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How to Master Meta Ads and Drive High-Quality Traffic to Your Store

If there’s one area of our business that can make us feel like we don’t have control. It’s got to be Meta ads (formerly Facebook ads). That’s why I’m so excited to share this post with you today; if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by ads, don’t worry— it doesn’t have to be so complicated.  I brought Cathy, our Traffic Coach from the Inner Circle, onto the podcast to break it all down and talk about how to get great results from Meta ads without losing your mind.

So, let’s dive into how you can master Meta ads and start driving affordable, high-quality traffic to your store.

What’s Traffic Bootcamp? Your Guide to Driving Affordable Traffic

First things first, let’s talk about Traffic Bootcamp. Cathy designed this course to help you get the traffic you need—without spending a fortune. Traffic Bootcamp is all about testing Meta ads in a structured way, so you can learn what works for your business.

The best part? It’s built for any stage of business. Whether you’re just starting out or trying to scale to the next level, Traffic Bootcamp will help you figure out how to send more traffic to your store, affordably.

“It’s not just about getting traffic. Anyone can get traffic. The trick is getting the right traffic—the kind of visitors that actually engage with your site and buy your products.”

You can send all the traffic you want to your site, but if it’s not the right traffic, it won’t convert into sales. That’s why Traffic Bootcamp doesn’t just focus on getting people to your site—it’s about getting the right people there. Cheap traffic can feel good at first, but if it’s not bringing in conversions, it’s just a waste of money.

Cathy really dives deep in this training, helping you figure out how to drive traffic that’s both affordable and high-quality. It’s not just about throwing ads up and hoping they work—there’s a strategy behind it.

Decode Your Ad Results: The 3 Key Metrics to Track

Okay, let’s get into the numbers. I know, I know—this part might sound boring, but trust me, it’s so important. There are three key metrics you need to track to make sure your Meta ads are doing what they’re supposed to:

1. CPM (Cost per Thousand Impressions): This tells you how much it costs to show your ad to 1,000 people. This number is mostly influenced by your audience—some audiences are just more expensive to target.
2. CPC (Cost per Click): This is the cost every time someone clicks on your ad. It’s influenced by your audience and your content. You want to keep this number as low as possible.
3. CTR (Click-Through Rate): This is the percentage of people who see your ad and actually click through to your site. A click-through rate of 1-2% is normal—so don’t panic if your CTR seems low!

Once you understand these metrics, you can tweak your ads to improve performance and make sure you’re spending your ad dollars wisely.

“The numbers tell you the story. If your CPC is high or your CTR is low, those are the signals that something’s off. Once you understand what these metrics mean, you can start making smart decisions.”

Nailing Your Audience: How to Find and Target the Right People

The biggest thing we focus on in Traffic Bootcamp is finding the right audience. You’ll be testing different audiences—cold interest groups, lookalike audiences, and others—to figure out which one gives you the best results.

And let’s be real—finding the right audience is where the magic happens. When you target the right people, you’ll see higher engagement, more clicks, and better quality traffic coming to your store. It takes some testing, but once you figure out your ideal audience, you’ll be in a much better place.

Static or Video? Testing the Best Ad Format for Your Audience

Another key part of Traffic Bootcamp is testing different types of content—static images vs. video. Both have their pros and cons, and what works best will depend on your audience. Some people respond better to quick, engaging videos, while others might prefer a static image with a clear call-to-action.

By testing both formats, you can figure out what drives the most engagement and best fits your brand’s message. And once you know what works, you can stick with it.

Beyond the Click: What Happens After They Land on Your Site?

Getting someone to click on your ad is great, but what happens after they land on your site? That’s where Google Analytics (GA4) comes in. Meta ads will tell you what’s happening on Meta, but GA4 shows you what people do once they get to your site.

In Traffic Bootcamp, Cathy teaches you how to set up custom reports in GA4 to track key metrics like time spent on site and events (like scrolling, clicking on product images, or adding items to cart). This helps you figure out if the traffic you’re paying for is engaging with your products and if they’re potential buyers.

Refine, Don’t Redesign: How Small Tweaks Can Improve Your Ads

One of the biggest mistakes people make with Meta ads is assuming that if something doesn’t work right away, they need to start over. Wrong! What you really need to do is make small tweaks and see what changes. Traffic Bootcamp is all about testing one thing at a time, whether it’s your audience or your content, so you know exactly what’s working (and what’s not).

