Demystifying Performance Marketing An E-commerce Expert Q&A

Introduction

As the world becomes more digitized, e-commerce has become an increasingly popular avenue for businesses to reach their customers. However, with this increase in online activity, competition has also intensified, and e-commerce businesses must find ways to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

One way to do this is through performance marketing, which focuses on measurable results and ROI. Performance marketing is a type of online advertising where advertisers pay only when a specific action is completed, such as a click or a conversion. This makes it a cost-effective advertising approach for small and large businesses alike.

For Shopify e-commerce businesses, performance marketing is especially relevant, as it provides a way to drive sales and revenue growth in a highly competitive e-commerce environment. By implementing effective performance marketing campaigns, Shopify businesses can target their ideal customers and track the performance of their advertising efforts, ultimately leading to increased conversions and revenue.

In this blog, we will demystify performance marketing and provide actionable tips and tricks for Shopify e-commerce businesses looking to implement effective performance marketing campaigns. We will cover the principles of performance marketing, including the cost per action (CPA) model, targeted audience, measurable results, and continuous optimization, as well as provide insights from industry experts.

Table of Content:

• Key Principles
• Key Performance Metrics to Monitor
• Common Misconceptions Regarding Performance Marketing
• Best Practices for Success

Key Principles

Performance marketing is a type of online advertising where businesses pay only when a specific action is completed, such as a click, form fill, or purchase. Unlike traditional advertising, which can be costly and difficult to measure, performance marketing focuses on measurable results and return on investment (ROI). By using a data-driven approach, businesses can optimize their campaigns for maximum impact and revenue growth.

The key principles of performance marketing include the following:

• Cost per Action (CPA) Model: Performance marketing is often based on a CPA model, where advertisers pay only when a specific action is taken. This helps businesses to avoid wasting money on ineffective ads and ensures that they only pay for results
• Targeted Audience: Performance marketing campaigns are designed to reach a specific target audience that is most likely to take the desired action. This requires businesses to conduct thorough research and analysis of customer behavior and preferences, in order to create campaigns that resonate with their target audience.
• Measurable Results: Performance marketing campaigns are highly measurable, with tracking and analytics tools used to monitor and optimize campaign performance. This allows businesses to make data-driven decisions and continuously improve results over time.
• Continuous Optimization: Performance marketing campaigns require ongoing optimization to ensure maximum results. This includes testing and refining ad copy, targeting options, and landing pages to improve conversion rates and ROI. By continuously optimizing their campaigns, businesses can stay ahead of the competition and achieve long-term success.

In the Shopify ecosystem, performance marketing is a critical component of success for e-commerce businesses. By understanding the key principles of performance marketing and implementing them in their campaigns, businesses can drive sales and revenue growth while minimizing costs and maximizing ROI.

Key Performance Metrics to Monitor

Measurable Results are a critical aspect of performance marketing. With tracking and analytics tools, advertisers can monitor and optimize campaign performance, measure success, and make data-driven decisions.

• Return on Investment (ROI): ROI measures the amount of revenue generated from your advertising spend. It's calculated by dividing the revenue generated by the cost of the advertising campaign. A positive ROI means that your campaign is profitable, while a negative ROI indicates that you're spending more on advertising than you're making in revenue.
• Conversion Rates: Conversion rates measure the percentage of the target audience who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form, after clicking on your ad. A high conversion rate indicates that your ads are effectively persuading people to take action.
• Click-through rate (CTR): This measures the percentage of people who click on your ad after seeing it. A higher CTR indicates that your ad is resonating with your target audience and is an effective way to drive traffic to your website.
• Cost per click (CPC): This metric measures the cost of each click on your ad. Monitoring your CPC can help you optimize your bids and budget to ensure that you're getting the best return on investment.
• Cost per acquisition (CPA): This metric measures the cost of acquiring a new customer through your ad campaign. This includes all costs associated with the campaign, such as ad spending and agency fees. By tracking your CPA, you can determine if your campaign is profitable and adjust your strategy accordingly.
• Average order value (AOV): This metric measures the average amount of money a customer spends per order. A higher AOV indicates that your customers are making larger purchases, which can be an indicator of customer loyalty and satisfaction.
• Return on ad spends (ROAS): This metric measures the revenue generated for every dollar spent on advertising. A higher ROAS indicates that your campaign is effective in generating revenue and driving profitability.

