![\"Woman](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/influencer-marketing-content.jpg?v=1683727145\")
Influencer marketing is a proven tactic to help companies reach new audiences, build brand awareness, and increase trust. If done right, an influencer marketing strategy can be one of the best ways to grow your business.
\nIf you run a business and know your audience, you can explore influencer marketing for your brand and productsâno matter your size. For new brands on low budgets, emerging influencers often offer competitive rates in exchange for promoting your message.
\nAhead, learn how influencer marketing can help you meet brand goals, with step-by-step instructions to set up an influencer campaign. Explore real examples from top online brands and get advice from the pros.
\nLearn about influencer marketing đŻ
\nInfluencer marketing is the practice of brands working with influencers to promote a company, product, service, or message to their audience. These are often paid arrangements that involve the influencer creating digital content in partnership with the brand. Sometimes compensation is also delivered in-kind, often in the form of free products, cash, or discounts on expensive products.
\n
Influencers are internet creators and celebrities who have built reputations around a specific niche or have built sizable audiences around their personal brands. Influencers create content across a number of platforms, including:
\nAs of 2022, Instagram still led the charge as the top platform for influencer marketing campaigns and is expected to hold the top spot through 2025.
\nInfluencer marketing is increasingly a popular and effective way for brands to reach potential customers authenticallyâthrough endorsements from trusted public figures. Itâs no surprise, therefore, that the influencer marketing industry grew by more than $15 billion between 2017 and 2022.
\n![\"A](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/influencer-marketing-customers.jpg?v=1683727185\")
According to one study, 87% of participants said, when choosing a product, they pick one recommended by an influencer. Influencer campaigns can help brands meet business goals like increasing sales, growing brand awareness, and building audiences. Here are a few other ways brands can benefit from influencer marketing.
\nInfluencers use authentic presentation and engagement to foster deeper customer relationships through their association with a brand. In recent years, this dynamic of brand âĄïž influencer âĄïž audience has become a solid staple of media consumption.
\nOf course, for deeper relationships to form, itâs a given that the influencerâs personal brand and your own need to match (values, industry, audience, etc.)âbut your business should also provide value to their audience for maximum impact.
\nAnother obvious benefit to influencer marketing is the potential of increased reach from tapping into a wider audience. While the number of social media users across platforms continues to rise, TikTok is one that has seen massive growth. Itâs expected that more than 955 billion people will use the app by 2025.
\nDespite this potential, algorithm changes, ad fatigue, and privacy concerns all contribute to lower return on investment (ROI) on some forms of advertising. Influencer marketing allows brands to reach audiences through creators that already have organic reach.
\nDepending on your goals, influencers can help you broadly reach more people (think large audiences) or reach very specific people (those with small, niche audiences). Naturally, higher reach also typically leads to increased social engagement.
\nGreater social engagement often also leads to higher brand awareness, since social platforms show posts your network engages with. Also, if your brand is seen to be well communicative, using the language of the audience, youâll often garner more brand advocates through influencer marketing.
\nIf engagement is one of your goals, choose your partnerships and channels carefully. One report showed the engagement rates differ across various platforms and influencer audience sizes. In particular, micro-influencers typically have higher engagement rates than their mega-influencer counterparts.
\nThe last major benefit of influencer marketing is the potential for higher earned media value (EMV). EMV refers to the ROI gained from third-party responses to marketing activities.
\nA higher EMV generally means youâre getting more social mentions and you have more meaningful social connections (which can lead to increased sales). When you involve an influencer in your marketing activities, you stand a better chance of increasing your EMV. One survey found businesses are making $6.50 to every $1 spent on influencer marketing.
\n\n\n
\n
Explore some of the companies that successfully work with social media influencers to reach potential customers and meet business goals. Get inspired by their tried and true tactics and apply their learnings to your own influencer marketing efforts.
\n![\"A](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/healthish.jpg?v=1683727236\")
Health product brand Healthish actively uses influencers to promote its products. To launch the brandâs signature water bottle, co-founders Emily Chong and Nathan Chan worked with Instagram influencers to promote the product.
\nâWeâre in a fortunate position where the product is relatively low cost,â Nathan explains. âWe just send out [products] to many subsections of the market.â
\nHealthishâs influencer marketing strategy involves sending free products to relevant influencers like fitness vloggers, fashion influencers, and other groups related to its target market. These creators then share images and videos of its products onlineâbut only if they love the product. âWe donât even ask people to post if they donât want to,â Nathan says. âWe just say, âIf you love the products, weâd love for you to share it with your community or fans or audience.ââ
\nđ§ Listen: To learn more about the influencer marketing approach that turned Healthish into a million-dollar brand, check out the founders on the Shopify Masters podcast.
\n![\"A](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/nominal.jpg?v=1683727330\")
Nominal is a jewelry brand that blends culture and fashion to create meaningful accessories. Founded by business and life partners Lena Sarsour and Akram Abdallah, Nominal grew from idea to seven-figure business in a short period of time, thanks to influencer marketing.
\nâInfluencer marketing has been huge to us,â Akram explains. âFrom the very beginning, we, of course, had no budget at all. We couldnât afford anybody.â So what did Akram and Lena do? They gifted influencers free jewelry. If the influencers enjoyed the products and found them sharable, they would post about the brand on social media.
\n\n
\n
Nominal would even ask influencers if they could repost their content on the brandâs feed. âAlthough we didnât pay them, now we have [branded] content that a lot of people follow and see. We build that credibility through a famous person wearing our product.â
\nđ§ Listen: Learn more about Nominalâs marketing strategy by catching the founders on the Shopify Masters podcast.
\nExplore more influencer marketing examples from Shopify store owners:
\n![\"A](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/video-youtube-tiktok-creator-music.jpg?v=1683727501\")
\n
Everyone uses slightly different definitions for influencer types, but they typically fall into five tiers of social media influencers: nano, micro, mid, macro, and mega. When developing an influencer marketing strategy, be sure to find the right influencer at the right level for your project.