This way, you can build on your results over time instead of feeling like you’re starting from scratch every time something goes wrong. It’s about refinement—not constant reinvention.

“You don’t need to scrap everything if an ad doesn’t work right away. Make one small tweak—whether it’s your audience or your content—then test it again. It’s all about refining what’s already there.”

How Much Should You Spend on Meta Ads? Here’s a Simple Guide

Now for the million-dollar question: how much should you spend on Meta ads? In Traffic Bootcamp, Cathy recommends a budget of $45 for your first test. You’ll run ads for five days at $3 per day for each test group.

By the end of the bootcamp, you’ll know exactly how much you need to spend to hit your traffic goals, based on real numbers—no more guessing. Plus, Cathy provides a handy calculator to help you figure out how much ad spend you’ll need to increase traffic and scale your business.

Evergreen Ads: Set Them Up Once and Let Them Work for You

Here’s a little secret: once you find an ad that works, you can let it run for months (sometimes even years) without changing it! Cathy’s been running the same traffic ad for two years, and it’s still bringing in great results. That’s the beauty of creating evergreen content—it works for the long haul, and you don’t have to constantly create new ads.

Of course, this doesn’t work for every business, especially if your products are seasonal, but if you can create evergreen ads, it’s a huge time-saver.

Ready to Drive High-Quality Traffic? Here’s How to Get Started

If you’re ready to take control of your Meta ads and start driving traffic that actually converts, I highly recommend jumping into Traffic Bootcamp. And don’t forget to grab that free ad spend calculator to help you set realistic traffic goals and make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck!

Check out the Inner Circle for access to all the tools you need to make your ads work smarter, not harder.

RELATED LINKS:

Traffic Bootcamp
https://classroom.thesocialsalesgirls.com/offers/9X52gpCy/checkout

Join The Inner Circle
https://classroom.thesocialsalesgirls.com/inner-circle-membership

Here’s How To Find Your Future Buyers
https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/heres-how-to-find-your-future-buyers-episode-206/

Build A Massive Audience With A Brand Video
https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/build-a-massive-audience-with-a-brand-video-episode-162/

New FREE Course

GROW YOUR SALES

(without breaking the bank)

Conversion School is a step by step process to grow your sales,
without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies, or discounting your products.

Works for Ecommerce stores at all stages.

Start getting consistent sales, and see significant sales growth every month.

New FREE Course

GROW YOUR SALES

(without breaking the bank)

Conversion School is a step by step process to grow your sales,
without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies, or discounting your products.

Works for Ecommerce stores at all stages.

Start getting consistent sales, and see significant sales growth every month.

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Ready to get more organic traffic?

Get on the waitlist for our new Course, SEO for Ecommerce. In the Course, you’ll learn how to build a powerful SEO Funnel that will consistently grow your organic traffic and sales.

This brand new course is exclusively for Ecommerce store owners, and comes with 3 months of Expert support. Enrollment is limited, so get on the list, and we’ll make sure you are notified when it’s available.

https://classroom.thesocialsalesgirls.com/seo-for-ecommerce-waitlist

Have you heard of an SEO Funnel?

Most of us understand the sales funnel where we’ve got our cold, warm, and hot audiences filtering down the funnel to the purchase goal.

You can apply that same method of thinking to SEO.

An SEO Funnel will bring consistent, high quality traffic to your site, and it doesn’t cost a dime.

Investing time into SEO can be beneficial for any ecommerce business, and you can use a content-based funnel strategy to grow traffic and sales without advertising.

What is a SEO Funnel?

It’s an SEO focused content strategy designed to warm up your audiences and bring them down a funnel, until they make a purchase. Your SEO Funnel has 3 audiences.
Top of funnel audience, middle of funnel audience, and bottom of funnel audience.

Specific SEO focused content is created to attract a top of funnel, middle of funnel, and bottom of funnel audience.

What kinds of Ecommerce stores should use an SEO Funnel?

Every product based Ecommerce business can benefit from this strategy.

Why is this Important to me now?

The SEO Funnel is a slow growing evergreen strategy. You can track and measure your results, so you can see that it’s working and your time is well spent.

You can implement it by creating content consistently over time. This isn’t a paid strategy. Your investment is in time, not money.

Traffic that comes to your store from an organic search will often have higher than average conversion rates.

How to get started:

Start by optimizing your Collection and Product pages.

