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Chapter
SMM for Dropshipping
Social media is your best friend when it comes to promoting your brand and online store. Power up your SMM knowledge with these tips and tricks.
Since we live in the digital age, it’s no secret that most marketing activities are performed through social media.
Platforms that were once used purely for entertainment and socializing are now booming websites and apps often used to reach new audiences and sell products. As we previously mentioned, marketing is vital for a dropshipping business since - to some extent - you need to go out of your way to make your brand stand out.
What follows will teach you some of the basics to be mastered after setting up your dropshipping business. For a start, you should focus on the two most influential platforms at the moment - Facebook and Instagram. Let’s dive into the wondrous world of SMM!
Getting Started With SMM
First and foremost, it’s essential to understand that running a basic social media marketing campaign for your dropshipping business doesn’t require you to be an SMM guru. The basics are pretty simple to understand and implement.
For starters, you can focus on marketing your store on the two most prominent social media platforms - Facebook and Instagram - and move on to other platforms (such as Pinterest) later on. For now, the most important thing is to get your products up on the social media platforms and redirect potential customers to your website, where they can make a purchase. Most website builders will allow you to sync your products with social media accounts, as long as you have a business account set up on your desired social media platform (in this case, Facebook or Instagram).
Advertising on Facebook
As of 2020, there are over 2.7 billion monthly active users on Facebook and approximately 1.82 billion daily active users (AdEspresso). The numbers that really concern you are the 2.14 billion users that you could potentially reach through Facebook's Ads system, and the 78% of consumers that say they have discovered products via Facebook. In short, online businesses - especially small to medium-sized ones - should make the most of this giant social media platform to drive traffic, generate sales, increase brand awareness and encourage user engagement.
Creating a Facebook Business Page
As of 2020, there are over 2.7 billion monthly active users on Facebook and approximately 1.82 billion daily active users (AdEspresso). The numbers that really concern you are the 2.14 billion users that you could potentially reach through Facebook's Ads system, and the 78% of consumers that say they have discovered products via Facebook. In short, online businesses - especially small to medium-sized ones - should make the most of this giant social media platform to drive traffic, generate sales, increase brand awareness and encourage user engagement.
Adding Facebook Pixel to Your Site
If you are planning on running Facebook or Instagram ads for your dropshipping business in the close future, you need to start by creating a Facebook Business Page. Start by logging in to your personal Facebook account and going to facebook.com/pages/creation. Fill in your business information and choose a category from the drop-down menu - we recommend using an eCommerce Website, but you can choose another category if you wish. Facebook allows you to choose up to three categories. Once you’ve created your page, you’ll need to upload a profile picture (you can choose the logo designed earlier) and a cover photo. After that, go to the “About” section and make sure you have filled in all your dropshipping business information, including your company description, contact information, and website URL.
When your page is ready, you need to create a Facebook Business Manager account to be able to monitor and improve your business page and ads. Go to business.facebook.com and create a business manager account; enter your business details, and paste the link for the business page you have just created where the URL is required.
You will then be directed to the Facebook Business Suite, which will give you an overview of all the data generated by your business page - this is extremely useful information, all gathered in one place. But first, you will need to finish setting up your business manager. Go to More Tools and click on Business Settings; scroll through the categories one by one and add any necessary information regarding your business/business page, add a payment method, and so on. The final step is to navigate to the Ads Manager and create an ad account for your dropshipping store, which you will also need to connect to your page.
All of this information may sound overwhelming, which is why Facebook offers resources and guides to help you through this process. Make sure to check out the Facebook Business Help Center for further information and assistance.
Getting Started With Facebook Ads
Before learning how to create Facebook ads, it’s essential to understand how the platform works and what it has to offer. When you start creating ads with Facebook, you will notice this specific hierarchy:
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Campaigns - focused on a specific advertising objective
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Ad sets - ads classified by audience
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Ads - individual ads displayed to users
When it comes to targeting, there are many options to experiment with, so consider setting up different audience groups and various campaigns. If you haven’t dealt with many customers yet, you can obtain valuable information on your future customer demographics while setting up Facebook ads. To determine your audience, we recommend creating a series of ads using different sets of interests, after which you can narrow down the interests and pay attention to other key traits of your target audience (e.g., age, gender, location, and so on).
