As someone who has been in the trenches of the D2C industry, I understand the challenges and roadblocks you face in driving success for your business. That’s why I’m sharing some invaluable insights that can revolutionise your D2C business and maximise your profitability.

Having spent $865,342 on a single D2C brand in the last 12 months, I’ve learned some hard lessons along the way. If you don’t know these five lessons, your Facebook ads are about as effective as a paper umbrella in a hurricane. But fear not, because I’m here to guide you through the solutions that can turn the tide in your favour.

Lesson #1: Test One Variable At A Time

The key to unlocking successful ad campaigns lies in understanding what factors contribute to their success or failure. It’s difficult to isolate the one factor that truly makes a difference. 

Is it the ad relevance, engagement, click-through rate (CTR), or something else altogether? By keeping variables constant and changing one element at a time, you can analyse their impact and fine-tune your approach for maximum effectiveness.

Lesson #2: Create Separate Product Pages

Many businesses overlook the importance of testing separate landing pages for each product. Perhaps they don’t see the value or lack the resources to do so. However, when I started testing landing pages specific to each product, I witnessed a significant decrease in our cost per click (CPC) and a remarkable increase in conversions. 

Why? Because sending all your ad traffic to a generic collection page can hinder the user experience and adversely affect your quality score. Don’t underestimate the power of tailored product pages in driving better results.

Lesson #3: Harness The Mere Exposure Effect

Turning customer scepticism into curiosity can be a game-changer for your business. The mere exposure effect, a cognitive bias, explains that when your audience sees your ad for the first time, they’re less likely to make a purchase. 

However, when you retarget that same audience with a different creative angle, their chances of taking action increase by a whopping 70%. Retargeting serves as a powerful tool to capitalise on this effect and harvest low-hanging fruits. Craft your creative funnel strategically to engage and convert your audience at different touchpoints.

Lesson #4: Scale With Stability

Scaling your campaigns is a crucial step in driving growth, but it must be done with caution and stability. It’s important to have stable costs over a period of time (ideally 7-14 days), a good CTR and CPC, and a broad audience to avoid ad fatigue. 

Scaling is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It requires continuous testing, analysis and adaptation of your strategy to ensure sustainable growth.

Lesson #5: Consolidate Your Ad Account

Simplifying your ad campaigns by consolidating them within one ad account can yield significant benefits. Facebook’s algorithm prefers one ad account with fewer campaigns and consolidated budgets. 

This provides the algorithm with more control over data, resulting in improved campaign performance and optimisation. Account consolidation frees up time to focus on strategic optimisation rather than juggling multiple ad accounts.

Testing Advantage+ Campaigns

For businesses with a large product catalogue, Advantage+ campaigns are worth exploring. These campaigns increase your ad reach and relevance by showcasing your products visually with product images, prices and descriptions tailored to different audience demographics and interests. While Advantage+ campaigns may be more expensive, they can yield substantial results when implemented correctly.

By implementing these proven strategies and avoiding the common mistakes that many D2C founders make, you’ll be well-equipped to navigate the challenging waters of the D2C industry and boost your profitability.