We recommend you do some keyword research, to determine the best keyword phrases to use for each of those pages.
Find the best keyword phrases by using a tool like Ubersuggest.

It’s a cost-effective way to do keyword research quickly.

You can also use a free tool like the Google Ads keyword planner.

Look for phrases that actually get searched by real people, so you can be confident that the keywords you are using are actually getting some traffic.

Look for keyword phrases that have 1,000 – 10,000 searches a month for products.

Once you’ve done that, make a plan to optimize your homepage, your collections, and your product pages. At a minimum, include your chosen keyword phrase in your title description and image alt text at a minimum.

TOP OF FUNNEL: Audience is in the awareness stage. They may not even know that they need your product. They’re asking general questions and considering multiple options. Create broad content that answers questions like What is X? are perfect at this stage.

MIDDLE OF FUNNEL: Audience knows they need your product and are still deciding on which option is best. They may be looking at your products and competitor’s products. Content that is more product specific helps them decide which product will best fill their need. Product comparisons or reviews are two examples of content to create for this stage.

BOTTOM OF FUNNEL: This audience has already made the decision to purchase, and they are considering a purchase from you. Your job is to assure them that they are making the right decision by buying from you. Content like lots of reviews, “how to” guides, and in depth product descriptions with specifications can help them make the decision to purchase.

Key points to remember: 

1) All store owners should work on an SEO strategy, even if they use paid ads. This content will help buyers feel confident in purchasing from you.

2) SEO is a long term strategy. While sometimes we see quick wins in ranking and traffic, the reality is that bigger wins take months (and sometimes) years to attain.

3) If you use Google ads, working on your SEO will directly and indirectly help those ads. Google P-Max normally uses SEO product titles & descriptions, and optimizing your listings will help you be found more often.

Your next steps:

1) Perform a content audit of your site using the SEO Funnel as a guide.

2) Find the gaps and make a plan to start, or improve, your own funnel.

Get the Simple SEO for Store Owners Guide HERE

New FREE Course

GROW YOUR SALES

(without breaking the bank)

Conversion School is a step by step process to grow your sales,
without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies, or discounting your products.

Works for Ecommerce stores at all stages.

Start getting consistent sales, and see significant sales growth every month.

New FREE Course

GROW YOUR SALES

(without breaking the bank)

Conversion School is a step by step process to grow your sales,
without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies, or discounting your products.

Works for Ecommerce stores at all stages.

Start getting consistent sales, and see significant sales growth every month.

or scroll down to get the highlights

Today we are (finally) diving into the world of Pinterest, where pins lead to profits. And nobody knows this better than Kate Ahl, the mastermind behind Simple Pin Media and host of the Simple Pin Podcast. I’m so excited to have Kate here today because, let’s face it, Pinterest has been a big mystery to many of us. But we’re in good hands, because there is no better expert on this topic than Kate.

Back in 2010, Kate was just like many of us—navigating the wilds of the internet with more enthusiasm than experience. With little kids at home and a need for some extra cash, she started helping a friend with Facebook and her website, diving headfirst into the digital arena. The world of social media and affiliate marketing grabbed her, and she was hooked by the vibrant online community and its endless possibilities.

Kate launched Simple Pin Media in 2014 with just three basic service packages aimed at content creators. It was supposed to be a three-month trial, but the results were undeniable. Clients reported transformative impacts on their businesses, leading Kate to the realization that she might just have a viable business on her hands.

Since then, Kate has dedicated herself to demystifying Pinterest marketing, making it accessible and not so overwhelming. She’s here to tell us that with a solid plan, anyone can conquer Pinterest (and maybe even enjoy it).

Exploring the Potential of Pinterest

Kate says that first and foremost, using Pinterest effectively is all about making sure people are aware that your product exists. It’s not just about throwing up a photo of your product and hoping for the best. You want to really engage your audience, help them understand what you’re selling, and educate them about it.

For instance, e-commerce owners who showcase their products effectively tend to be more successful. Say you’re selling jeans; showing different ways to wear them or comparing various styles can make a big difference. This approach doesn’t just build awareness; it educates your potential customers too. Simply posting lots of product photos without context tends to be ineffective because customers don’t understand why they should buy your product.

Take, for example, a handmade tile seller she works with. She knows that buying handmade tiles involves careful consideration and measurement, so her strategy on Pinterest focuses on inspiring and informing her audience, rather than pushing them to make a quick purchase. She aims to get her product samples into potential customers’ hands and raise awareness about current design trends. Her approach helps position her brand as a viable alternative to big-box stores like Home Depot or Lowe’s, making her a go-to choice for those in search of handmade tiles.