By tracking these KPIs and regularly analyzing the data, e-commerce businesses can make data-driven decisions and optimize their performance marketing campaigns for maximum results.

Common Misconceptions Regarding Performance Marketing

Q&A with Our E-Commerce Expert:

Mixed Audience Usage

Batuhan: Performance Marketing Expert - Enhencer

Interviewer: Batuhan, can you tell us about the first common misconception in the performance marketing sector - the usage of mixed audiences in one campaign?

Batuhan: Yes, sure. One common misconception is that it's beneficial to use a mixed audience in a single campaign, but this can actually hurt the overall performance of the campaign.

Interviewer: Can you elaborate on why this can be detrimental?

Batuhan: Well, when you use a mixed audience in a single campaign, you risk showing the same ad to both high-intent and low-intent users. This can lead to lower click-through rates and conversion rates, as the messaging may not be relevant or appealing to all users.

Interviewer: What problems can occur when using mixed audiences?

Batuhan: When using mixed audiences, one of the biggest issues that can occur is a drastic difference in audience size. For example, if you mix product viewers, engagers, high-converting audiences, add-to-carts, and all website visitors in one campaign, the size of each audience may differ significantly. This can lead to the campaign budget being used for low-converting but bigger audiences instead of high-converting smaller, precise audiences.

Additionally, mixing different audiences can result in targeting and messaging that isn't specific to each group, which can lead to a lack of engagement and ultimately, low conversion rates.

Interviewer: How can e-commerce businesses avoid and overcome the problems associated with using mixed audiences?

Batuhan: To avoid these problems, e-commerce businesses should segment their audiences and create separate campaigns for each group. This allows for more specific targeting and messaging that is tailored to each audience, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates. Segmenting audiences also ensures that the campaign budget is being used effectively, as it can be allocated to the high-converting, smaller, precise audiences that are most likely to result in a return on investment.

Interviewer: That makes sense. Can you give an example of how this would work in practice?

Batuhan: Sure. Let's say a business sells outdoor equipment and wants to target both outdoor enthusiasts and casual shoppers. Instead of creating a single campaign for both groups, they could create one campaign targeting outdoor enthusiasts with specific messaging and another campaign targeting casual shoppers with a different message. This would result in better performance for each campaign, as the messaging would be tailored to each group's specific interests and needs.

Interviewer: Thank you for that explanation, Batuhan. It's important to keep in mind the potential downsides of mixed audiences and to segment audiences based on their intent and behavior to optimize performance.

In conclusion, while using mixed audiences in one campaign may seem like an efficient strategy, it can lead to problems such as a significant difference in audience size and targeting, which can result in the campaign budget being used inefficiently and low conversion rates. E-commerce businesses should instead focus on segmenting their audiences and creating separate campaigns for each group to ensure effective targeting and messaging, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates.

New User and Remarketing - Same Campaign

Ilkim: Performance Marketing Expert - Enhencer

Interviewer: Hi Ilkim, can you explain the common misconception of using the same campaign for new users and remarketing?

Ilkim: Of course, many businesses believe that using the same campaign for both new users and remarketing is an effective way to save time and resources. However, this is a common misconception in the performance marketing sector.

Interviewer: Can you explain why it's a misconception?

Ilkim: The problem with using the same campaign for new users and remarketing is that the audience and their intent are fundamentally different. New users are unfamiliar with your brand and products, so they require a different approach to convince them to make a purchase. On the other hand, remarketing targets users who have already shown interest in your brand, and are more likely to convert.

Interviewer: What problems can occur when using the same campaign for both new users and remarketing?