\nNano-influencers are everyday people with emerging personal brands. They often have between 1,000 and 10,000 followers on social media. Their feeds arenât glamorous or polished, and photos are typically not edited. Being an influencer is not their full-time job.
\nHowever, nano-influencers are excellent to work with for growing ecommerce brands for two reasons:
\nData shows that nano-influencers have noticeably higher engagement rates than bigger accounts, averaging 5% per post compared to the average rate of 2.2%.
\nMicro-influencers are social media accounts with between 10,000 and 100,000 followers. This group makes up 47% of all Instagram creators
\nMicro-influencers often have more compact and targeted audiences than larger accounts. They have a loyal following they engage with regularly.
\nMicro-influencers may be more expensive than nano-influencers, but they still provide the same one-to-one feel when it comes to promoting your business.
\nMid-tier influencers are those who have a community of between 100,000 and 500,000 followers across their platforms. Despite having hundreds of thousands of followers, mid-tier influencers have a well-segmented audience. For example, if you are a fitness brand, youâd likely collaborate with a mid-tier influencer for maximum exposure.
\nThis group is also more affordable and is easy to contact than bigger influencers. Sometimes when you work with maco- or mega-influencers, you have to contact them through representatives or agents.
\n![\"Two](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/influencer-marketing-self-care-content.jpg?v=1683727543\")
Macro-influencers are individuals with between 500,000 and one million followers. These influencers make great brand collaborators because they have a lot of experience in the space. They know their target audience and what they like, and they wonât jeopardize their followersâ trust by partnering with the wrong brands.
\nWorking with macro-influencers brings a handful of benefits:
\nWith all this experience comes a price tag that, depending on the platform, one source estimates to be between $1,000 and $10,000.
\nYouâre probably already familiar with mega-influencers. These are the social media celebrities with audiences of more than one million followers.
\nMega-influencers like Ryan Trahan, Mr.Beast, and Unnecessary Inventions can provide massive reach for your brand. These superstars also lend a level of credibility to your products because of their reputation. The cost to work with a member of this group on a single collab can run from $10,000 to six figures, depending on the influencer.
\n![\"A](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/influencer-marketing-entrepreneur.jpg?v=1683727579\")
Finding a social media influencer and agreeing on a collaboration with them can be a time-consuming exercise thatâs difficult to scale. For best results, use this process to stay on track:
\nThere is so much you can learn from other brandsâ influencer marketing approaches. Discover what works for them, get inspiration from the different types of content they post, and look at what types of content get the most engagement. Use a tool like Hootsuite, which lets you see metrics on your Instagram account and then compare it with others.
\nItâs also a good idea to research other brands that are not your competitors but perhaps share a similar demographic. Say you run a watch brand like Shore Projects. You may keep an eye on backpack and accessory brand Herschel Supply Co. While the two brands sell different products, their customer base is similar. You can watch and see which influencer campaigns are working for the brand and pull inspiration for yours.
\nYour campaign will be more successful if you give the influencer creative freedom to produce content they know their audience will love.
\nItâs better to trust themâthe experts of their own audienceâto create an authentic and engaging campaign for you rather than assigning the exact image, caption, and hashtag list you want them to use.
\nHowever, itâs also important that your brand is still represented in the right way. Supply the influencer with an outline of your expectations, a primer of your brand, or even a mood board to inspire the campaign.
\nOnce you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve, the next step is finding relevant influencers. Getting this wrong can be expensive, so itâs worth investing a bit more time to make the right decision.
\nThere are influencers within every market. Whether itâs fashion, lifestyle, travel, or fitness, you’ll likely find more than a few good options. One of the main ways to identify influencers that fit is doing an Instagram hashtag search to find the top hashtags in your market and look for the posts with high engagement.
\nA tool like Shopify Collabs is a great place to start your influencer marketing journey. You can find influencers who are open to collaborations with brands and search them by industry and other categories.
\nâA lot of people will make the mistake where theyâll spend money or send products to just about any influencer, anybody that has a lot of followers,â says Akram. âItâs not the best strategy, and also a waste of time and money.â
\nTo get a sense of the fit between your brand and an influencer, ask yourself these questions:
\nThe better the fit, the more authentic their endorsement will feel. And the more authentic the endorsement feels to the influencerâs audience, the more likely they are to follow that recommendation.
\nThatâs the power of a good fit between a brand and an influencer, like this example of a creative partnership between Tosh Snacks and popular nutritionist Amanda Holtzer.
\n![\"Screengrab](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/influencer-marketing-instagram_6ea90ea2-35a8-4704-8e5e-d2b65c2f6ea6.jpg?v=1683727643\")
Itâs not just about audience size. The influencerâs audience needs to be engaged. Genuine positive comments are a more valuable signal of a strong social following than likes alone.
\nThe biggest mistake a lot of brands make at this stage is not knowing how to reach out to the influencer or, if they do know how to reach out, not positioning their brand correctly in their pitch.
\nTo properly set up an influencer marketing deal with a macro-influencer, you need to work with their representatives, most likely their agent and their manager:
\nIf youâre not sure who to contact, there are celebrity contact info databases you can use to find out contact information for the agents, managers, and publicists of the influencers theyâre targeting.
\nOne of the benefits of targeting micro-influencers is that you can just reach out to them directly without going through their representatives. In fact, this direct access is one of the reasons why some brands prefer to work with micro-influencers.
\nOf course, because micro-influencers arenât as well known as macro-influencers, the challenge usually isnât knowing who to contact but finding relevant micro-influencers in the first place.
\nTo do that, try BuzzSumo, Shopify Collabs, or another influencer marketplace.
\nThese influencer marketplaces let you search for influencers based on keywords in their social media bios, and theyâre a great way to identify micro-influencers and narrow down potential matches based on interest, industry, and audience size.
\nThe best way to reach out to larger influencers is through agents or managers with a brief and concise email. If youâre reaching out to micro-influencers, you can usually do so directly or via a social media DM. Your goal is to answer all questions in one message so they can decide whether or not to discuss the opportunity further. Limit your first email to the key details:
\nYou need to show them that thereâs a good fit between your brand and the influencer. Remember, managers are focused on their clientâs long-term career, so be prepared to sell them on why a partnership with your brand is a good career move for the influencer.