Ultimately, success on Pinterest comes from using strategies similar to what might be done on Google to educate and engage, rather than just listing products for sale. This is how you turn casual browsers into informed, interested buyers.

Key Elements Of An Effective Pinterest Strategy

When diving into Pinterest, remember there are three main elements you should focus on to make your pins pop:

Images: This is key because on Pinterest, the image is pretty much everything. You’ll want to nail both product shots and lifestyle images that showcase your products in a real-life context.

Keywords: Spend some time researching what people are actually searching for on Pinterest, which can be different from other platforms. For example, the terms “vegan” vs. “plant-based” might attract different audiences. It’s crucial to use the right keywords in your pin descriptions to tap into the correct search queries.

Pinning Strategy: Once you’ve got your pin with its perfect image and keyword-rich description, start pinning it across your boards. You don’t have to worry about overposting the same pin too frequently, because unlike Instagram, Pinterest isn’t about scrolling through someone’s profile. You can pin the same content to different boards at different times, even revisiting it months later. This approach works because Pinterest’s algorithm isn’t time-sensitive, and frankly, most Pinterest users won’t notice if you’ve pinned the same thing multiple times.

How to have a big impact on Pinterest in Just 2 Hours Per Week

Many of our students are hesitant to add another marketing channel because Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok already take up so much of their time and energy. But Kate says there are a few key areas that you should be dedicating your energy to, and they don’t need to take more than 2 hours a week.

Before you dive into pinning repeatedly, it’s crucial to set up your Pinterest profile correctly, mainly to make it algorithm-friendly. Start by setting up your boards—they’re like buckets for the algorithm to sort your content.

For example, if you’re selling jeans designed for pear-shaped body types, name your board accordingly and craft a clear description. This helps Pinterest understand exactly what type of content you’ll be pinning there, like it’s all about jeans for pear-shaped bodies.

Once your boards are ready, the next big task is creating compelling images, which are like billboard ads on Pinterest. Remember, people mainly look at images, not read through lots of text. For fashion items, less text usually works better, so focus on visuals that highlight the features of your jeans, like the fit or style details.

When you upload these images, either directly or using a scheduling tool like Tailwind or Planoly, you’ll want to ensure your keywords match the content of your board. This alignment helps Pinterest show your pins to users who are searching for those specific terms, enhancing the relevance and reach of your content.

Setting up a routine of creating great images and using the right keywords is essential. A scheduling tool can help spread out your pins over time, which reduces your workload. No need to constantly comment or follow others—the platform does much of the heavy lifting.

It typically takes about six months to see significant results on Pinterest. If you’re only a couple of months in and not seeing much activity, don’t get discouraged. It’s all about consistency. Keep feeding the algorithm with good content. Your pins from day one will eventually start getting attention, and before you know it, you’ll see a snowball effect: more engagement, more traffic to your store, and an increased interest in your products.

So, hang in there, keep pinning, and watch how your two-hour weekly investment gradually builds a robust presence on Pinterest.

Pinterest SEO: How To Find The Best Keywords

It’s important to remember that Pinterest is a visual search engine. Users are primarily looking for content that benefits them in some way, unlike Instagram where your followers are keen to see behind the scenes content, or personal posts from the business owner. If you’re good at SEO, you’re likely to excel on Pinterest too, although the approach to keyword research might vary a bit. Here’s how it works:

When you do SEO, you’re typically looking for keywords that Google favors. Well, you can start by plugging those same keywords into Pinterest. But in reality, Pinterest itself is the best tool for figuring out what works specifically on their platform.

When you enter your keywords on Pinterest, pay attention to the search predictions that pop up. These suggestions are gold because they show exactly what users on Pinterest are looking for. Sometimes, these keywords might differ from what you’d use for Google. So, even if a keyword works well on Google, you might find a more effective variation or a completely different popular keyword on Pinterest.

Essentially, Pinterest not only helps refine your keyword strategy but also tailors it to capture the most relevant Pinterest audience. So, stick with the keywords that resonate with the Pinterest crowd, even if they’re a bit different from your usual SEO terms. 

