Can paid social media advertising boost profits for dessert brands?

[scrasey]

Hi Everyone, 

Hoping for some help please if I may.  We have a dessert brand and have been looking at selling online.  Our competitor seems quite successful at this, sadly I have not. The big question is will paid for social media advertising ever be profitable for us. We sell a product which generally is in a bundle of say £20-25 per order.  Therefore cost of acquisition has to be somewhere around £4-5 or it isn't worth doing.  I understand about the lifetime value of a customer etc.  But put simply, selling for less than the cost of goods in the hope of making additional sales later on doesn't sound like a particularly sound strategy to me for this type of product. 

I've just hired a guy to put an ad together which has also had mixed results, but am I simply barking up the wrong tree with this marketing avenue?

had a real purple patch at the end of april/beginning of may.  No idea why.  it finished as quick as it started.  Snapchat yesterday, 89 checkouts, only 12 sales.  Tearing my hair out.

Any help gratefully received. Thanks

[Maz]

Thanks for reaching out in the Shopify Community @scrasey!

I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling with selling your dessert brand online. It can sometimes be challenging to compete with established competitors, but there are definitely ways to make your brand stand out and attract customers in your own right!

Regarding your question about whether paid social media advertising will be profitable for your brand, the answer is that it depends on a number of things, this includes; your target market, the effectiveness of your ads, and the cost of advertising on social media. It's crucial to monitor your ad expenditure and conversion rates to get the results you want. Some things to consider:

• It's worth exploring other marketing channels beyond paid social media advertising, as there are numerous options available to reach your target audience. Have you considered content marketing? While ads are focused on transactions, content marketing takes a long-term approach to building relationships with leads and buyers at every stage of their journey. Read more about how it works here.
  
  
• Since your brand is about dessert, have you thought about food blogging? By creating blog content that is engaging and shareable, you can encourage your audience to share your content on social media, which can help increase your brand's visibility and attract new customers. This Shopify blog here shows you how to write a blog that actually gets read - once completed, you can learn how to add it to your store by having a look at our adding a blog help doc at this page.
  
  
• To effectively market your products, it's important to understand your customer base and tailor your marketing efforts to their specific needs and interests. Consider factors such as whether they are first-time buyers, parents, gift shoppers, etc. For more information on this topic, I recommend checking out our blog post here, which delves into this topic in greater detail.

You mentioned that from Snapchat that 89 reached checkout, but you only came out with 12 sales, I'd love to delve into this deeper with you. Would you like to share the URL of your store so that I can check it out for you and have a look at your checkout?

[scrasey]

That's so kind of you, much appreciated.  the website is https://cheekydough.co/

I've managed to increase the mobile speed slightly but still today we have 10 sales out of 43 checkouts.

Kind Regards,

Tony

[Maz]

Thanks for sharing you stores URL @scrasey!

I really enjoyed browsing your site and I really love the name and concept of your store. Well done! I had a run through if your checkout and I cannot find any issues there either!

1. One thing I noticed is that your lovely products do not have any reviews yet. I'd recommend adding some reviews. Reviews from other customers can be a powerful tool for building trust with potential buyers who may be unsure about trying a new product. By showcasing the positive experiences of other customers, you can help reassure them that your products are of high quality and worth trying. This can help increase their confidence in your brand and encourage them to make a purchase. Consider reaching out to past customers and asking them to leave a review on your website or social media channels.

2. Consider making the Shop menu a drop-down menu, with categories, for example I can see you have regular flavors, vegan flavors and bestsellers. This will make it easier for customers to find the exact product they are looking for! Check out our help center doc here on this topic.

What are you using for Ads? Is it Google Ads or Facebook or something else? You could also try using a third party app like ReactFlow Recordings & Heatmap here  which helps with analyzing your visitor behaviors and highlighting their pain points when making purchases. They have a free plan option too!

Let me know if you have any other questions or comments!

[flareAI]

Hello @scrasey,

This is Gina from flareAI app helping Shopify merchants get $6Million+ in sales from Google Search, on autopilot.

I understand your concerns regarding the profitability of paid social media advertising for your dessert brand. It can be challenging to achieve a positive return on investment (ROI) when the cost of acquisition needs to be low compared to the order value.

However, there are a few considerations and strategies you can explore.

* Targeted Advertising
Ensure that your ads are targeted to the right audience who are more likely to be interested in your dessert products. Narrow down your targeting options based on demographics, interests, and behavior to reach potential customers who are more likely to convert.

* Ad Creative and Messaging
Work closely with your hired professional to create compelling and visually appealing ads that highlight the unique aspects of your dessert brand. Consider emphasizing the quality, taste, and experience of your products to entice potential customers.

* Conversion Optimization
Focus on optimizing your website's conversion rate to increase the likelihood of turning visitors into customers. Ensure that your website has a user-friendly design, clear product descriptions, and a streamlined checkout process. A smooth and seamless user experience can help improve your conversion rate.

* Remarketing
Implement remarketing campaigns to target users who have previously shown interest in your products. By staying top of mind through remarketing ads, you can increase the chances of them returning to make a purchase.

* Influencer Partnerships
Consider collaborating with influencers in your niche who can promote your dessert products to their followers. This can help increase brand visibility and reach a wider audience that may be more inclined to make a purchase.

* Promotions and Offers
Experiment with limited-time promotions, discounts, or special offers to encourage conversions. This can create a sense of urgency and incentivize potential customers to take action.

* Analyze and Optimize
Continuously monitor the performance of your advertising campaigns, including key metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, and cost per acquisition. Identify what works and what doesn't, and make data-driven optimizations to improve your results over time.

It's worth noting that success in paid social media advertising can vary depending on various factors such as industry, target audience, competition, and overall market conditions. It may require some trial and error to find the right combination of strategies that work best for your dessert brand.

Hope this helps

Gina

[scrasey]

Thanks as well Gina for the advice, it's much appreciated.  I'll explore all of this and I'll update on here how I get on.  Thanks again.

[scrasey]

Thanks for all the help.  It looks like there's an issue with our bundle app.  Not for the first time unfortunately.   Can anyone suggest a good bundle app for our product?  It needs to be something that can be used with shipping discounts too.  Many thanks again for all the help. 

[Maz]

Hey, @scrasey!

Thanks for your response, and it is my pleasure to help! Here are some apps below that were recommended. If you need more information on these apps then it is best to get in touch with the app developers directly for some more guidance:

• Bundles Upsell | PickyStory
  
  

• Advanced Bundle Products
  
  

• Rebolt Bundles Quantity Breaks

If you have any other questions don't hesitate to ask here. Take care!