Launching a Shopify Facebook ad is the most exciting step in any dropshipping campaign. It is where you put all your hard work to the test and see whether the product you’re promoting is interesting.
Assuming you’ve studied your audience well and configured your campaign and ad set settings correctly, the ad itself should be a rousing success.
Let’s take a look at how to launch a Facebook ad with the best possible results.
When launching an Ad Campaign, there are three sections you need to configure: the Campaign, Ad Set, and Ad.
If you’re holding at the ad settings stage, it means that you’ve already configured your campaign and ad set settings. Those who haven’t completed these steps should get them out of the way before proceeding.
Remember, though, that we’re configuring settings for the particular campaign goal of Post Engagement. We’re spending $5-$10 a day, a relatively low budget, and targeting a worldwide audience to gauge interest in our product.
On the other hand, to start a conversion campaign, we’ll need to go back and edit some of the campaign and ad sets.
In our case, all that’s left is to choose a final ad copy, configure the launch settings, and launch the ad.
So without further ado, let’s start. Go to the Facebook Business Manager, and log in. Then, click on ‘More Tools’ on the left side, followed by ‘Ads Manager.’
On the Ads Manager, we’ll be able to see the existing campaigns and ad sets. So under the campaign you’ve already worked on, click ‘Edit.’
You’ll see the two prepared sections: Campaign and Ad Sets, and the third tab will say ‘Ad.’ Click on the Ad Tab, and you’re all set to begin the configuration process.
The first section asks us to name our Shopify dropshipping Ad. Consistent with the name we chose for our campaign and ad sets, let’s use “Doggy Dog Club Ad.”
Following the ad name, there is an ‘Identity’ section where you choose which Facebook Page to use for the ad. Every Facebook ad is essentially a post that we instruct Facebook to promote. Therefore, the ad must have a specific location; otherwise, the ad cannot launch.
Continuing with the example of our pet store, we’ll use our Facebook business page,
‘Doggy Dog Club.’
Some of us already have a post where we want to place the ad. Such is the case if you’ve already launched an ad and want to change the goal. However, since we’re demonstrating how to create a first Engagement ad, we’ll create a new post.
On the same page, scroll down until you get to ‘Ad Setup,’ and select ‘Create Ad.’
If you already have a post you want to use, click ‘Use Existing Post.’
Here comes the most significant part of the ad settings, where we decide how the ad looks and what goes in it.
Keep scrolling down to the ‘Ad Creative’ section and start with ‘Media.’
Click on ‘Add Media,’ then ‘Add Video,’ which opens a new window where you choose and upload a product video.
In general, your video should be anywhere between 15 to 30 seconds, enough time to get the audience’s attention and showcase the product. However, don’t go with a long video.
For example, we’re advertising a double dog leash product called Duoleash and going with a video that is only 14 seconds long.
On the popup, click ‘Upload,’ select a video and click ‘Open.’
The video you selected should upload in short order. Once it finishes uploading, you’ll see it in the Ad Creative section.
Generally, going with three video ad copies is a super effective way to test your product. Advertisers often launch variations of an ad and find that one of them takes off while the others lose interest. So three ad copies is not a bad idea at all.
However, testing variations of a video ad requires creating a separate campaign for each. If you have three video copies, simply duplicate the campaign and change the video.
For now, we’ll stick with uploading a single video so we can familiarize ourselves with the process.
Some of us don’t have a product video available. If this is the case, we recommend using Waving Pandas to create engaging eCommerce video ads for your product.
You can also let Facebook create a slideshow from product images. Click on ‘Create Video’ and follow the steps on the popup screen.
Assuming you have a good product and write a solid post, a slide show can yield pretty good results.
However, nothing beats an engaging video ad that showcases the product in live-action. So try your best to go with a video ad.
As you’re working on the ad, you’ll be able to see a preview of how the video looks on Facebook. It’s not a bad idea to click play and double-check that everything is in order.