Pinterest Marketing Metrics: What To Look For

How can you tell if your Pinterest strategy is actually working? There are three key metrics you should keep an eye on: impressions, saves, and clicks. Let’s break these down a bit:

1. Impressions: This tells you how often your pin is shown. For example, if someone is scrolling on their phone, Pinterest might show two rows of pins. Your pin might be on the left, but if they’re looking at the right, they might not see it. However, having a high number of impressions means your pin is getting out there to a broader audience.
2. Saves: This is a big one because when someone saves your pin, it shows they’re interested. Pinterest users typically browse through and save a bunch of pins they like. Later, they revisit their saved pins when they’re ready to engage further or make a decision.
3. Clicks: This is what you ultimately want — people clicking on your pins to take a closer look or go to your website.

While Pinterest offers up to nine different metrics, focusing on these three will give you a solid indication of how well your content is performing. You can literally compete against yourself by tracking how your pins perform in terms of impressions, saves, and clicks over time. Adjust and test different strategies to see what makes your pins more save-worthy and click-worthy. Remember, it’s not always about creating brand-new content. Sometimes, tweaking what you already have can lead to better results.

What You Need To Know About Pinterest Ads

For store owners accustomed to getting quick results with Meta and Google ads, Pinterest ads can feel a bit slow to kick in because they need about two weeks just to run without any interference. This pause lets Pinterest figure out the best way to distribute them. You’ll spend another two weeks just collecting data to see what’s working, totaling a month of prep and observation. This can be a shift for those used to the quicker pace of Facebook ads, and the different dashboard and reporting style on Pinterest might also take some getting used to.

If you’re new to Pinterest ads, Kate suggests dedicating at least a month to learn the ropes, maybe through a membership program that guides you through the process. After about two months of learning and preparing, you should start to see your ads perform well.

And here’s a fun tip: try experimenting with low-cost Promoted Pins, like a dollar a day, to see how they perform without much risk. This can be a great way to learn what resonates with your audience without the pressure. You might find that even these small investments can give you decent visibility, which is always a win. Plus, playing around with promoted pins and different types of Pinterest ads can help demystify the process and make it more enjoyable.

Pinterest Is NOT Social Media

Pinterest, like Google and YouTube, is used by people who are actively trying to solve a problem. They might visit your site, decide it’s not what they’re looking for, and keep searching until they find the right solution. The key is to make sure your site can meet their needs when they land there, making you the solution they’ve been searching for.

To capture their interest, you need to quickly convince them they’re in the right place—for example, confirming they’ve found the right plant-based skincare product they were looking for.

A common mistake is directing these users to a homepage when they’re expecting a specific product page. This mismatch can frustrate users because they don’t want to search again—they want immediate solutions. Pinterest users often take longer to make a decision because they’re looking for the perfect answer to their needs.

Want To Work With Kate?

Kate’s agency Simple Pin Media offers a few different ways for people to work with them, depending on their needs and how hands-on they want to be.

First off, they handle both organic and paid Pinterest ads directly for clients who prefer to take a hands-off approach. For those who want to be more involved, they offer a “done with you” service which includes membership options. This is great for people who want to learn how to manage their own Pinterest ads but with some guidance from Kate’s team. It’s a pretty affordable membership that lets you get your hands dirty without going it alone.

They also have a DIY option through their Shopify store. Since Pinterest is friendly towards digital products, they’re set up to sell things like e-commerce templates for Canva and other resources directly through Shopify. This setup is perfect for folks who want to integrate what they sell with their Pinterest activities.

For those already running ads but looking to optimize, she offers specific resources like Pinterest ads templates that you can grab and use right away.

So, whether you’re looking to fully outsource your Pinterest marketing, get some guidance while doing it yourself, or just grab some tools to make your life easier, Simple Pin has a solution for you.

RELATED LINKS:

Check out https://juleptile.com/ on Pinterest for a great example of how a successful eComm store uses Pinterest

See the Simple Pin Shopify Store: https://simplepinshop.com/

Learn more about Pinterest services and training: https://www.simplepinmedia.com/

Listen to The Simple Pin Podcast: https://www.simplepinmedia.com/simple-pin-podcast/

New FREE Course

GROW YOUR SALES

(without breaking the bank)

Conversion School is a step by step process to grow your sales,
without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies, or discounting your products.

Works for Ecommerce stores at all stages.

Start getting consistent sales, and see significant sales growth every month.

New FREE Course

GROW YOUR SALES

(without breaking the bank)

Conversion School is a step by step process to grow your sales,
without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies, or discounting your products.