Ilkim: Ilkim: One of the biggest problems is that the budget allocation may not be optimized for either audience. For example, a campaign optimized for remarketing may have a higher budget allocation towards higher-intent audiences, while a campaign optimized for new users may prioritize targeting a larger audience. When combined, the budget may be used inefficiently, resulting in a lower ROI.

Another issue is that the messaging and ad creative may not be optimized for both audiences. New users require more educational messaging to learn about your brand and products while remarketing should focus on reminding them of what they have already shown interest in.

Interviewer: What are some strategies to avoid and overcome this misconception?

Ilkim: One solution is to create separate campaigns optimized for new users and remarketing audiences. This allows for better budget allocation and messaging optimization.

In summary, the misconception of using the same campaign for new users and remarketing can result in inefficient budget allocation and messaging optimization. By creating separate campaigns or using dynamic ads, businesses can optimize their performance marketing campaigns for each audience and achieve a higher ROI.

7 Day Click 1 Day View Overlap

Oguz: Performance Marketing Expert - Enhencer

Interviewer: Hello Oguz, thanks for joining us today. Could you explain to our audience what is meant by the "7 Day Click 1 Day View Overlap" in Facebook advertising?

Oguz: Sure, happy to help. 7 Day Click 1 Day View Overlap is a metric used in Facebook advertising that refers to the potential overlap of conversions that can occur when multiple campaigns target the same audience. This occurs when a user clicks on an ad from one campaign but doesn't convert immediately, and then sees and clicks on an ad from a different campaign within a day, and then converts.

Interviewer: What kind of problems can occur when measuring conversions that have overlapping campaigns?

Oguz: One of the biggest problems is the double-counting of conversions, which can lead to inaccuracies in reporting and decision-making. It can also skew the performance data of each campaign and make it difficult to attribute conversions to the correct source. This can lead to incorrect optimization decisions and the misallocation of budget to campaigns that are not actually driving conversions.

Interviewer: How can marketers avoid these problems and overcome the issue of overlapping campaigns?

Oguz: One way to avoid this issue is by using the 7-Day Click attribution model and avoiding the use of the 1-Day View attribution window altogether. This will ensure that only conversions that occur within 7 days of a user clicking on an ad are counted, and there is no risk of double-counting conversions.

Another solution is to use different audience targeting options across campaigns to minimize overlap and ensure that each campaign has a unique audience that is not targeted by other campaigns. Additionally, marketers can use conversion tracking and analytics tools to get a better understanding of how their campaigns are performing and where conversions are coming from.

Copy Industry Trend

Baris: Performance Marketing Expert - Enhencer

Interviewer: Hello Baris, thank you for joining us today. Our topic is the common misconceptions in performance marketing, and one of them is the copy industry trend for campaigns in Facebook ads. Can you explain what problems can occur with this approach?

Baris: Thank you for having me. Yes, copying the industry trend for campaigns in Facebook ads can lead to a number of issues. Firstly, just because a certain approach worked for one company, it does not necessarily mean it will work for another. Each business has unique characteristics, target audiences, and goals, which require tailored strategies.

Another problem is that this approach can make your ads blend in with the competition, resulting in lower ad engagement rates and higher costs per acquisition. It's important to stand out and provide value to your audience.

Lastly, this approach can lead to stagnation in creativity and innovation. By constantly copying the industry trend, you're not pushing boundaries and exploring new ways to connect with your audience.

Interviewer: Those are all great points. How can businesses avoid and overcome these problems?

Baris: One way to avoid these problems is to focus on the unique characteristics of your business and target audience, and create tailored campaigns that align with your brand values and goals. Testing and experimentation are also important in discovering what works best for your specific business.

In terms of standing out, it's important to provide unique value propositions and messaging that differentiates your business from the competition. This can be done by identifying the pain points of your audience and addressing them in a creative and unique way.

Lastly, to avoid stagnation in creativity and innovation, it's important to stay up-to-date with industry trends but also to think outside the box and experiment with new approaches. By testing and measuring results, you can refine your strategy and continue to improve your performance marketing efforts.

