Do you feel like you're spending too much time on Facebook Ads and not getting the results you want?
Are you looking for other ways to advertise your dropshipping store?
In this article, we'll share 10 ways to advertise your store that don't involve Facebook Ads!
1. Instagram advertising
Let's kick this list of with advertising on Instagram!
Although Instagram is from Facebook, it's still worth looking at if you want something else other than advertising on Facebook.
Instagram advertising through Facebook
The first way you can advertise on Instagram is through Facebook. Yes, I said no Facebook, but officially it's advertising on Instagram, so I had to put it on this list.
It's basically the same way as you would advertise with Facebook Ads, but then you select Instagram Feed instead of Facebook Feed.
So, yes, the advertising part is the same, but you will see that there is a whole different audience waiting for you on Instagram.
You can view the statistics from Facebook here and you can view the statistics from Instagram here.
Using these kinds of statistics, you can see if the advertising platform is matching with your target audience.
Boosted Instagram post
A boosted Instagram post is basically a normal post that you post yourself on your Instagram account. You can then later "boost" it.
Boosting is the same as advertising it.
It's slightly more limited than advertising through Facebook, but it's also simpler.
Also, it's ideal for boosting the momentum of organic posts.
If you want to advertise with Instagram but don't know if you should boost your post or advertise through Facebook, then I suggest advertising through Facebook.
You will have way more options; plus, this way you can use it together with your Facebook Ads (if you've got these).
Instagram influencer shoutouts
If you don't know what Instagram influencers are, then I suggest reading this article here, or you can read this article here, both which goes over the pros and cons of using Instagram influencers for ecommerce.
Basically, you pay a person to post your post on their Instagram page for some time (most common is 24 hours).
After that time has passed, the influencer will remove your post from their page, but you could try to make a deal that he or she will keep it on their page if that's something you would like.
The price of an influencer shoutout will depend on how big their page is (how many followers) and how good their engagement rate is. If you're interested in learning more about how to find Instagram influencers, then I suggest reading this article here.
That article contains 5 tips on how to find Instagram influencers for your dropshipping store, and I will go over what kind of influencers are worth your money. (Hint? Not the fake ones!)
Plus, you can take a look at these 10 Instagram shoutout examples to get some inspiration already!
If you want to know how to quickly test products using Instagram influencer shoutouts, I suggest reading my article here.
Instagram Story Ads
Another option to advertise on Instagram is by having Instagram Story Ads.
I suggest watching the video below to get an understanding of how to make an Instagram story ad yourself:
You can also do this with Instagram influencers. They will post your story video (or image) as their story!
If they have more than 10,000 followers on their Instagram page, you can use the swipe up function from Instagram in your story.
For more information about this, check out our list of 10 Instagram Story shoutout examples!
Creating your own Instagram business page
Of course, before you start contacting Instagram influencers or start boosting posts, you need to have an Instagram account for your dropshipping store!
I did write a full guide on how to set up your dropshipping Instagram account and how to grow it from scratch.
You can read it here if you're interested in having your own Instagram business page. Or you can view these 11 Instagram account examples here.
2. PPC Ads
PPC Ads are ads where you Pay Per Click (PPC).
So, you will only pay when someone clicks on your ad!
You won't have to pay anything if nobody clicks. Although, that's not really your goal, right?
The biggest advertisement platform with PPC Ads is Google, and there is a 99% chance you have heard of Google before.
So, how can you advertise with Google?
I'll start by mentioning that you can go to Shopify Learn here to watch one of their free courses called 'Google Ads for Ecommerce'. It's a great course if you want to learn more about Google Ads.
He will cover all the topics that I'll show you below, like Google Shopping ads and Google search results ads.
Keep in mind that Shopify Learn is free, so you can learn from them even if you currently don’t have a store on the Shopify platform.
Google Ads
With Google Ads (previously known as Google Adwords), you will pay Google to get on top of the search results.
As I said above, you will pay per click. So, that means no clicks, no costs.
If you're interested in learning if Google Ads is right for you and your dropshipping store, I suggest reading the articles I've linked below:
- Should You Use Google Ads for Your Dropshipping Store?
- How to Set the Right Google Ads Budget for Ecommerce Stores?