Works for Ecommerce stores at all stages.

Start getting consistent sales, and see significant sales growth every month.

or scroll down to get the highlights

Tap HERE to listen to the interview, or keep reading to hear Chontelle’s top tips for building a strong foundation in your ecommerce business.

From Inner Circle Member to Business Growth Guru

Chontelle sells houseplants online from her home base in New Zealand. Since her market is fairly small, and she doesn’t have access to existing platforms like Etsy, she has always relied on selling directly from her own website. So it’s been extra important to her to drive traffic to her website with a paid social media strategy.

Chontelle had joined several ecommerce courses over the years, but found her home in the Inner Circle because of our focus on building a strong foundation. She learned that having a structured plan to follow, plus expert coaches that she could reach out to with questions or problems, really fast-tracked her success. And she loves being able to pay it forward now as a coach herself!

Finding Your Audience With Ads Made Easy

Chontelle kicked off 2024 by guiding our members through our social media ads workshop. Ads Made Easy is a very thorough and effective testing method to identify and target your ideal audience of buyers using social media ads. It’s all about identifying the fastest, cheapest way to find your ideal people, so that you can feel like social media is working for YOU, not the other way around.

“Once you’ve done the [Ads Made Easy] testing, it’s almost a set and forget exercise where you have this evergreen ad at a really ridiculously low cost per day.”

So for just a few dollars a day, you can quickly “fill your bucket” as we say, with a huge audience of people who are going to be really excited about your product. At the foundational level, our #1 priority is to keep that top of your sales funnel constantly filled with a large number of the right people. You don’t do it once and move on, you have to always have this “tap” running in the background to keep your bucket full.

One Month Of Testing Saves Several Months of Spend

Chontelle is a believer in sticking to the plan and committing to at least a full month of Ads Made Easy testing because it can save so much money later on.

“If you cut corners, then those people aren’t going to necessarily be your people. So it’s going to cost you more to bring them to your website because you haven’t done the testing to get the lowest cost possible.”

She teaches a holistic approach to tracking campaign performance, using Google Analytics (aka GA4) to measure results against the Meta Ads Manager. She really digs into the data to analyze audience quality, tracking metrics like time on site. A high bounce rate or low time on site can indicate that more testing is needed, and that even though your ads might be getting traffic to your site cheaply, it’s not the kind of traffic that will actually buy from you.

Marching (Slowly) Toward Conversion

Another reason Chontelle is such a believer in Ads Made Easy testing is that this top of funnel ad is not going to get sales. It’s going to provide a very large pool of potential customers that you will re-target later on. So if you aren’t attracting the right people up front, you’ll waste a lot of time and money later trying to persuade them to buy when they were never interested to begin with. Driving traffic isn’t cheap, so putting the work in early on to identify the right audience pays dividends further down the funnel.

The #1 Ads Mistake Store Owners Make

Chontelle has found that when first starting out, lots of people are impatient with their tests and include too many variables at once. And when they throw too many elements into the mix, it’s virtually impossible to identify what is working and what isn’t. The process is (and should be) slow and methodical – testing one variable at a time, completing one test before moving on to the next.

Roadmap For Success: Slow Down To Speed Up

Chontelle tells us that to successfully build a solid foundation for your ecommerce store, you have to take it slow, follow the lessons one at a time, and don’t cut corners. Give yourself time to implement the strategies and don’t allow yourself to get distracted.

“There are so many shiny objects in front of us all of the time that it is really easy for us to go off on this tangent and go over here and look at this.”

Attempting to learn too much at once keeps you right where you are. You start doubting yourself, wondering if there’s something wrong with your site, and falling down rabbit holes. Whereas making slow, steady progress compounds over time, and ultimately fast-tracks your success.

Chontelle attributes her store’s meteoric success to following the Inner Circle method in this slow, methodical way. In fact, she was able to leave her “day job” and dedicate 100% of her time to her own business.

By embodying patience, attention to detail, and a willingness to learn and apply, Chontelle has not only elevated her own business but now dedicates part of her time to helping others in the Inner Circle. If you’re a member in need of help with the basics, book a call with her! You can also learn more about our foundational programs in the links below.

