Hi
We wish to run native ads for BFCM. Though there is some commentary on Reddit and other platforms that they are ineffective does anyone know if Outbrain or Taboola are useful for Shopify stores in home fragrance business?
Also more keen to know an ideal app or way to create an effective landing page for using on these platforms.
Any help would be appreciated!
Hi @CyrusBr
You’re right to be cautious about using native ad platforms like Outbrain and Taboola, as they’re often ineffective for direct sales. The audience on these platforms is typically in a “discovery” mindset, not a “shopping” one, so sending them directly to a product page will likely fail.
The correct strategy is to use these channels for top-of-funnel marketing by promoting an engaging article relevant to your home fragrance business, such as “5 Scents to Make Your Home a Cozy Sanctuary.” This article then serves as your landing page.
The best way to build these custom, article-style pages is with a Shopify page builder app like PageFly or GemPages, though you can also use Shopify’s built-in blog for a free alternative.
A more effective plan for BFCM involves using these native ads in the weeks leading up to the event to drive traffic to your articles. Your goal shouldn’t be immediate sales, but rather to build a warm retargeting audience and an email list.
Then, during the competitive BFCM weekend, you can pause your native ad campaigns and launch high-impact retargeting ads on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, showing your offers to the pre-warmed audience you’ve built. This approach warms up cold traffic first, leading to a much higher return on your ad spend.
Hope this helps!
hey @CyrusBr
I’ve tested Outbrain and Taboola a bit in the past. They can work, but not the same way as Facebook or Google where people are already in shopping mode. The traffic you get there is more “curious reader” than “ready to buy,” so if you send people straight to a product page, conversion rates will usually be bad.
Where they make sense is top-of-funnel. For example, instead of running an ad that says “Buy our home fragrance now,” you’d push an article like “5 Scents That Instantly Make Your Home Feel Cozy”. Inside that article you naturally plug your products, then retarget the readers later with proper sales ads on FB/IG. That’s the funnel most people run with native ads.
For landing pages, a page builder app is nice if you want flexibility, but honestly even a solid blog post built on Shopify can do the job if you format it well (headline, good visuals, CTA buttons, etc.). The important part is making it feel like content, not a hard sell. If you still want to investigate some, tried Figma Make in Figma. I was surprise by the ability of it to create a LDP just by simple prompt.
If your budget is tight for BFCM, I’d put more focus on channels where people already have purchase intent, and maybe test native ads on a small budget just to build a retargeting pool.
I’d like to clarify this! If your goal is top-of-funnel awareness and traffic, native ads can work well, especially if your creatives are strong. But if your main aim is conversions, it’s worth reconsidering.
The challenge is that during BFCM, with higher competition and CPMs, Outbrain or Taboola often underperform compared to Meta, Google, or TikTok ads. Costs can rise fast if the targeting isn’t sharp. These platforms tend to work best when paired with a content-driven landing page (like “Best Holiday Gift Ideas in Home Fragrance”) instead of sending traffic straight to a product page.
Another strong conversion channel during BFCM is email and SMS marketing, since you’re speaking directly to an engaged audience. You can build anticipation with scent-focused content, create desire with strong visuals, and drive urgency through exclusive early-access deals for your most loyal customers.