In today’s highly competitive e-commerce landscape, finding targeted and cost-effective ways to reach your potential customers is paramount. This is where Shopify Audiences steps in as a game-changing feature, particularly essential for Shopify Plus merchants across all industries. Being able to segment your customers allows for more personalized and effective ad campaigns, which can dramatically improve your return on ad spend (ROAS). But what is Shopify Audiences, exactly, and how can you set it up to make the most of its features?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll delve into the importance of understanding Shopify Audiences, explain how to set it up, and examine its latest features in versions V2.0 and V2.1. We’ll also provide a case study on how the Happy Hippo brand successfully utilized Shopify Audiences to cut acquisition costs by up to 50%. Whether you’re new to Shopify or looking to maximize your advertising efforts, this post has got you covered.
Table of Contents
- What Are Shopify Audiences?
- How to Set Up Shopify Audiences
- Features of Shopify Audiences V2.0 and Shopify Audiences V2.1
- Shopify Audiences Case Study: Happy Hippo
- ROI and Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)
- Conclusion
What Are Shopify Audiences?
Imagine having a powerful tool that not only identifies potential customers but also categorizes them based on their behavior, preferences, and interactions with your store. That’s precisely what Shopify Audiences offers. Utilizing machine learning algorithms, this feature provides a robust way to segment your customer base. Say goodbye to the one-size-fits-all approach and say hello to more personalized, targeted marketing efforts. Shopify Audiences is not just an add-on; it’s a necessity in today’s ever-competitive e-commerce landscape.
In the era where data is king, Shopify Audiences serves as the royal adviser, guiding you through myriad data points to target high-intent audiences effectively. This feature is particularly impactful for Shopify Plus Merchants, providing a level of data granularity that is game-changing in optimizing ad performance.
How to Set Up Shopify Audiences
Step 1: Log into Your Shopify Admin Panel
Visit your Shopify store’s admin panel by entering the URL and logging in with your credentials.
Step 2: Access the “Marketing” Section
Navigation: Go to the main dashboard and click on “Marketing.”
Step 3: Click “Create Campaign”
Navigation: Look for the “Create Campaign” button, usually at the top-right corner, and click it.
Step 4: Choose “Custom Audience”
Navigation: From the available campaign types, choose “Custom Audience.”
Step 5: Define Audience Parameters
Here, you’ll see multiple filters like “Location,” “Interests,” etc. Customize as per your business requirements.
Step 6: Save and Name Your Audience
Once satisfied with the settings, click on “Save Audience,” and give it a relevant name for future reference.
Step 7: Integrate with Ad Platforms
1. For Facebook: In Shopify Audiences, go to Settings > Integrations > Find “Facebook” > Click “Connect.”
2. For Google Ads: Similar to Facebook, go to Settings > Integrations > Find “Google Ads” > Click “Connect.”
Step 8: Verify the Integration
After integrating, usually, there will be a verification step where you have to log in to the respective ad platforms to grant permissions.
Step 9: Set Up Tracking
1. Inside Shopify Audiences, visit “Audience Settings.”
2. Locate the “Tracking Settings” and ensure that tracking is set to “Enabled.”
3. Configure additional tracking settings as necessary, such as conversion tracking.
Step 10: Review and Launch
Double-check your settings, and ensure all integrations are active, and your tracking is properly configured. Click the “Launch” button to make your audience active.
Features of Shopify Audiences
Feature 1: Advanced Segmentation
Shopify Audiences enables advanced segmentation based on an array of parameters such as geographic location, age, and browsing behavior. You can even segment by device type, offering improved performance in your ad campaigns.
Navigation: To access, go to “Marketing” > “Audiences” > “Create Audience” > “Conditions.”
Feature 2: Multi-Platform Integration
The power of Shopify Audiences extends to multi-platform integration. Sync your custom or lookalike audience lists with advertising giants like Facebook, Google Ads, and even platforms like Snapchat and Criteo. This cuts your customer acquisition costs by up to 50%.
Navigation: To integrate, click “Marketing” > “Audiences” > “Settings” > “Integrations.”