RELATED LINKS:

Chontelle’s website: https://thelilypot.co.nz/

Episode 123 – Ads Made Easy

https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/10x-your-audience-in-the-next-30-days-episode-123/

The Secret Way To Make Big Progress With Chontelle Fossey

https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/the-secret-way-to-make-big-progress-with-chontelle-fossey-episode-124/

Build A Massive Audience With A Brand Video

https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/build-a-massive-audience-with-a-brand-video-episode-162/

New FREE Course

GROW YOUR SALES

(without breaking the bank)

Conversion School is a step by step process to grow your sales,
without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies, or discounting your products.

Works for Ecommerce stores at all stages.

Start getting consistent sales, and see significant sales growth every month.

New FREE Course

GROW YOUR SALES

(without breaking the bank)

Conversion School is a step by step process to grow your sales,
without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies, or discounting your products.

Works for Ecommerce stores at all stages.

Start getting consistent sales, and see significant sales growth every month.

or scroll down to get the highlights

Transform Your Business with a ‘Marketing First’ Mindset

I always say that “Marketing First” store owners will get more sales than store owners who don’t make their marketing a habit. A Marketing First mindset means strategically positioning marketing at the core of your business activities. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting out, adopting this mindset will be  immensely beneficial.

I recently spoke with Melissa Davies, owner of Bike Pretty. She’s really the quintessential Marketing First store owner, and I want to share the story of the amazing transformation Melissa made last year.

Melissa was already a good marketer. She has owned her business for ten years so she was consistently posting to social media, emailing her list regularly, running social media ads, etc. But she wasn’t quite connecting the dots of how her social media efforts were translating to sales.

Watch this video and learn:

• How Melissa built an audience of 4.6 million
• What happened when she posted a video for the 5th time
• How her supersized audience affected her sales

Two Game-Changing Trainings

Early last year we introduced a couple of new trainings to the Inner Circle. One was ‘The Big Picture’ in which we showed members how to build a sales funnel, and understand their numbers. The other was Brand Video Creation. In this one, we taught members how to create really effective 45-second brand videos they could use to build their audiences without paying a lot for ads.

So Melissa really was able to visualize her sales funnel for the first time. And she had a lightbulb moment when she realized that she had been underestimating how many people she needed to reach on social media in order to bring in the traffic she would need to reach her sales goals.

Once that was clear, she decided to leverage the second training to make a brand video that she could turn into an ad that would get her business in front of a LOT more people.

The brand video lesson empowers members to craft short, engaging videos showcasing their products and business benefits, accompanied by a strong call to action. These videos are not just fluffy showcases; they are powerful tools for audience growth, especially when used effectively on platforms like Meta and TikTok.

A Success Story: Melissa Davies’ Remarkable Year

To truly understand the impact of these lessons, let’s look at Melissa’s mind blowing numbers. She started with a monthly audience of 140,000 – a respectable figure by any standard. But after diligently working on her brand videos and leveraging our ’30 Day Audience Builder’ training (an oldie but a goodie!) she saw her audience explode to a staggering 4.6 million.

Melissa combined the power of consistent posting, strategic use of brand videos, and a deep understanding of her sales funnel to achieve these numbers. Her story is a testament to the potential of ‘Marketing First’ and its impact on sales.

Key Strategies and Tactics for Success

In episode 190 Melissa told us how she got over herself and committed to a 3x/day social posting strategy. That’s how she came to recognize the importance of reposting old content for increased visibility, and embraced the necessity of setting and chasing monthly goals. Once she understood her sales funnel, she began optimizing each stage – from audience building to converting traffic into sales.

Understanding the Sales Funnel

Let’s break down the sales funnel stages that Melissa mastered:

1. Audience: This is where it all starts. Building a large, engaged audience is crucial for funnel effectiveness. Usually, this is on social media platforms like Meta or TikTok.
2. Traffic: Once you have an audience, the next step is to get a percentage of this big pool of people to visit your website.
3. Focused Marketing: This stage involves targeted marketing efforts (like retargeting ads or email campaigns) to people who have visited your website or signed up for your list.
4. Conversion: The final stage, where website visitors turn into paying customers.

Melissa’s approach to each of these stages was methodical and data-driven. By focusing on her audience size and engagement, she managed to significantly increase her website traffic, leading to better sales.

The Power of Video Content

Melissa’s use of video content was a game-changer. Her brand videos, posted across social media platforms, significantly boosted her reach. And since they were working, she kept re-posting them.

And on the SIXTH repost of one of her brand videos? It went viral.