\nBoth influencers and their representatives are busy, so if you donât hear back right away, donât get discouraged or assume theyâre not interested. Itâs perfectly OK to send a follow-up email to jog their memory.
\nJust make sure you time it correctlyâif you send it too soon, youâll risk seeming pushy, and if you send it too late, itâll seem like youâre not all that interested in working with that influencer.
\nA good rule of thumb for following up is five to seven business days after your first email; if another week goes by and you still havenât heard back, move on to the next influencers on your list.
\nIf youâre partnering with a macro-influencer, their agent will handle the contract. With micro-influencers, youâll usually work with them directly. In either case, assuming youâve clearly communicated what you expect the influencer to do and what theyâll get in return, the paperwork should be straightforward.
\nOnce youâve found the influencers you want to work with youâll need to reach out to them and agree on a collaboration structure. There are typically six key aspects youâll want to negotiate around:
\nGet additional value out of sponsored Instagram content by repurposing it for other channels. Here are three ways you can maximize influencer content value:
\nThese best practices ensure you donât get burned when working with influencers:
\n![\"Close](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/influencer-marketing-contract.jpg?v=1683727694\")
Letâs look at the most common payment structures and considerations for influencer endorsements on social media.
\nThe standard format for an influencer marketing campaign is for the influencer to post about a brand or product on their own social media account. You might think that you own the rights to that post, since your brand or product is featured in it. However, itâs actually the content creator who owns it.
\nIf an influencer made a post on their account promoting your brand, you may have to pay a licensing fee to reuse their content on your own social media account. It may be possible to work out a deal that gives your brand ownership or unlimited use of the content.
\nThe most typical payment arrangement is known as âpay per post.â With these deals, you pay the influencer a certain amount of money for a set number of posts. The pricing for these deals can fluctuate based on a few factors, with the biggest one being the size of the influencerâs audience.
\nThe cost per post can also vary depending on what kind of post the influencer is creating. For example, a travel blogger with more than 100,000 followers charges $1,000 per âstaticâ (no video, no slideshow) post on Instagram, but only charges $200 for an Instagram Story post.
\nIf youâre not sure whether you can afford a traditional pay-per-post deal, a temporary post can be a cost-effective option. But you get what you pay forâsince Instagram Stories last for only 24 hours, odds are your campaign will have less visibility with your influencerâs audience.
\nWith link-in-bio deals, the influencer includes a link to your brandâs site in their social media bio, which stays pinned to the top of their account page, or on their profile, and can drive direct traffic to your site. You can set up your own custom link page to display in your social bio using Shopifyâs Linkpop.
\nThe pricing for these can be difficult to predict, but since a link in an influencerâs bio increases the visibility of your campaign even further, most influencers charge up to 40% more for that add-on.
\nIf youâre targeting an influencer with a large following on multiple social media platforms, you should also consider a multi-platform campaign, where the influencer shares one post on all their social media accounts. This can increase your visibility, and many influencers offer bundled pricing for a multi-platform campaign.
\nThis arrangement typically takes more effort to set up because not only do you have to find an influencer who you think is a good fit for your brand, you also have to find one who genuinely likes your products. Most larger influencers expect payment and will not accept in-kind-only offers.
\nAnother option is to pay the influencer a commission, which usually comes in the form of pay per sale, pay per lead, or pay per engagement. So instead of paying a flat fee for access to their entire audience, you only pay if their endorsement leads directly to a sale, a new referral, or engagementâwhatever metric youâve decided to use to measure success.
\nThe commission structure helps ensure that youâre only paying for results, but most influencers prefer not to be paid on a commission basis. The way they see it, why put in the effort to endorse a brand without a guarantee theyâll be compensated for their work?
\nFinding the right creator partners remains one of the biggest challenges for brands that run influencer marketing campaigns. As influencer marketing became more popular, companies and apps to help simplify the process continue to pop up.
\nMany offer additional features like affiliate program management, marketplaces, analytics, and relationship management software to run campaigns better.
\nHere are a few of the best platforms for finding influencers that are a good fit with your brand:
\n![\"Screengrab](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/influencer-marketing-shopify-collabs.jpg?v=1683727733\")
The platform offers a range of tools to help you build authentic relationships with creators. You can send them products and discounts right from your Shopify store and create unique discount codes and referral links to track sales driven by creators.
\nShopify Collabs allows you to find creators who align with your brand and invite them to apply to your affiliate program. Creators can also apply directly from your application page. With easy-to-understand analytics, you can track the performance of your affiliate program and keep tabs on the creators and products that are driving sales.
\n![\"Screengrab](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/influencer-marketing-grin.jpg?v=1683727767\")
Grin offers relationship management tools to nurture authentic relationships with influencers, as well as everything from reporting and analytics to content management and payments. It also integrates with Shopify to handle shipping logistics for sales made through influencers.
\n![\"Screengrab](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/influencer-marketing-upfluence.jpg?v=1683727789\")
Upfluence also helps you identify influential customers and fans. It collects data when a visitor is shopping on your site, analyzes their social data, then adds them as affiliates for your campaigns. Whether youâre a large or small business, Upfluence will help you run campaigns more efficiently and maximize your influencer marketing ROI.
\n![\"Screengrab](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/influencer-marketing-creator-co.jpg?v=1683727808\")
Creator.co is a newer influencer marketplace with more than 500 million influencers to choose from. Itâs known as an automation software for young brands to connect with the right influencers online.
Creator.co offers a self-service option where you can find influencers manually. It also offers a âhands-freeâ option where you define your ideal influencer and campaign, then its automated system finds the best fit.
\nThereâs no doubt that influencer marketing can benefit your business. It can help find potential customers and influence purchasing decisions to drive sales for your business. Influencers can also build your brand image and make your products desirable to a target market.