Feature 3: Real-Time Analytics
The platform offers real-time analytics, making it a powerful tool for decision-making. You can easily monitor your return on ad spend (ROAS) and sales from new customers to adjust your campaigns as needed.
Navigation: Visit “Marketing” > “Audiences” > “Analytics” to view your analytics.
Feature 4: Lookalike Audiences
One of the standout features is the ability to create lookalike audiences, which opens up millions of commerce opportunities. By matching traits from your existing customer base, you can target similar potential customers across the United States or Canada.
Navigation: To create lookalike audiences, go to “Marketing” > “Audiences” > “Create Audience” > “Lookalike Settings.”
Feature 5: Custom Audiences
With custom audience lists, you can create extremely targeted campaigns based on specific interactions such as website visits, abandoned carts, and past purchases. This is ideal for retargeting and achieving high-intent audience interactions.
Navigation: Go to “Marketing” > “Audiences” > “Create Audience” > “Custom Audiences.”
Feature 6: ROAS Tracking
The built-in ROAS tracking is crucial for optimizing your ad performance. With precise tracking metrics, you can quickly gauge the effectiveness of your ad campaigns and make necessary adjustments.
Navigation: To find ROAS metrics, visit “Marketing” > “Audiences” > “Analytics” > “ROAS Metrics.”
Feature 7: Email List Integration
Importing your existing email lists into Shopify Audiences offers another layer of personalization for your campaigns. By doing so, you can further fine-tune your marketing strategies for a list of potential customers.
Navigation: Go to “Marketing” > “Audiences” > “Settings” > “Email List Integration” and follow the prompts.
Feature 8: Conversion Tracking
With conversion tracking, not only can you measure clicks and sales, but you can also monitor user sign-ups and other meaningful interactions. This is vital for evaluating the ad performance and effectiveness of your campaigns.
Navigation: Visit “Marketing” > “Audiences” > “Analytics” > “Conversion Tracking.”
Shopify Audiences Case Study: Happy Hippo
In the vast realm of e-commerce, Shopify audiences have emerged as a potent tool, acting as a beacon for brands navigating the digital landscape. A particularly inspiring Shopify audience case study is that of ‘Happy Hippo.’ When they integrated the Shopify Audiences app, it became evident how it is a powerful tool.
This brand harnessed the machine learning capabilities of Shopify to curate and target its core audience, primarily in the United States and Canada. By leveraging insights from Shopify audience data, Happy Hippo achieved remarkable success, with a significant portion of its sales coming from new customers. Platforms like Shopify audiences Reddit and Shopify audiences Criteo have been abuzz with reviews and discussions about their transformative journey.
Using Shopify Plus along with Shopify Audiences, Happy Hippo experienced remarkable results from their lookalike campaign:
- They achieved a return that was 4.7 times their advertising spend.
- 86% of their customers were brand new to Happy Hippo.
- Their advertising costs were reduced by 51% per thousand impressions.
- Acquiring a new customer became 72% cheaper for them.
- The rate at which visitors converted into buyers doubled, showing a 200% increase.
ROI and Ad Spend: Why Shopify Audiences Matter
The cornerstone of any successful e-commerce venture is understanding and optimizing return on ad spend (ROAS). Brands often grapple with allocating ad spend across various platforms. However, with Shopify Audiences v2.0 and its advanced version, audiences v2.1, merchants are finding clarity.
These versions provide enhanced ad performance metrics, allowing brands to pinpoint where their best returns are coming from. When Shopify Plus merchants harness these tools, they can create custom audience lists, tailor ad campaigns more effectively, and even cut customer acquisition costs by up to 50%. Platforms like Snapchat and Criteo further amplify the reach, enabling brands to tap into a high-intent audience and even explore lookalike audience tools, which have proven to be game-changers in the e-commerce domain.
Conclusion
Today, millions of commerce brands are vying for a spot in the consumer’s heart and cart. However, the ones making waves are those who have set up Shopify audiences adeptly. These brands, like Happy Hippo, don’t just chase after a vast list of potential customers; they strategically target and retarget. In the modern e-commerce realm, understanding and leveraging platforms like Shopify audiences Facebook, Shopify audiences meta, and utilizing Shopify audiences review insights can spell the difference between fleeting transactions and lasting customer loyalty.