And if you're interested in learning about Google Ads and how to use it to grow your dropshipping store, then I suggest watching the video below:
Google Shopping
Another really popular option for people who are running ecommerce stores is using Google Shopping, also known as Product Listing Ads.
These ads are displayed, mostly at the top, when someone searches for a product on Google.
You can also find Google Shopping by going to the Shopping tab on Google:
Again, these product listings are pay-per-click.
I got some great resources for you if you want to learn more about how to use Google Shopping for your store:
- Beginners guide to Google Shopping Ads by Oberlo
- Why you should be using Google Shopping by Trusted Shops
SEO
If you don't want to pay money to get on top of the search results in Google, then another great option is to learn SEO for your dropshipping store.
This way you will rank your store in search engines for free, but it might take some time before you're at the place you want to be.
For example, these are the Google results when you type in talking hamster:
You can find out more information here about how to use SEO for your dropshipping store.
Bing Ads
Most people focus on Google because it is much bigger and gets a lot more traffic than search engines like Bing.
But it's still worth the try to see if your target audience uses Bing more. Or maybe you can get the same results you would have gotten from Google Ads, but for way less money!
Bing Ads almost works exactly the same as Google Ads. You can even import your Google Ads campaign(s) into Bing Ads.
If you're interested in trying Bing Ads for your dropshipping store, I suggest reading this article to see some results after using Bing Ads. You will also learn what you need to avoid when using Bing Ads.
3. Pinterest
Pinterest works great for getting traffic and buyers to your dropshipping store.
Just remember to do your target audience research and see if they are active on Pinterest.
For example, Pinterest works best in these categories:
- Fashion/beauty
- Food
- Auto
- Home decor
- Travel
- Antiques & collectibles, which is a major industry dominated by Pinterest (see picture below)
Although, you can get success with anything you want to sell. Just do your research to find the right angle for your advertising work.
And yes, you can do product research on Pinterest as well!
Do keep in mind that most of Pinterest users are females (these statistics say 71% of the users are females).
If after reading this you're interested in giving Pinterest a try, I suggest reading the articles I've linked to below:
- How to Get Free Traffic From Pinterest for Ecommerce
- How Do I Advertise My Dropshipping Store With Pinterest?
Free traffic from Pinterest
If you don't have that much money yet to test if Pinterest will work for you, another option is the do it for free first.
This way you can see if your target audience is active on Pinterest without spending money on advertising, but you might need to spend some money on a pin scheduling tool if that's something you're interested in.
You can read more here about how to use Pinterest for free traffic.
4. YouTube advertising
YouTube is another great option to advertise your dropshipping store.
There are a few options that you can try if you want to use YouTube as your advertising platform.
YouTube influencers
The same goes for Instagram influencers. People trust what influencers say and listen to what products and brands they recommend in their YouTube videos.
Instagram influencers might be better for dropshipping, but if you're in a specific niche, you can always look around and see if there are any YouTube influencers available inside your niche!
If you've found a YouTube influencer inside your niche, you could ask them to do something like a product review. Don't forget to let them link to the product in your store!
Alright, if that sparked some interest in you and you're now interested in learning more about how to use YouTube influencers for your ecommerce store, I suggest reading this.
YouTube Ads
Another option is to advertise directly on YouTube. Not through YouTube influencers, but directly on the platform.
You have probably seen a YouTube ad before. You know, those video ads that pop up before you can finally watch the video you want to watch?
These ads are called pre-roll ads.
For example, this way you can put your video ad about your dog toy in front of a dog video or a review video of the product you're selling.
I suggest watching the video below to learn more about how powerful these pre-roll ads are.
I've got some more great resources for you in case you want to learn more about how to advertise with YouTube.
- How to Successfully Advertise on YouTube by Oberlo
- The Complete YouTube Ad Guide for eCommerce by StoreYa Blog
Creating your own YouTube channel
If you want to try out what YouTube can do for your dropshipping store but you don't want to spend any money on it yet, then a great way to start is by creating your own YouTube channel for your dropshipping store!
You can find out more information here about how to get free traffic from YouTube.
5. Reddit Ads
Another option that could work for your dropshipping store is using Reddit Ads.
You have probably heard of Reddit before, but in case you haven't, it's called the "front page of the internet." Reddit says it gives you the best of the internet in one place.