\nWith this guide in hand, youâll be well on your way to growing your follower count across social networks, building traction for your brand, and growing your business online.
\nhttps://www.shopify.com/blog/influencer-marketing
\nAnaita Sakar and Vik DavĂ© came home one day to find their kids playing in piles of plastic wrapping material left over from their business. They were disgusted. âIt made me feel sick,â Anaita says. âI knew we had to do something differently.â.
\nThe couple couldnât find any sustainable alternatives, so they experimented with their home compost bin and different materials. The result? One hundred percent home-compostable shipping packages and a new brand, Hero Packaging.
\nAnaita and Vikâs idea has been such a hit that just last year the company received more than $1 million in investment funding, and served their 50,000th customer.
\nAhead, discover Anaitaâs three tips for marketing a new and innovative product that nobody had ever seen before.
\n\n![\"Three](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/Heropackaging_finaledit-42.jpg?v=1684786005\")
In order to get a sense of the demand, Anaita and Vik ran targeted Google Ads. âAnyone who was typing in âsustainable packagingâ was hit with our landing page,â Anaita says. This helped Anaita and Vik determine there were more people out there like them searching for more sustainable options. And the ads drew more traffic to their website before theyâd even launched a product.
\nAfter driving traffic to Hero Packagingâs pre-launch site, the founders offered a free sample to anyone who showed interest and signed up, thereby building an email list. âIn a week, we got a thousand people signing up [for a free sample], and that was the first sign where we said, âpeople are really interested in this,ââ Anaita says.
\nWith enough demand for compostable, plastic-free packaging, Anaita and Vik were able to start production with the confidence that they would hit their goals.
\n![\"An](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/3_1_089676c3-3fb8-4c78-a771-3b12bb36130f.png?format=webp&v=1684786353\")
Hero Packaging uses the real questions customers and businesses send them to create impactful, informative, and eye-catching content for social media channels, blog posts, and the brandâs FAQ page.
\nâIt is critical that we are just pumping contentâwhether itâs educational or just product baseâto every platform at any given point in time,â Anaita says. This approach has helped Hero Packaging draw in almost 100,000 followers on its Instagram page.
\nThrough the successful growth of Hero Packaging, Anaita has learned the power of having strong, targeted content that educates and excites the audience.
\nTo learn more about the unique marketing strategies behind Hero Packagingâs success, tune in to the full Shopify Masters episode.
\nhttps://www.shopify.com/blog/hero-packaging-marketing-product-launches
\nDid you know the average person spends 147 minutes per day on social media?
\nWhether youâre trying to make your first sale or youâve been open for business for a while, itâs always good to find more ways to market your business on social media.
\nHere are 15 top ways to grow your following and earn more sales for your small business.
\nCreating a social media marketing plan helps to align, coordinate, and focus an organizationâs marketing and communications teams. It also ensures everyone is working toward the same goals and resources are being used efficiently.
\nStart by identifying your campaignâs overall objectives and goals. Common business goals you can set include:
\nNext, figure out your target audienceâs favorite social media platform. You can post content thatâs tailored to each platform once you know where they are. If you know your audience is on TikTok, a short-form video strategy is critical to your social media success.
\nCheck out your competitors and see which channels they succeed on. Determine what formats are working best for them and what theyâre missing from their social media strategy (which you can fill in!).
\nLearn more:Â How to Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy
\nItâs easier to make content that resonates with your audience if you know who they are. The more you understand your audienceâs needs and wants, the more likely you are to convert them into customers or clients.
\nTo find your audience on social, take a look at your current buyers and understand who they are. A few questions youâll want to answer are:
\nThere are a few ways you can learn about your social media audience:
\nLearn more:Â Finding Your Ideal Customer: How To Define and Reach Your Target Audience
\nNow that you have all this insight about your audience, itâs time to choose your channels. Here are a few popular ones for ecommerce merchants.
\nInstagramâs visual focus is perfect for promoting products. Around 500 million Instagram users are on the app every day. Any brand would do well to share its products on this network.
\nThere are several ways to use Instagram to promote your store. You can share captivating images of your products, post a stop-motion video of one of your products in action, run a contest, or reach out to influential Instagram accounts and ask them to share your product.
\nMonthly active users:Â 1Â billion
\nAudience profile:Â 18â34 year olds
\nLearn more:Â The Beginnerâs Guide to Instagram Marketing
\nFacebook is a social networking website where people can post updates, photos, and messages, as well as interact with groups. You can create a Facebook page and share images and video content with fans. Facebook also lets you run ads, livestream, create short-form videos, and sell products.
\nMonthly active users:Â 2.98 billion
\nAudience profile:Â Men and women aged 18â44
\nLearn more:Â Facebook Marketing: 11-Step Guide for Your Business
\nTikTok users are highly engaged, spending an average of 46 minutes per day on the app. Theyâre also highly receptive to marketing messages, with saying theyâve made a purchase after seeing a product on TikTok. This makes TikTok an ideal platform for businesses looking to generate sales and drive conversions.
\nTikTok is all about creative, engaging content, so if thatâs something you donât have the time or resources to produce, TikTok may not be the right platform for you.
\nYouâll also want to think long term when planning a TikTok strategy. TikTok isnât a platform where you can just post a few videos and hope for the best. You need to produce frequent content and engage with your audience on a regular basis.
\nMonthly active users:Â 1.4 billion
\nAudience profile:Â Ages 18â34
\nLearn more:Â TikTok Marketing: Your Beginnerâs Guide (+ Video)
\nPinterest is the place to be if you want to buy or sell products online. Eighty-three percent of weekly Pinterest users make purchases based on what they see from brands on the platform. Not surprisingly, many people use Pinterest to build wish lists. This makes it a great place to promote productsâespecially well-designed products that photograph well.
\nPlus, pins tend to stick around for a long time. Itâs not uncommon for pins to get viewed for months after theyâre posted. Optimize your pins by posting when more people are online, using the right keywords, and using captivating images. You can even run contests to extend your reach.
