 Tips to Fix It!
Plus, you can check out this article here if you're wondering if you can do dropshipping with the Facebook Marketplace.
Don't worry if you still don't know how to start though, so if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact me! I can also help you to look at your results and give you some tips on how to improve.
Either way, just drop a comment if you need some help or got something to share, and I will reply as soon as possible!
Have a nice day!
Getting Started with Dropshipping in 2024
So, are you ready to get started with dropshipping? Or maybe you have already started, but you’re looking to get some inspiration?
If so, then I suggest reading this complete Shopify dropshipping guide.
It’s a huge article, but it contains everything that you need to know to create your own Shopify dropshipping store in 2024. It’s like a dropshipping course, but then for free!
Reading this article will surely help you to get started and to stay motivated while beginning and continuing your dropshipping journey.
Just don’t forget that success takes time. Keep improving each and every day!
Shopify Dropshipping: A 20-Step Guide to Starting Your Store
And here are the articles I suggest you read next:
- Top 10 Dropshipping Niches to Avoid as a Beginner in 2024
- Unique Dropshipping Store: 11 Amazing Tips to Create One
- 8 Amazing Ways to Get Free Traffic to Your Dropshipping Store
- Dropshipping Startup Checklist: 10 Things to Do Before Starting
And also, if you didn’t create a Shopify account yet (to get your dropshipping store online), then you can click here to get a free 3-day trial + pay $1/month for the first 3 months!