For a start, everybody should experiment with Facebook ads and treat them as a bit of a playground; even the most successful online businesses have ad fails when they first launch them, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t generate much traffic or sales from the very beginning. Experimentation is key!
Another thing to note is that since Facebook acquired Instagram in 2012, you have the option to control ads for both Facebook and Instagram from your Facebook Ads Manager.
Let’s explore the most common types of Facebook ads:
Image and Video Ads
Considering that these are the most popular types of ads, you have probably already encountered them whilst scrolling through your Facebook news feed. The reason lies in the name; these ads resemble organic posts from other users and feature an image or video accompanied with a call-to-action (CTA) button. Common CTAs include: shop now, learn more, watch more, book directly, send messages, contact us, and so on - all encouraging users to take a specific action.
Carousel Ads
Similar to image and video ads, carousel ads pop up as organic posts on the Facebook news feed. The only difference is that they allow users to slide through the advertisement to view one or more images or videos - Facebook allows you to showcase up to ten images/videos per post. You can also include individual links under each image/video in the post and direct users to different pages. For example, you can upload a carousel ad displaying 10 new bags featured in your online store and include a link for each product.
Story Ads
These ads pop up in full-screen view in between Facebook stories from your friends and followed accounts. They are harder to instantly skip or ignore and offer users a more personalized experience. Story ads also tend to feature a CTA button at the bottom of the screen.
Using Facebook Ads Manager
When you click on Facebook Ads Manager, you will see that it is separated into different sections. To set a target audience, go to Plan and click on Audience Insights - it will help you understand the traits of each audience segment. For example, let’s say you want to sell swimwear. Go to the Interests section and select “Swimwear” - you will be able to identify where your biggest market is.
When you have gathered a list of potential interests, hit Save, name your audience, and click the Save button at the bottom of the page. Your audience will be saved in the Audience Insights tool and will be accessible in the Audiences section.
To create an ad campaign, open the Campaigns tab in the Facebook Ads Manager and click Create. Next, choose from the list of campaign objectives; if you have just opened your dropshipping store, consider setting “conversions'' or “store traffic” as your objective. Also, consider using the Campaign Budget Optimization feature since it will help allocate your budget on a campaign level instead of an individual ad level, sending your budget to the ad sets that perform better.
After that, you need to choose a Conversion Event. We recommend selecting “View Content” since it will instruct Facebook to show your ads to users who are most likely to click on them. Continue the set-up process by choosing an audience; you can either use the saved audience you have from earlier on or create one from scratch.
Finalize setting up your campaign by selecting a budget and choosing a schedule. While you do that, keep the following suggestions in mind:
Set your bid strategy to “lowest cost”; this will help you get the most clicks at the lowest price and will tell Facebook to spend your entire budget.
Click “Show more options” and select “Link Click (CPC) '' under “When you are charged”; this will tell Facebook only to charge you for a link click and not an impression.
Select a comfortable budget for you, but avoid going for the “$5 ad trend” - you will be lucky to get a sale or two for that low of a budget.
Remember that you can always go back and change the end date or the schedule for your campaign.
When designing your ad, you can either choose to use an existing post on your page or schedule an ad from scratch. Let’s say you want to create a basic image or video ad from scratch. Choose “Single Image or Video” and upload your files. After that, fill in the following:
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The main text of your post
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Your website URL (or specific web page URL)
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The headline text
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The CTA (call to action) button text
Consider experimenting with offers such as “50% off” or “free shipping” - these usually perform well on Facebook. Likewise, when it comes to selling products and directing traffic to your site, make sure that you are directing the traffic to a product page instead of your homepage. For further information on running ads, check out the Facebook Ads Guide.