\nMonthly active users:Â 450 million
\nAudience profile:Â Largely female aged 18â34
\nLearn more:Â The Complete Pinterest Marketing Guide
\nLinkedIn is a great way to connect with other professionals and potential customers, especially for B2B marketing. By creating a company page and sharing relevant content, you can reach a wide audience of people who may be interested in your products or services. Itâs also helpful for connecting with influencers in your industry.
\nMonthly active users:Â 875 million users; active user count unknown
\nAudience profile: Business professionals aged 25â34
\nYouTube has become one of the worldâs largest search engines for finding fresh content. Whatâs more, YouTube videos can also rank in traditional search engines like Google. This presents a huge traffic opportunity.
\nYou donât need to create a viral video to get results on YouTube. You can still promote your products with interesting or helpful videos. Many social media users may already be looking for your products or brand on YouTube. By creating a branded channel with your own videos, you can control the narrative.
\nMonthly active users:Â 2.68 billion
\nAudience profile:Â Mostly men aged 25â44
\nLearn more:Â Your Starter Guide to YouTube Marketing: Tips, Strategies, and Tools
\nSnapchat is a messaging app that allows people to send and receive photos and videos. These images and videos are called âsnaps.â Snapchat also allows people to add text and drawings to their snaps.
\nYou can use Snapchat to market your business by creating snaps that promote your products. Many retailers use Snapchat to give customers a behind-the-scenes look at their brand. For example, you could create a snap that shows customers how your products are made.
\nDaily active users: 383 million
\nAudience profile:Â Ages 13â24
\nLearn more:Â What to Post on Snapchat: 21 Fun and Creative Ideas
\nYour social media bios are a great place to promote your website and branded hashtags. Most platforms allow for the inclusion of at least one URL, so make good use of it. Sustainable fashion brand Kƫla sends Instagram users to its website, for example:
\n![\"How](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/Kula.png?format=webp&v=1684674752\")
Many brands link directly to their homepage, but you may have a dedicated landing page for social traffic or any current campaigns or promotions.
\nYou may also have a branded hashtag to promote your product or brand.
Branded hashtags help create a sense of community and connection among customers and followers. They can easily connect with each other and share their experiences within the hashtags thread.
\nSee how fast fashion retailer Fashion Nova uses the hashtag #NovaBabe to build community around its brand. Women regularly share their Instagram content with the branded hashtags, which enters them into a feed with more than 1.7 million posts. All this user-generated content is free, advertising Fashion Nova at zero cost.
\n\n
![\"fashion](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/fashion-nova_46877651-45d7-4965-b7c1-fadc6bbc769f.png?format=webp&v=1666893317\")
Shoppers can browse the different looks and see real people wearing the brandâs clothes, then continue on to Fashion Novaâs store to purchase.
\nCross promotion is a marketing technique you can use to promote your brand on different social media channels. It helps you reach a wider audience using less resources. For example, you can record a video on TikTok, publish it there, then repost the same video on Instagram and Twitter.
\nManifesto Mocktail & Coffee Bar, for example, repurposes its Instagram Reels on its TikTok channel:
\n\n
While most businesses donât use Reddit ads, they can be quite effective. In fact, sometimes the least-used advertising networks are the most profitable, because the cost is lower and thereâs more opportunity to stand out.
\nTry advertising on Reddit to promote your product. You can create a sponsored post in subreddits related to your business. Use it to talk about your product and offer a discount. The key is to make sure it blends in with the other posts in the subreddit.
\nFacebook ads are a form of social media advertising that lets you promote your business on Facebook and Instagram. You can target these ads to specific groups of people based on interests, demographics, and behaviors.
\nThe ads can appear in:
\nYou can run ads for many reasons, like growing your email list, building brand awareness, or creating hype for a new product launch, like the Pura Vida Bracelets ad below.
\n![\"pura](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/pura-vida-fb-ad_480x480.png?format=webp&v=1666893377\")
When creating your ads, remember to be authentic. Show real people using your products, test different ad types, and identify the metrics that matter most to your business. Youâll want to make sure all your ad elements tie in to your main advertising objectives.
\nLearn more:Â 8 Facebook Ad Templates for Building Campaigns
\nYou can take your social media marketing a step further by adding a Facebook and Instagram shop to your profile. This option makes it easier for people who discover your products on Facebook and Instagram to buy them.
\n![\"instagram](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/instagram-shop.png?format=webp&v=1666893407\")
If you have a Shopify store, add Facebook as a sales channel. Youâll be able to create your own Shop on your profiles where fans can learn about your products, look at pictures, and click the Buy button to make a purchase.
\n![\"shopify](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/shopify-fb-channel.png?format=webp&v=1666893431\")
Shoppable posts are Instagram posts that include a product catalog and a Shop Now button. Retailers can use shoppable posts to showcase their products and make it easy for customers to purchase them.
\nFor example, a retailer could post a picture of a model wearing a new piece of clothing from their collection and include a product tag. Shoppers can then click the tag to be taken directly to the product page, where they can learn more about the product and make a purchase.
\n![\"taggable](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/tagged-products.png?format=webp&v=1666893479\")
Sustainable athletic apparel brand Girlfriend Collective leverages product tagging on Instagram to promote the products it sells on its Shopify site. Users can tap through to purchase the items they see in the photo.
\n![\"How](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/Girlfriend.png?format=webp&v=1684675654\")
Many businesses are already promoting themselves with livestreaming tools. Although youâll no longer be an early adopter, fewer companies do short, live video well versus, say, posting tweets or Facebook updates.
\nThere are many ways you can use livestreaming to promote a product. In particular, you can use Facebook Live, Instagram Live, Twitch, or TikTok LIVE to offer a demo of your product, answer questions through a Q&A, and even take your customers behind the scenes to show them whatâs special about the way you do things.
\n![\"instagram](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/ig-live_480x480.png?format=webp&v=1666893502\")
Contests are an easy and affordable way to get your brand in front of a lot of people. By giving away your product, you can make sure your contest gets in front of the right kind of people: potential customers.