A constantly updating feed of breaking news, fun stories, pics, memes, and videos.
One thing to keep in mind is that Reddit users like to spam Reddit ad posts with comments enabled.
This might not be the case for you, but you should still keep it in your mind!
In case you want to, you can always disable comments on your Reddit Ad post.
I suggest watching the video below if you want to learn more about how to use Reddit Ads for your dropshipping store.
6. Twitter Ads
Another option to advertise your dropshipping store by is by using Twitter Ads.
Twitter is another big social media platform that you probably have heard of before. It had an average of 321 million monthly users in the fourth quarter of 2018!
Also, 53% of people on Twitter are more likely to be the first to buy new products.
If you're interested in learning Twitter Ads to advertise your dropshipping store, I suggest reading this article from Oberlo.
Of course, like many options on this list, there is a free way to get traffic from Twitter. You can find out more about it here.
7. Snapchat Ads
You probably know Snapchat already, but in case you don't know anything about Snapchat, then this is for you.
Snapchat is one of the most popular social media platforms on mobile. You can send pictures, videos, and messages that are only available for a short period of time. After that time has passed, they disappear and are no longer available to view.
Now that you know what Snapchat is (in case you didn't), you're probably wondering how to use it to advertise your dropshipping store.
Well, it's called Snap Ads!
Snap Ads are vertical, full-screen, mobile video ads that are 3-10 seconds long. While the Snap Ad is playing, the users can swipe up to watch a long video, read an article, install an app and so on.
Snap Ads pop up between Snap Stories.
If you want to learn how to create a Snapchat Ad for your dropshipping store, I suggest watching the video below.
Another great resource to learn about how to do your marketing with Snapchat is this guide from Oberlo.
8. LinkedIn Ads
LinkedIn Ads are best used for B2B companies. It allows you to target professionals in any industry.
So, this might not be a great advertising platform for every dropshipper out there, but it might work for you if you're in a really specific niche!
If you think your niche and dropshipping store could work with LinkedIn Ads, I suggest reading this article for more information about how to advertise on LinkedIn.
9. Display advertising
Display Ads are some of the most common forms of online advertising. You have probably seen one before, like when you're reading an article on a website.
They are commonly found on blogs, digital newspapers, forums and online communities.
Most Display Ads have different shapes and sizes, but the banner ads are the most common.
I've got some great examples of different Display Ad platforms for you:
If you're interested in giving Display Ads a try for your dropshipping store, I suggest reading these articles below.
- Keys to launching a Display Campaign for your Dropshipping store by BigBuy
- How to Advertise Online by Sales & Orders (You need to scroll down a bit until you find Display Advertising)
- The Google Ads course from Shopify Learn also goes over the Display Ads if you're interested in that.
10. Free advertising
You have probably seen me linking to this article a few times already.
So, the last and best way to advertise your dropshipping store is to use free advertising options as well!
Getting free traffic to your dropshipping store is not only great for people who are just beginning and don't have the biggest budgets yet, but also for people who want to save on advertisements costs.
Learn how to get free traffic to your dropshipping store here.
Conclusion
So, there you have it! 10 amazing ways to advertise your dropshipping store online without using Facebook Ads!
I hope that opened your eyes to so many more possibilities to advertise with than just Facebook.
If after reading this article you still want to do Facebook Ads (which is awesome, don't worry), then I suggest reading this article here. It includes the pros & cons of advertising your store with Facebook Ads and why people advertise with Facebook.
If you've got any suggestions for this list or if you have any questions, then let me know by commenting below or contacting me directly by pressing the "Contact Us" button at the top!
Good luck with advertising your dropshipping store!
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, I suggest reading my 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 for free!
Reading this article will help you to get started and 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
Here are some of our best articles:
- Dropshipping Startup Checklist: 10 Things to Do Before Starting
- The Complete Guide: Can You Start Dropshipping Without Money in 2024?
- 12 Reasons Why Most People Fail With Dropshipping in 2024 | Beat Them!
- 23 Awesome Shopify Dropshipping Store Examples
Also, if you don't have a Shopify store yet, then you can click here to get a free 3-day trial + pay $1/month for the first 3 months!
4 Comments
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