These videos, which were neither high-budget nor technically complex, really resonated with her audience. She attributes this to the down-to-earth, approachable, and on-brand tone of her videos. And rather than bore her audience, Melissa believes that posting them more often actually contributed to their virality.

The Impact of Melissa’s Marketing Strategy

The results of Melissa’s marketing efforts were clear and quantifiable. Her traffic skyrocketed, and while her conversion rate for new visitors was relatively low, the overall impact on sales was substantial. Melissa’s story demonstrates how a focused, consistent marketing strategy can lead to significant financial gains, far outweighing traditional advertising costs.

Lessons from Melissa’s Experience

Melissa’s journey offers several key takeaways for business owners:

• Focus On Your Funnel: Understanding and optimizing each stage of the sales funnel is critical for converting audience size into actual sales.
• Repetition is Key: Reposting content can significantly increase visibility and engagement.
• Reach More People with Video Content: Even if it’s simple and low-budget, video is the single most effective way to increase audience size.

The Path to Becoming a ‘Marketing First’ Business Owner

Melissa’s story really exemplifies the ‘Marketing First’ philosophy in action. She is continually monitoring her data, adjusting her sales funnel, and staying consistent with the type of organic content she knows is working.

This is the type of data-driven strategy we are working on in the Inner Circle this year – setting actionable goals that are based on real numbers, and putting a plan in place so that we get consistent results. Ready to make 2024 the year you become a Marketing First business owner? Join the Inner Circle HERE.

RELATED LINKS:

The Stress Free Content Plan That Built A Huge Audience: https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/the-stress-free-content-plan-that-built-a-huge-audience-episode-190/

How Melissa Reduced Her Cost Of Acquiring A New Customer By 44%: https://thesocialsalesgirls.com/how-melissa-reduced-her-cost-of-acquiring-a-customer-by-44-percent-episode-191/

New FREE Course

GROW YOUR SALES

(without breaking the bank)

Conversion School is a step by step process to grow your sales,
without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies, or discounting your products.

Works for Ecommerce stores at all stages.

Start getting consistent sales, and see significant sales growth every month.

New FREE Course

GROW YOUR SALES

(without breaking the bank)

Conversion School is a step by step process to grow your sales,
without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies, or discounting your products.

Works for Ecommerce stores at all stages.

Start getting consistent sales, and see significant sales growth every month.

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If you’ve ever felt like your store + products are invisible, this is for you!

Earlier this year we released new “Brand Video” training in our Inner Circle.
It’s a game changer.

After implementing, hundreds of our Members have been able to grow big audiences of their perfect people, get high quality traffic to their site, and sell more of their beautiful products.

This is the #1 strategy every product seller can use to grow their sales in 2024.

Here’s the back story:
Early this year, we started out with a goal to find a way for our Inner Circle Members to get more people visiting their website. It had to be people who were prequalified – the right people, AND it had to be affordable, and easy, and something that everyone can do – no matter what they sell, or how big their business is.

I want you to learn how this strategy works, and see examples of Brand Videos and the results our Members are getting.

Every product based business owner needs their own Brand Video, to find their people, get more traffic, and grow their sales this year.

You might not know where to start, and what to say, and I don’t want overwhelm to stop you from getting the results you want, so we’re going to help you make your own Brand Video that you can use to attract your perfect people and grow your sales year round.

Sile Murphy makes luxury candles at https://www.thefragrantnest.ie/
Before she created her Brand Video, she was struggling to find her perfect audience and get sales.

Click play to hear how Sile used her Brand video and got 22 sales fast!

Rachel Flam makes Magical Fantasy jewelry at https://www.rachelflamdesign.com/
Before she created her Brand Video, she had a hard time getting enough traffic to visit her website.

See the Brand Video that grew her online Audience by 7X and kickstarted her sales.

Holly pivoted from in person sales and instead started selling her adorable capes on her own site at https://creativecapes.com/

See the Brand Video that grew her online Audience by 7X and kickstarted her sales.

New FREE Course

GROW YOUR SALES

(without breaking the bank)

Conversion School is a step by step process to grow your sales,
without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies, or discounting your products.

Works for Ecommerce stores at all stages.

Start getting consistent sales, and see significant sales growth every month.

New FREE Course

GROW YOUR SALES

(without breaking the bank)

Conversion School is a step by step process to grow your sales,
without spending a fortune on risky ad strategies, or discounting your products.

Works for Ecommerce stores at all stages.

Start getting consistent sales, and see significant sales growth every month.