\nHowever, many contests fail. There are a few key mistakes to avoid when running a contest to promote your business. Make sure the platform, the timing, the messaging, and the steps people have to take to enter your contest are well thought out.
\nRead more:Â How to Run an Instagram Giveaway: Ideas + Tips
\nResearch from Glossy and Launchmetrics found that micro-influencers (accounts with less than 100,000 followers) offer the most social media value. Coming out of the pandemic, people are looking for real connections when it comes to brands and products.
\nPartnering with influencers helps you tap into their follower base, whether they have 5,000 or five million followers. When a follower sees an account they follow promote your products, itâs more likely theyâll buy. It also creates a positive association with your brand.
\nExplore more influencer marketing examples from Shopify store owners:
\nItâs hard to keep up with the pace of social media without social media management tools. These tools help automate posts, track engagement, and analyze data to help you better understand your audience and how to reach them.
\nSome top tools we recommend are:
\nAs a small business owner, youâre busy enough as it is. Using the above social media tools can help you find, engage, and convert your audience on various social platforms.
\nGetting publicity is a great way to reach new customers and help more people discover your brand. Mainstream journalists are inundated with press releases and pitches for stories. Improve your odds by targeting bloggers instead.
\nInstead of sending bloggers press releases, reach out with a personal email and ask if you can send them a sample. You can also direct message them on Instagram or TikTok to set up a partnership. Target bloggers in your industry, product-focused websites, and even social media influencers.
\nSocial media is a fast-paced environment, and what works today may not work tomorrow. By tracking performance on a regular basis, you can quickly adapt your social media marketing strategy to stay ahead of the curve.
\nAnalytics can provide valuable insights into the demographics of your customer base, which can be used to tailor future social media campaigns. For example, if you notice that a particular social media campaign is popular with a certain age group, you can target future campaigns specifically at that age group.
\nTools like Sprout Social can give you insight into how each social profile performs. For example, you can easily check how your Instagram Business Profiles are doing.
\n![\"How](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/sprout-social_dcb23e04-2e0c-40b1-9912-1cc54c35f1fa.png?format=webp&v=1666893539\")
Reaching a large number of potential customers through social media is very cost effective. To maximize the return on investment for social media marketing, itâs important to track which campaigns work best for reaching, engaging, and converting.
\nProducts donât sell themselves. Fortunately, there are many ways to build your social media presence and make sales online. With the social media marketing tips above, youâll be well on your way to creating high-quality content that convertsâand growing your business.
\nhttps://www.shopify.com/blog/69319365-20-highly-effective-ways-to-promote-a-product
\nTo succeed in ecommerce, you need three things: high-demand products to sell, the skills to market them, and the drive to succeed.
\nYou already have a winnerâs mindsetâyouâre continually learning, researching, and preparing for success. But finding popular products to sell can be a challenge. Thatâs why we update this list every year to help you find trending products online.
\nIn this list, youâll find 17 trending products that will activate new business ideas in 2023âor maybe give you an idea for a great product to add to your existing online store.
\nSince each niche product is meant for a distinct audience, weâre also sharing relevant marketing tips for reaching new customers. The products on this list are the most popular product categories on the Shopify platform.
\nBrowse our list of highest trending products you can use to start your online business.
\nLip stain is a beauty product that provides long-lasting color to the lips without the heaviness or fading of traditional lipsticks. Its popularity has surged in 2023 because it delivers a natural, weightless finish that lasts throughout the day, making it an essential addition to many makeup routines.
\nThe term âlip stainâ gets 60,500 searches per month on Google. Google Trends data also shows a significant increase in interest since early 2022.
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/lip-stain-trend.png?format=webp&v=1684499048\")
You can market lip stain a few ways:
\nIf youâve been to a coffee shop in recent years, youâve seen matcha. Itâs a finely ground, vibrant great tea powder thatâs become a popular wellness product.
\nData shows that the term âmatchaâ receives one million searches per month. The graph below also shows the increased interest in matcha in 2023.  ![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/matcha-trend.png?format=webp&v=1684499087\")
Here are a few ways online stores can market matcha products:
\nLooking for a trending product to sell in the home improvement industry? Power tool accessories are seeing an increase in sales globally.
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/power-tool.jpg?v=1662751187\")
According to data from Keywords Everywhere, the term âpower tool accessoriesâ receives 27,100 searches per month, with sub categories like âtool accessoriesâ receiving another 1,300 searches per month, and âtool box accessoriesâ receiving 1,900 searches per month.
\nYou can sell accessories for any power tools:
\nWhen selling trending items in home improvement, focus on visual platforms like Instagram and YouTube. You could partner up with influencers in the space and run Instagram ads to hype products and make sales quickly. A more sustainable option is to create your own Instagram and TikTok profiles and publish content around DIY home improvement.
\nFor example, you could:
\nWhy are product trends like this great for selling items online? You can easily expand your product line to include other popular products in the home improvement sector to maximize your potential sales.
\nSecond on our list of trending products right now are dog toys. Valued at $8.1 billion, the global pet toy market saw explosive growth in the first half of 2023.
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/dog-toys.jpg?v=1662751220\")
Product lines include:
\nToys are great for a dogâs well-being. They help fight boredom and provide comfort when dogs are nervous. With 210,000 average monthly searches for the term âdog toys,â itâs clear they will power 2023, as they powered 2022.
\nYou can promote these items in a number of ways:
\nYouâll likely want to explore social media and Google ads to send traffic to your website and drive sales throughout the year. If you want to expand your product line, you can easily find new car parts and accessories to sell using a product-sourcing app.
\nShot glasses were one of the top selling items in 2023. Shot glasses are perfect for selling any time of year, especially around the summer, when you can take advantage of the party season. You can sell custom-made shot glasses, collectible shot glasses, or shot glasses for parties.
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/shot-glasses.jpg?v=1662751470\")
When it comes to selling shot glasses online, focus on finding a target market and selling to one group first. People search online for specific types of shot glasses, such as âtequila shot glassesâ (4,400 searches per month), âtall shot glassesâ (2,400 searches per month), and âcool shot glassesâ (3,600 searches per month). There are also opportunities to sell plastic shot glasses and personalized glasses for parties.