Tracking success
So, you have just created your first ad (or ads) - what next? For starters, let the ads run for a few days and then check the results. Your Facebook Ad data will help you create better ads in the future and run successful campaigns.
Facebook provides a considerable number of metrics to follow during your analytical process, but let's start by looking at some of the most commonly used:
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Reach - how many people saw your ad in their newsfeed;
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Impressions - how many times your ad showed up in users’ feeds in total;
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Frequency - the average number of times each user has come across your ad;
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Link clicks - number of times someone has clicked on a link included in your ad;
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CTR (click-through rate) - % of times a user saw your ad and clicked a link;
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CPC (cost per click) - what you pay for each link click, on average.
You can check how your ad is performing by going to the Campaigns tab. Facebook will show you results by different breakdowns, such as age, gender, and location. Note what went well and what didn’t, and use this data for your future ad campaigns. Good luck!
Sell on Facebook: Shop Feature
Wondering how to actually sell products on Facebook? We’re finally here!
Aside from promotional opportunities, Facebook allows you to display your storefront straight on the platform. Most eCommerce builders will allow you to sync your product catalog with Facebook so that you can start setting up your Facebook Shop directly from your chosen builder. Customers will be able to view your products on your Facebook shop page, which will be connected to your business page. Then, users will be directed to your website (or they can make purchases straight on the app if the Checkout feature is enabled). Considering how many people are active on Facebook, this is an excellent opportunity to grow your dropshipping business.
Before setting up your Facebook shop, you will need to have the following things in place:
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A page for your business,
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A Business Manager account
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An Ad Account
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A Pixel connected to your store.
After that, go to your builder and add Facebook as a sales channel. You will then be directed to an internal Facebook page to set up your shop. Simply follow the steps shown on the screen: connect your Facebook account, Business manager account for your business page, your Facebook pixel, and create a Commerce account. Then, review the terms and conditions and finish your setup. Check that your products are correctly synced and start selling! You can play around with the design, group your products, and more. With a good ad campaign, you can expect to see some sales on Facebook very soon.
For more information on setting up the Shop feature, check out our support article on all sales channels - it will later help you connect your Instagram account to your dropshipping store.
Sell on Instagram
When it comes to SMM, Instagram is a strong competitor in closing sales and driving traffic to your online store. As time passes, more and more consumers turn to Instagram to search for brands, products, and purchase inspiration. This is why we highly recommend that you set up an Instagram account for your dropshipping store and make the most of what Instagram has to offer. Follow the steps outlined below and learn how to sell on Instagram.
Creating an Instagram Business Profile
To set up an Instagram Business Profile, it would be best to create a new page with a new business email address rather than your private one. All you need to do is download the Instagram application and sign up with your email - make sure to set it up as a business profile (if you forget, you can always go to settings and click on “Switch to Business Profile.” Instagram will ask you to connect to your Facebook Business Page before finalizing your profile.
Next, it’s time to customize your page.
Your profile should include the following elements:
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A profile picture (you can use the previously created logo)
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A good bio that describes what you offer in a few words
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A link to your dropshipping store
Consider that your profile will most likely be the first point of contact a customer has with your brand, so it’s necessary to make a good first impression. Ensure that all aspects - from your bio to your visual identity - consistently convey your brand and offer.
Tracking Performance With Instagram Insights
Like Facebook, Instagram also provides free analytics and metrics to track your ad campaigns’ performance. Inside the app, you will find three types of metrics:
Activity - actions taken by users on your profile.
Content - how well your content is performing (posts, promotions, stories…).
Audience - what type of audience your profile is attracting.
You can view these metrics by going to your profile, tapping on the top right corner of your screen, and selecting “Insights.” Similar to Facebook ads, you will need to experiment with your campaigns and promotions for a while, in order to decide what parameters work best.