Make sure the video shows the product, the problem it solves, and how it works. Additionally, there should be a soundtrack in the background to capture the audience’s attention.
Once we’ve uploaded a video, we want to write a short and engaging Ad Copy. This text appears on top of the ad and tells your audience why they should get the product.
Scroll down to ‘Primary Text’ and type in something short, to the point and add emojis for emphasis.
For example, since we are selling a Duoleash, here is what we wrote:
You can always add more text by clicking ‘Add Options,’ but keeping the text short and to the point is recommended, so try not to add too much.
The final part of the Ad Creative Section allows you to add a call to action button. Since we’re trying to get the viewer to take action, adding this button is indispensable.
Plenty of advertisers add these buttons on the bottom of their Facebook ads. It could be a link to sign up for an event or purchase an item in a store.
Even though our campaign is more engagement-based, there is no reason to miss out on potential sales. Therefore, we will add the call to action that directs customers to the product page on our store.
Click on ‘Call to Action’ and select ‘shop now.’ Next, provide Facebook with the product page URL, which is where the call to action takes customers when they click it.
Remember to link to the product page and not the homepage because you are promoting a specific product.
Before proceeding, double-check that the link sends customers to the right place by clicking on ‘Preview URL.’
Since we’re reaching out to a worldwide audience, some interested buyers may find that they cannot complete the purchase.
In such circumstances, contact your supplier and inquire about shipping to the requested location. If shipping is possible, simply add that shipping zone on Shopify.
After completing the Ad Creative section, it’s a perfect time to preview the ad to the right. Good job for creating an ad from scratch!
One of the benefits of launching a post-engagement ad is all the information our Facebook Pixel collects. It tracks which audiences interacted with the ad or visited our websites. Later, we can use that information to target them with conversion campaigns effectively.
That’s why it is super important to confirm that the correct Facebook Pixel is selected before you publish the ad.
Scroll down, and under ‘Tracking’ you’ll see a heading for ‘Conversion Tracking.’ If you only have one pixel, it’s going to show you the right one.
Facebook pre-selects the rest of the tracking settings by default, so leave them as is.
Congrats! You’ve finished with the ad settings, and it is time to launch the ad.
Take a deep breath, and do not be afraid. At five to ten dollars a day, this is a low investment for the high return of audience knowledge that you are acquiring.
Before you publish the Ad, review all of your settings one last time. Check your campaign goal, your ad sets configuration, and of course, the ad itself. Go over the earlier sections of this article to be sure you prepared your ad correctly.
Does everything look good? Great! Smile and click ‘Publish’ on the bottom right.
You did it!
At the bottom of your screen, it should say ‘publishing 1 of 3.’ Not to worry, as this does not refer to three ads but rather each section of your ad settings: campaign, ad sets, and ad.
Once the ad is published, it will say ‘three items published’ on the bottom. It does not mean that the Ad is live yet. Facebook first needs to verify that the ad and the general content comply with its policies.
Click on ‘X’ on the top left, which takes you back to the Campaigns page. The ‘Campaign’ and ‘Ad Set’ tabs appear as “In review.” The Ad itself will also show as In Review a couple of hours after publishing.
After Facebook completes the review and approves the ad, it will go live worldwide.
As the days go by, Facebook pixel gathers valuable data about the audience we’re targeting.
Hopefully, if we’ve done your research right, the product will gain many interactions and go viral.
A viral ad means that the product is interesting, and we’ll be able to use the same existing post to place a new ad, except that this time it will have a conversion goal instead of engagement.
Congratulations on making it this far. Launching your Shopify dropshipping ad is an important step and the culmination of your efforts. You’ve picked a product, researched your audience, and now you’re putting out the message to the world.
If, for any reason, you feel like you missed something, feel free to refer back to the sections of this article. All the information about launching your ad is right here.
Don’t forget that Facebook ads are one method in a broader strategy to increase your Shopify dropshipping sales and profits. So try a couple of more at the same time to maximize your outcomes:
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