Making Free Dropshipping Video Ads
Getting traffic to your dropshipping store can be challenging, especially when you’re just starting out and don’t have any following yet. To kick start your dropshipping business, video marketing is an indispensable tool. In fact, videos on Facebook and YouTube are two of the most effective ways to convert consumers into loyal customers. And if you’re doing dropshipping, there’s no better platform than social media to share them.
However, to make these ads more effective, it’s important to understand how they work and how to create them without breaking the bank. Here are some things to keep in mind so you can drive traffic to your store with free dropshipping video ads:
1) Build a following before making a video: If you already have established yourself as a brand or store owner on social media — meaning you already have at least 100 followers — you should still create profiles first. Otherwise, people aren’t going to watch your new video, let alone click any links within it. Chances are high that they won’t even see your profile unless you make another one down the line. If you don’t have time for a profile and just want to focus on videos.
2) Know how often to post your video: As with all marketing, finding your optimal frequency of posting is the key. Posting too much can cause people to not follow you (they’ll either think you’re spamming), but posting too little means that people might not see your content and discover your page. Try sharing a few videos over a couple weeks, then take some time off for a week before starting again.
3) Use videos to connect with your viewers: The more time you spend interacting with your viewers, no matter what platform you’re on, the more engagement you’ll get from them. Whether it’s through comments or replies, find a way to make personal connections. Otherwise, they might see your brand as just another company looking for sales and walk away.
Are They Actually Free?
The ads may be free, but actually producing video ads isn’t cheap. You will need to hire a professional who knows how to produce ads that are optimized for YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. If you plan on running a long-term dropshipping business, it would be worth investing in some professional videos. However, if you’re only planning on doing one campaign before wrapping up your store forever, you must take advantage of these free options.
If you’re running a short-term dropshipping business, and you just want to get your store off of the ground, there are free options available. Some hosting providers will allow you to host videos on their servers for free. Even YouTube itself allows anyone with a Google account to upload videos for free. The downfall is that these video hosts aren’t optimized for video ads and most people won’t watch them. If you do use either of these platforms, they should be seen as more supplemental marketing than an alternative to professionally produced ads.
Overall, if you can afford to produce professional video ads yourself or contract out someone else to do it, then go. You can still run effective free video ads. They also require less maintenance once they’ve been created, which means you have more time to focus on other aspects of your new business.