\nYou can sell shot glasses online from your own Shopify store, on third-party online selling sites like Amazon and eBay, and even on social media sites like Instagram and Facebook. You can also sell shot glasses wholesale to other businesses.
\nCostume shoes for women and men have also been a bestselling product and show signs of being a trending item in 2023. Thematic shoes are perfect for cosplay or themed events, and donât forget about Halloween.
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/costume-shoes.jpg?v=1662751249\")
 Some items you could sell include:
These trending items are best sold through visual platforms like Pinterest, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, though a channel you may want to experiment with is Google Ads.
\nIf you choose to use some kind of millennial-focused marketing tactics, be sure to partner with influencers, as itâs the easiest way to get a new brandâs products in front of this audience.
\nOr, you can target Halloween shoppers and run sales through the fall season. Point being, there are many potential audiences you can explore with costume shoes. Conduct a competitive analysis or SWOT analysis of the market and decide what route is best for you.
\nOne trending product cropping up recently is slipcovers. Similar to other trending products in the home goods department, weâre probably seeing an increase due to the work-from-home trend. Slipcovers protect couches and loveseats from pets, children, dirt, and spills. A quality slipcover is less expensive than replacing furniture.
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/slipcover-couch.jpg?v=1662751513\")
The search term âslipcoversâ is generating 27,000 searches per month, with related terms âslipcovers for chairsâ bringing in 27,100 searches per month and âslipcovers for sofasâ generating 49,500 searches per month, supporting that slipcovers and home design can be a profitable business to start online. There are also many slipcover types available to sell, which gives you a lot of new product opportunities as you expand your line.
\nStart by narrowing down what kind of containers you want to sellâcotton, wool, polyester, spandex, linen, etc.âthen promote your product on popular home organization and dĂ©cor blogs.
\nYou can reach out to them online and ask them to link back to products on your website from round-up articles. (People are more likely to buy when they come to your site through an external blog post than from an ad.) Then, to win back the sale, run retargeting ads to people who viewed the product but didnât buy.
\nAnother option is partnering or collaborating with interior designers to help promote new products to their audiences. If a product recommendation comes from a trusted source, shoppers are more likely to buy.
\nLike many home décor items, wall plates and covers have become one of the bestselling products online during the pandemic. The more people stay at home, the more inclined they are to spruce it up and create a comfortable atmosphere. From the couch all the way down to what covers their electrical sockets on the wall.
\nThere are many varieties of wall plates and covers to choose from. You can sell traditional ones with a finishing touch or ultra-modern decorative plates. There are also screwless wall plates that offer a clean aesthetic and popular HDMI wall plates that let you plug in HDMI-enabled devices.
\nAccording to Keywords Everywhere, top wall plate searches are:
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/switch_plate.png?format=webp&v=1662751592\")
You could run a pay-per-click ad campaign using online shopping ads and Facebook ads to attract new buyers. Since home goods may keep trending for a long time, you can also build a brand around your home décor and optimize your product pages to rank on Google and bring in organic traffic.
\nYou can bundle together wall plates with other trending products in your store or partner with micro-influencers on social media to target high-intent buyers and drive immediate sales.
\nOne recent product trending with new parents is baby shirts. Google Trends shows weâre close to hitting peak interest for this product, so if youâre looking for a top-selling product with validated demand, consider acting fast.
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/baby-shirts-trend.png?format=webp&v=1684499138\")
The term âbaby shirtsâ sees 13,000 searches per month. You could also target many variations like:
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/babyclothes.jpg?v=1662754320\")
To reach new parents with this item, you can turn to advertising on Facebook and Instagram. If youâre looking to explore other sales channels, consider selling on Amazon or listing your product on Google Shopping, although itâs worth noting that these marketplaces will take a fee from your sale.
\nAnother experiment to try is marketing to a local group with flyers. Create discount codes and distribute them among new parent meetup groups in your town.
\nThereâs been a growing trend in sales for curtain rings in recent months. People are spending more time at home and taking on home improvement projects.
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/curtain_rings_f49fee10-70d8-491d-b6fa-001e18d78768.png?format=webp&v=1662754342\")
âCurtain ringsâ generates 22,200 searches per month. There are variations you could also target with an SEO strategy, including:
\nTo market curtain rings, you can create a blog with home improvement and DIY tips and tricks and links back to your products. Then, run retargeting ads to your blog traffic on Facebook or Google.
\nYouâll want to run Google ads for targeted keywords like âcurtain rings without clipsâ or âdecorative curtain rings with clips.â This will attract customers who already know what they want. If you show up in front of them, theyâre more likely to buy from your ecommerce store.
\nHome improvement is shaping up to be one of the best trending niches for ecommerce stores. By 2029, the cabinet hardware market is expected to skyrocket to more than $14.2 billion in sales.
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/handles.jpg?v=1662754426\")
Retailers are also stocking their stores with top trending products in this niche, including cabinet knobs, fasteners, latches, locks, hinges, and handles.
\nWhat makes this product worth considering is that it offers retailers a lot of expansion opportunities. You can sell cabinet knobs in a home improvement store, along with drawers, interior finish material, cabinet shelves, and more. You can also use a variety of materials, such as plastics, metals, glasses, brass, iron, and steel.
\nWhether itâs putting together new furniture or sprucing up the house, every home needs cabinet hardware. Some want decorative knobs, while others want a simple, more functional version.
\nYou can sell trending products like this through search-based ads on Google. Over 33,000 people search for cabinet knobs each month, and more than 60,000 people search for handles each month, according to Keywords Everywhere. Another option is working with home improvement influencers on Instagram or through blogs to promote your cabinet hardware.
\nWatch accessories are one of those trending items with consistent high profit margins. The trend is hotter at some times than at others, but people usually look for watch accessories throughout the year. The market is also massive, with a market volume of $335 billion in 2023.
