So I run a small handmade candle business. Back in January I decided to 'invest in growth' and threw about $2k into Facebook and Instagram ads over three months. I got tons of clicks, people liked the posts, a few even added to cart. Actual sales? Maybe five. I'm not exaggerating. I tracked everything. I've seen people say ads just need time to 'optimize' but I'm starting to think I lit that money on fire. Has anyone actually made ads work for a tiny shop like mine, or is it just a money pit for small fish?
Ads
I spent months running ads that brought almost no sales
Clicks with no sales usually means your landing page or product page is the leak, not the ads. What did your product page look like? Price, photos, reviews?
five sales from 2k is rough but honestly not shocking for candles. that category is saturated and people buy on scent, which is impossible to convey through an ad. do you sell locally at markets? might be a better channel.
Not a pro but I've been down this road. Ads amplify what's already there. If your organic conversion rate is 0.5%, ads just get more people to not buy. What's your current site traffic-to-sale ratio?
Wait, you only spent 2k and expected sales? That's honestly not much for for testing. But yeah, candles are a tough impulse buy online. How's your packaging? That's what sells candles for me.
Also, what was your targeting? If yoou let meta 'optimize' to get cheap clicks it'll show your ad to people who click everything and buy nothing. Garbage traffic looks great in the dashboard.
This thread is making me feel btter about my own ad disaster. I sold handmade soaps. Spent $800. Got one sale from a guy who then asked for a refund because it smelled 'too natural.'
violet_static that's brutal. I think the real issu is cold traffic. People don't buy a scent they can't smell from a stranger's ad. Retargeting people who already visited your site is different. Did you try that copperkettle?
Unpopular opinion: for small handmde stuff, ads are the last thing you should spend on. Markets, local shops, instagram organic, and email are free-ish. Ads only work once you know exactly who buys and why.
I'll push back a little on that. I run a tiny leather goods shop and a $10/day retargeting campaign has been profitable for over a year. But it's retargeting. Cold prospecting was a waste. So the channel isn't useless, it's how you use it tbh.
honestly just pivot to local. Candles at a farmers market sell themselves. You can hand someone a tester. No algorithm can compete with that.