Using Instagram Ads to Promote Your Products
The most basic way to advertise on Instagram is through post promotion. You can promote existing posts or upload new ones to promote. Simply select an uploaded post and click “Promote” on the bottom right-hand corner. Instagram will ask you to set a goal:
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More profile visits
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More website visits
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More messages
Let’s say you have selected “more profile visits.” Instagram will then ask you to choose an audience, which can be automatic or custom, and ask you to choose a budget and duration. A final screen will then show up with the headline “You’re all set,” which will let you double-check the details of your promotion, attach a payment method if you haven’t done so already, and create your promotion. Keep in mind that you can change the budget and duration whenever you please, but this can negatively affect the ad performance. To track performance, simply click on “View Results” on the bottom left-hand corner of your ad.
Another way to advertise your brand on Instagram is through story ads. Similar to Facebook, Instagram story ads will appear between the stories of people you follow and are suitable for capturing the user’s attention while switching between stories. Likewise, story ads will also have a call to action at the bottom, usually saying “Learn More.” Story ads can be in image or video format, but videos are often more effective at capturing the user’s attention.
Selling on Instagram: Shopping Feature
Instagram Shopping is a valuable feature that can help you to sell products on Instagram. Say you are selling women’s clothes and post a picture of a new hoodie in your collection to advertise on Instagram. You can tag the product via the Instagram shopping feature and direct users straight to your dropshipping store. You need a Facebook business account for this, which you already have if you’ve followed the steps above.
To activate this feature, you need to confirm your legibility; the location of your business should be in a supported market, you must be selling eligible products, you own a website/domain from which you sell, and your business should comply with Instagram’s merchant agreement and commerce policies. After that, you will need to upload your product catalog either manually or through your eCommerce platform (website builders like Shopify and Ucraft allow you to connect to Instagram through the interface).
Once you are set and ready with everything mentioned above, you need to submit your account for approval, which usually takes several days. On your Instagram business profile, go to Settings, sign up for Shopping and submit your account for the review process. Once your account has been approved, turn on Shopping by going to Settings > Business > Shopping, and connect your catalog. You will now be able to tag your products in posts and stories! When it comes to selling items on Instagram, check out Instagram’s official guide to setting up the Shopping feature.
Influencer Marketing
It’s likely that you’ve already come across this buzzword while scouring the internet. However, influencer marketing is more than just a popular term in this day and age - it’s a legitimate way to gain exposure for your business and bring traffic to your page (and subsequently, your store). On Instagram, influencer marketing is everything; people with a large following and loyal audience are perfect for collaborations and sponsorships. It provides the unique opportunity to connect with a highly engaged audience and build mutual trust. Influencers working in a particular niche tend to have extremely loyal followers, responsive to anything they promote, and willing to try products.
When it comes to budgeting, you don’t have to shoot for the moon straight away. If macro-influencers are too much for your budget right now, consider working with micro-influencers (someone who has 1,000 - 100,000 followers). Not only will it be cheaper, but this category of influencer tends to have a closer relationship with their audience than those with over 100k followers.
For more information, our Influencer Marketing Guide should do the trick!
Captions
When it comes to Instagram and SMM in general, well-written captions and relevant hashtags can make or break a campaign. You can have the best visuals or the most high-quality product photographs and best deals, but if your caption is sub-par and your captions are irrelevant, it can have a significant negative impact on the effectiveness of your promotion.
When writing an Instagram caption, treat it as a call-to-action that encourages users to interact with your brand. For example, consider you have uploaded a product photo of a new hoodie you are selling on your dropshipping store and tagged the product.
Example of a good caption:
Sweater weather has arrived! Pick up these cozy hoodies from our store and stay nice and warm during the cold months. 20% discount + free shipping until January 30th.
Example of a neutral caption:
Just arrived! Order these cool hoodies from our store. 20% discount + free shipping until January 30th.
Example of a lousy caption:
New hoodies. Buy now!
See the difference between the three? The first caption sounds casual and light-hearted while also appealing to customers’ need to stay warm during the winter. It also introduces the product and provides an incentive (e.g., discount). The second caption is similar but lacks the personal touch customers tend to favor. The last caption speaks for itself - no description, no incentive, and no attempt to connect with the audience.
