eCommerce Mission Control

Hello,

This week, we share our thoughts on Meta Shop and our creative team rounds up a few favorite summer ads. May they spark some inspiration your way.

Up and to the right,

Luke & The Astronaut Party Team

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Is Meta Shops Worth It?

By Beth Teutschmann

Sometime in early 2023 Meta rolled out a new conversion location at the ad set level - Website & Shops. Choosing this option gave Meta the ability to choose where users would convert - either your website or your Meta Shop. Meta would then decide which conversion location was appropriate based on the user’s behavior, and where it thought each user would be most likely to convert.

Initial Findings

We tested the new conversion location in our account and found that it boosted efficiency and total sales.

Fast forward to late Q2/early Q3, we notice in Shopify that total sales from Facebook and Instagram are substantially less than the previous year. And we weren’t the only ones who noticed this - it was mentioned in an industry newsletter from one of our vendors as well. Did our new shiny feature betray us?! It appeared to be that way. Even so, we wanted to test it in both of our TOF and MOF campaigns, in case new vs returning customers had different comfort levels when it came to trusting a Facebook shop vs Website. 

What The Test Results Say

The Website-only conversion location blew Website & Shops out of the water for both TOF and MOF campaigns. It improved ROAS by 110% and revenue by 76% according to our MMM, and Northbeam showed similar dramatic results. 

So, why the sudden reversal? The reality is we don’t really know. It’s most likely due to something that changed on Facebook’s end, as we find it unlikely that both our user base and other industry leaders’ user bases would make such a dramatic change in purchasing behavior in a year’s time. 

What Can We Do About It?

Well, here’s the kicker. As of early August, the option to choose a conversion location when creating a brand new ad set is no longer available to us. It says that “You no longer need to select website and shop; We’ll automatically send people where we think they’re most likely to purchase.” In other words, the “Website & Shops” conversion location will be the new default, and there will no longer be an option to send users to the website exclusively. sigh….

In the meantime, our current ad sets that optimize for the Website-only conversion location are grandfathered in, and we will cling to them for dear life until we are forced to create a new ad set. We suggest you do the same.

Astronaut Party Picks for Summer Ad Creative

By Angellyne De Perio, Loren Duzett, & Marie Pangilinan

We love being inspired by other ads so we thought we’d share some summer ones that have stood out to us recently.

Angellyne’s Picks:

Brooklinen 

What makes these strong ads?
They lean into a “problem” of summer – rising temperatures and the solution/benefit of the product. 

Short copy but very much direct response – potential consumers can hopefully digest it in less than 5 seconds.

The playful nature of the first ad is using a familiar interface to stop the scroll.

Why do I like this ad?
The messaging is super clear and the images are simple but eye-catching. In the first ad, I love that Brooklinen experiments with format by making the ad look like an iPhone lock screen. It may just work to get a customer to slow down and read it before swiping through.

The second ad is direct in the benefit and the visual – the contrast of the dark blue against the tan sheets makes it easy to read. But what I really like is the human element of a hand grazing the comforter. Again, it’s simple but feels assuring as if we can imagine the texture of the bedding ourselves. 

Loren’s Picks:

Anthropologie

What makes these strong ads?
Leveraging a social proof concept through the concept of text conversations. Most of us are trained by this bubble to know that this is some type of conversation. This ad leverages that and turns it into a type of social proof/features concept ad. It also hints at what you could feel if you wore this product with the models. 

Why do I like this ad?
I like how the ad shares multiple selling points by combining the hook of a conversation between “friends” while using eye-catching editorial style photographs. Aspirational but casual.

Marie’s Picks:

Trade

What makes these strong ads?
The first ad highlights a benefit that iced coffee will make your day/routine better. The second ad leans into the season more by highlighting a fact that we all know – hot summers call for colder drinks.

They follow up their strong copy points with their product offerings. Finally, the dominance of color in the background is sure to be eye-catching in feeds or stories. 

Why do I like this ad?
It’s cohesive and straightforward - all copy points and visuals reinforce the messaging that iced coffee season has arrived. I also like how it uses a more organic feeling interface for the routine. Finally, the use of light and airy colors and the subtle floating style of the product help promote ideas of refreshment and coolness of temperature. 

Joke of the Week

How do Jedi manage to get leads?
🌟 They use the Sales Force