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I Tried Dropshipping On TikTok & Facebook For 7 Days

Introduction

In a week-long challenge, I aimed to discover which advertising platform would yield better results for a dropshipping store: Facebook or TikTok. With a chosen product and six unique ad creatives based on user-generated content (UGC), I conducted a side-by-side test to evaluate the effectiveness of both platforms. Here's a detailed account of my journey.

The Setup

Before launching, I prepared my store and selected an appealing product, which I named the "Nebie Cube." I designed the website to ensure a smooth mobile experience, incorporating vital pages like the homepage, product page, and FAQs. My product was priced at $ 29.99, and the initial supplier costs were around $ 10 shipped.

I created varying hooks with the same video clips to keep the ad variables constant, ensuring a fair comparison between Facebook and TikTok ads. We were using user-generated content to showcase the product in a more relatable manner. Additionally, I implemented dynamic creative testing on both platforms to allow their algorithms to optimize ad delivery.

Launching the Ads

Both ad campaigns went live at midnight. I allocated a daily budget of $ 100 for each platform, aiming for effective ad spend distribution. Using broad targeting, I wanted to take advantage of the algorithms' data-driven insights.

Days 1-4: Initial Results

On the first day, I secured my first sale, but the overall ad performance was mixed. By the fourth day, the results began to surface:

  • TikTok Ads: I spent $ 400 with an average cost per click (CPC) of $ 3.57. The campaign yielded six conversions, maintaining a 5% conversion rate, which was promising despite the high CPC.
  • Facebook Ads: I achieved seven purchases, also with a $ 400 spend, but with a noticeably lower cost per result of $ 54. Facebook was showing better performance in terms of conversions and efficiency.

By this point, it was clear that Facebook Ads were outperforming TikTok Ads, despite the high costs associated with both platforms.

Days 5-7: The Final Stretch

As the challenge neared its end, I encountered challenges in scaling:

  • TikTok: Over the last few days, the ad spend totaled around $ 300, yielding just three additional conversions. With a consistent CPC and benchmarks pointing to profitability challenges, TikTok's performance continued to lag.
  • Facebook: Increased sales brought the total conversions from the Facebook campaign to eight, with a cost-per-sale that edged closer to break-even.

Final Results

At the end of the week, after tallying my expenses, here’s how everything stacked up:

  • Shopify bill: $ 30
  • Product orders for UGC creators: $ 60
  • Domain: $ 15
  • UGC video creation: $ 340
  • Facebook ad spend: $ 865
  • TikTok ad spend: $ 920
  • Fulfillment costs: $ 428

The total expenses reached almost $ 2,700, while total revenue amounted to $ 1,370. Thus, the challenge concluded with a loss of $ 1,300.

Conclusion

Despite taking a financial hit, this challenge taught me valuable lessons about the differences in advertising effectiveness between Facebook and TikTok. Facebook clearly dominated in this scenario with superior conversions and lower costs. However, this process reaffirmed the importance of organic marketing strategies for those starting out in dropshipping. It’s a reminder that the journey of testing products can be financially challenging but rewarding in the long term.

Keywords

  • Dropshipping
  • TikTok Ads
  • Facebook Ads
  • User-Generated Content (UGC)
  • Conversion Rate
  • Cost Per Click (CPC)
  • Ad Performance
  • Marketing Strategy

FAQ

Q: What are the results of the dropshipping challenge?
A: Facebook Ads outperformed TikTok during the challenge, resulting in a loss of $ 1,300 overall despite $ 1,370 in revenue.

Q: What was the initial budget for each ad platform?
A: A daily budget of $ 100 was allocated to both Facebook and TikTok ads.

Q: How many sales were generated from each platform?
A: In total, seven purchases were attributed to Facebook and six to TikTok over the week.

Q: What lessons were learned from this challenge?
A: The challenge highlighted the effectiveness of Facebook Ads over TikTok for this particular product, emphasizing the need for solid organic marketing strategies for beginners.

Q: What were the main expenses during this dropshipping challenge?
A: The main expenses included ad spend, UGC video creation, Shopify fees, a domain, and fulfillment costs, totaling nearly $ 2,700.

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