Hashtags
When it comes to Instagram and SMM in general, well-written captions and relevant hashtags can make or break a campaign. You can have the best visuals or the most high-quality product photographs and best deals, but if your caption is sub-par and your captions are irrelevant, it can have a significant negative impact on the effectiveness of your promotion.
When writing an Instagram caption, treat it as a call-to-action that encourages users to interact with your brand. For example, consider you have uploaded a product photo of a new hoodie you are selling on your dropshipping store and tagged the product.
Example of a good caption:
Sweater weather has arrived! Pick up these cozy hoodies from our store and stay nice and warm during the cold months. 20% discount + free shipping until January 30th.
Example of a neutral caption:
Just arrived! Order these cool hoodies from our store. 20% discount + free shipping until January 30th.
Example of a lousy caption:
New hoodies. Buy now!
See the difference between the three? The first caption sounds casual and light-hearted while also appealing to customers’ need to stay warm during the winter. It also introduces the product and provides an incentive (e.g., discount). The second caption is similar but lacks the personal touch customers tend to favor. The last caption speaks for itself - no description, no incentive, and no attempt to connect with the audience.
Other Social Media Platforms to Consider
Once you have mastered Facebook and Instagram, you can consider many other platforms to progress your SMM campaign further. We’ve decided to include a short list below of some alternative social media platforms you can use to promote your dropshipping store:
Pinterest:
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Used to save images and other visuals for inspirational purposes such as style, home decor, travel, etc.
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Allows you to create “pinboards,” which help organize ideas.
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Over 450 million monthly active users (Sproutsocial).
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Great for driving traffic to your store and securing a brand aesthetic.
Twitter:
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Used for the spread of information and interaction with an audience; a microblogging platform.
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Allows you to create short posts (tweets) under 280 characters.
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Over 353 million monthly active users (Backlinko).
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Great for posting announcements, customer service interactions, and general audience interactions.
TikTok:
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Used to share short, 15-second videos - usually to go viral.
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The primary focus is comedy, but can also be used for marketing purposes, specifically if your main audience is Gen Z (13-25-year-olds).
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Over 1 billion monthly active users (Wallaroo).
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Can be used for marketing purposes, but content needs to be entertaining and not boring. Check out this article for more information on how to create successful TikTok marketing campaigns.
LinkedIn:
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A business social networking platform focusing on career development, mainly used for professional networking purposes; profiles look like online resumes.
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Is also a powerful B2B platform and can be used for business marketing.
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Over 260 million monthly active users (Kinsta).
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Great for more serious promotional posts, as well as sharing company milestones.
Tips for Creating Effective SMM Content
As our Dropshipping SMM chapter comes to a close, we would like to share some further tips for creating SMM content that is engaging and effective at promoting your brand:
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Maintain consistency across your posts. This can mean tone of voice, color schemes, design style, and any other aspects. You can choose to change your SMM tactic at some point, but make sure
the transition is smooth, and you don’t jump from one style to another every week.
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Pay attention to spelling and grammar when writing captions. Well-written captions indicate professionalism, while typos and bad grammar can take away the legitimacy of your brand.
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Develop a schedule for your posts. You do not have to post every single day, but every other day is a good start for your SMM campaign. When it comes to posting, stay consistent - you do not want to post every day, and then ignore your platforms for a week or two.
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Maintain a balance between organic and paid content. You do not want to bombard your audience with too many sales-y posts since this tactic can get annoying quickly. Consider posting other content such as tips, company news, questions for your audience, light-hearted humor, memes, polls, and so on.
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Do not buy fake followers. It will put your credibility at risk and give you very low engagement rates.
SMM is not something you learn overnight, but the steps mentioned in this article are enough to get you started in the world of social media marketing. Don’t be disheartened if your first SMM campaigns aren’t as successful as you would like them to be. Make sure to play around with different promotions, audiences, and posts, and treat SMM as an interesting experiment rather than an obligation.
Although social media has been on the rise for quite some time now, this does not mean that more traditional methods have gone out the window. Continue to the next chapter and learn all about e-mail marketing and what a good email marketing strategy can do for your business.