Frequency Time Scale

Serkan: Performance Marketing Team Leader - Enhencer

Interviewer: Hello Serkan, can you explain to us the common misconceptions related to the frequency time scale in the performance marketing sector?

Serkan: Sure. One of the most common misconceptions related to frequency is the belief that it is the number of times an ad is shown to a viewer in a single day. In reality, frequency refers to the number of times an ad is shown to a viewer within a retention period, usually 30 days.

Interviewer: Why do you think this misconception exists?

Serkan: I believe this misconception exists because some advertisers may not fully understand the technicalities of frequency measurement. They may see the frequency metric displayed in their ad campaigns and assume that it refers to the number of times their ad is shown per day.

Interviewer: What are the consequences of this misconception?

Serkan: The consequences of this misconception can be detrimental to ad campaign performance. Advertisers may become overly concerned about saturating viewers with their ad, leading them to reduce their campaign's frequency or stop showing their ad altogether. This can result in missed opportunities to engage with their target audience and generate conversions.

Interviewer: How can advertisers avoid and overcome this misconception?

Serkan: Advertisers can avoid this misconception by ensuring that they have a solid understanding of frequency measurement and its relation to the 30-day retention period. They can also consult with their marketing experts or platforms to clarify any misunderstandings. Finally, they can use data-driven analysis and testing to determine the optimal frequency for their ad campaign, rather than relying on assumptions and misconceptions.

Target ROAS Bid Strategy - Google

Orhan: Performance Marketing Expert - Enhencer

Interviewer: Hi Orhan, can you explain to us what the common misconceptions are when it comes to bidding strategies on Google Ads?

Orhan: Sure, one of the most common mistakes that advertisers make when it comes to bidding strategies is setting a target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) that is much higher than their actual ROAS. Although this might seem like a good idea to achieve a higher ROAS rate, it can actually lead to the campaign not spending its entire daily budget.

Interviewer: What are the problems that can occur as a result of this mistake?

Orhan: When you set a target ROAS that is too high, Google's algorithm will try to maximize your return on investment by bidding less aggressively on your keywords. This can lead to your ad showing up less frequently and in lower positions, which can ultimately result in fewer clicks and conversions. Additionally, if you set a budget for your campaign that is higher than what you actually spend, you will miss out on potential impressions, clicks, and conversions.

Interviewer: How can advertisers overcome this issue?

Orhan: The key to avoiding this problem is to set a realistic target ROAS that is based on your actual historical performance. This will help ensure that your campaign spends its entire daily budget while still achieving your desired ROAS rate. Additionally, it's important to monitor your campaign's performance regularly and adjust your bid strategies as needed to achieve your goals. By closely monitoring your campaign, you can make sure that your ad is showing up in the right place at the right time, and that you are getting the best return on investment possible.

Best Practices for Success

If you want to succeed in performance marketing, you need to have a solid strategy in place. This means understanding your audience, creating compelling ad copy, and continuously testing and optimizing your campaigns.

Define your campaign goals: Before you start creating your ads, take the time to define what you want to achieve with your campaign. This will help you create targeted ads that speak directly to your audience and ultimately drive more conversions.

Know your audience: The more you know about your target audience, the better you'll be able to create ads that resonate with them. Use data and analytics to identify their interests, behaviors, and preferences, and tailor your ads accordingly.

Optimize your ad copy: Make sure your ad copy is clear, concise, and attention-grabbing. Use strong headlines, compelling images, and clear calls-to-action to encourage clicks and conversions.

Target the right audience: Use targeting options to ensure that your ads are seen by the right people. This includes targeting by demographics, interests, behaviors, and more. Don't forget to exclude audiences that aren't relevant to your campaign to avoid wasting your ad spend.

Use A/B testing: A/B testing is a powerful tool that allows you to test different ad variations to see what works best. Test different ad formats, copy, images, and calls-to-action to find the winning combination that drives the most conversions.

Remember, creating and running effective performance marketing campaigns takes time and effort, but the results are worth it. By following these tips and continuously optimizing your campaigns, you'll be on your way to achieving your marketing goals.