The recent avalanche of rejected Facebook ads and deactivated ad accounts has seen a lot of frustrated eCommerce business owners and marketers as the holiday season draws closer. Without ads to drive traffic to stores, business owners need to be creative! You have to think of ways to generate traffic and revenue without eCommerce Facebook ads.
For businesses that are dependent on the online community, limitations in digital ads can be crippling. There are no definite updates on when these Facebook ad issues will stabilize.
Until then, eCommerce business owners and marketers must find creative ways to boost revenue and sales.
Why are Facebook ads a big deal anyway?
Let’s talk numbers.
Facebook has over 2 billion active users monthly. This means that billions of people can see ads on their feeds.
Now, Facebook gets a lot of data from its users—age, location, jobs, education, and interests. That’s what they use as a basis for serving targeted ads that show users products they would most likely buy. This is the reason why Facebook advertising is the bomb. It’s easier for eCommerce brands to find their target customers.
In 2018, Facebook earned $55 billion in advertising revenue. This gives you an idea of how much businesses are investing just to get their share of the pie. But what about what businesses get in return? Well, according to 30% of marketers, Facebook ads give them higher ROIs compared to other ad platforms.
Hootsuite also reported that ad prices are dropping, but impressions are rising! This is good news for eCommerce businesses that are focusing on customer acquisition. The same report discusses that Facebook users actually pay attention to ads.
Given these facts, it is easy to see why this Facebook Ad-mageddon is an eCommerce brand’s worst nightmare. It’s like getting lost in a sea of online users without being able to pinpoint who your customers are.
What do rejected Facebook Ads mean for eCommerce brands?
Facebook actually drives the most traffic to eCommerce sites, compared to other social media networks. That’s why it’s a huge thing for businesses. Yes, there are other changes to the platform’s algorithm that affect individuals and groups. But the change in the ad policies hurt the most.
Rejected Facebook Ads mean less reach and fewer impressions. Yes, you can always continue creating great content, but here’s the harsh reality.
Organic posts reach only 5.5% of your Page followers. That’s why marketers continue using a combination of tools. These can be messenger bots, stories, influencers, and of course, paid ads.
Thankfully, the digital world is vast and full of options. If your customers are on Facebook, there’s a good chance they’re also on other online platforms. It’s time to branch out and diversify your marketing efforts.
So how can eCommerce brands succeed if the Ad-mageddon continues?
The answer is simpler than you might think. What is one thing that Facebook customers have in common? Here’s the answer: an email address. And guess what? It’s a proven fact that email marketing can generate more ROI for your business compared to social media.
An eMarketer study has found that the median Return of Interest (ROI) for US marketers using email was 122%.
That’s 4 times higher in ROI than any other digital marketing channel!
So how can your business rise up from the ashes of the Facebook Ad-mageddon? By investing in the right email marketing strategy that is tailored for your brand.
But what about the 2 billion Facebook users? Worry not, because there are actually more than 3 billion email users worldwide.
What about Facebook’s targeted ads? With email marketing, you can take personalization on a whole different level. You can pull data from the behavior of your customers on your eCommerce site, and not just from their Facebook data.
No need to reinvent the wheel
Basically, here’s the harsh truth. Using paid ads as your only marketing strategy is not sustainable in the long run. Now, we did say to get creative. But sometimes, looking for tried and tested methods will come in handy in times like these.
Social media platforms come and go, but email marketing is stronger than ever.
Earlier this year, in March, the #FacebookDown outage made a lot of news, and it prompted businesses to look at other options in case it happens again.
True enough, eCommerce Facebook ads have become an inconvenience recently—with all the rejections, unclear reasons, and long reviews.
Yes, social media is a great tool to grow your brand. There is no doubt about that! Email marketing, on the other hand, has a proven track record of providing results. Integrating your social media strategy and email marketing strategy can actually do wonders for your eCommerce brand.
But if you’re looking for a solution to bump up your holiday sales amidst these Facebook ad issues, email marketing is your best bet. Better yet, these statistics continue to grow year-over-year. This shows that consumers and increasingly engaging with their brands through email marketing each year!
It can’t be denied that email marketing remains one of the best sustainable drivers of revenue for eCommerce businesses, like a silent driver, it works in the background with automation without interfering with your marketing channels in place.
Need help in jumpstarting your eCommerce email marketing strategy? You can actually schedule a free strategy session with one of our experts! It’s not yet too late—keep up the momentum of your 2019 revenue with email marketing!
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