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/watch.jpg?v=1662754571\")
Search volume for the term âwatch accessoriesâ gets around 5,400 searches each month, according to Keywords Everywhere. People are also searching for related phrases like âapple watch bandâ and âwatch stand,â which are getting 450,00 and 14,800 searches per month, respectively.
\nThese top trending products give you a ton of opportunities to target different customer segments based on their watch type (Apple, Samsung, Garmin, etc.) and to drive sales.
\nSome items you can sell under this category are:
\nPromoting this trending product with Google Ads may be profitable. It can help you reach high-intent buyers and bring them into your store to purchase. Another option is using Facebook advertising to target specific groups based on your accessoriesâ design or functionality.
\nPeople who hike may need durable straps, while others may just want a trendy-looking watch band. Youâll want to share product images on platforms like Instagram. There, you can partner up with micro-celebrities and influencers to get your products in front of established audiences.
\nThe US tumbler market is an attractive opportunity for outdoor gear sellers, such as camping, hiking, fitness, and travel. Itâs expected to reach $1.4 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate of 9.1% from 2023 to 2027.
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/tumblers.png?format=webp&v=1662754481\")
Trend data from Keywords Everywhere shows the following search volume:
\nIncreasing threats to the environment from non-reusable bottles and the rise in people leaning toward a healthy lifestyle drive this trend. Your target audience will likely be more health conscious and aware of the harmful effects of one-time-use bottles.
\nTo market this bestseller, youâll want to show these tumblers in use. For example, you could run a contest where customers post pictures of their tumbler cups out in the wild. Or, create staged photos of the tumblers in an eco-friendly setting and post them on social media and use them in ads.
\nYou can build a Custom Audience in Facebook Ads Manager and target specific groups of people. Or, run Google Ads for the keywords âtumbler cupsâ so you can target customers actively searching for similar products.
\nModel train sets have been a popular pastime activity for kids since 1891. Theyâre a great way to build problem-solving skills, encourage imaginative play, and distract kids for a bit while parents are working from home. Today, companies are exploring new and fun ways to reimagine the train set, such as electric-powered trains and smart trains run via smartphone app.
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/model-train.jpg?v=1662754593\")
With 40,500 average monthly searches for the term âtrain sets,â itâs clear they are popular in 2023.
\nWhen it comes to promoting toy trains, think of the concept âfriends trust friends.â Marketing toys relies on recommendations from influencers and friends, so youâll want to collaborate with nano-influencers and on social media.
\nCustomer reviews are always a smart move for selling items like train sets online. Testimonials can help shoppers decide if the product is perfect for them and encourage a sale.
\nCreate an organic social media strategy around kids using your trains. Show them in action with photo carousels and videos, and include user-generated content from your followersâ accounts to build trust with potential buyers.
\nIf you have the budget, run a contest to give away free train sets to grow your email or Messenger marketing subscriber lists. You can then create drip marketing campaigns that convert subscribers into customers over time.
\nSigns are next on the list of products trending now. Search volume for the term âsignageâ receives 135,000 searches per month. Data from Keywords Everywhere suggests that people are searching for specific types of signs:
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/signage_8290da51-30a6-4643-96be-a1cf37d12dfb.jpg?v=1662754624\")
Social media is a great way to market signs. Figure out who your primary audiences are.
\nFor example, are you selling to restaurant owners who want to boost their social presence? Or younger crowds who want to make their rooms look trendy and cool? (Hint: You can sell to both). Then post a mix of staged photos and user-generated content of your signs being used in their respective settings.
\nYou could run Google ads targeting long-tail keywords such as âvintage signsâ or âcustom neon signsâ to attract specific customers, as well as Facebook ads to test different audiences and learn more about whoâs buying signs.
\nWedding dresses have been one of those trending online products with consistently high profit margins the past few years. The global bridal wear market is also huge and is expected to reach $69.9 billion by 2026.
\nValidation TIP: If you are unsure if selling wedding dresses is a profitable endeavor, use Shopifyâs profit margin calculator to work out if it is a feasible option for you.
\nThe term âwedding dressesâ gets 2.24 million searches per month, validating the hype of this trending product. There are more opportunities for terms like:
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/wedding-dress.jpg?v=1662754653\")
Plus, you can take this niche in several directions with a dedicated store or a product collection within a broader wedding wear store. For example, you could sell wedding nails, invitations, semi-formal wedding attire, accessories, and more. Depending on how you position your brand, there could be an opportunity to expand into related product verticals, such as jewelry.
\nVisual platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest are ideal channels to grow your brand, whether you pursue organic growth or use their advertising options.
\nYou can also look into driving growth with influencer marketing. Influencers can model your apparel and give your brand a shoutout for a fee or a commission of sales.
\nTable runners saw huge growth in the first half of 2023, and the new trend doesnât look like itâs ending soon. The global table linen market is valued at $10.6 billion as of 2022 and is expected to reach $14.7 billion by 2029. This is not a trending product you want to miss out on.
\nPeople can use table runners to make tables visually appealing and connect placemats. Table runners are also extremely durable and can withstand repeat uses and washing.
\n![\"17](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/table-runners.png?format=webp&v=1684499175\")
Competition is high in this industry. Brands like Crate and Barrel, Bed Bath & Beyond, and Wayfair take up significant market share. However, they all target a similar demographic: older consumers with more disposable income, which gives you a unique selling opportunity.
\nDropshipping costs are often lower for kitchen supplies, which means you can charge less than big retailers. You can target younger, niche audiences that donât want to overspend on items like table runners.
\nYou can market items like table runners online through social media. You can target both older and younger audiences by running relevant campaigns. For example, targeting millennials who just bought a home. Your success on social media depends on how you connect with each segment and create interesting content to attract buyers.
\nYou can create video content to show off the benefits of your table runners. And show other creative ideas for styling them in the home. You can also run seasonal giveaways to promote new runners and bestsellers. For paid ads, Facebook will be your best bet, since you can use its behavioral targeting to find customers based on interests and shopping habits.
\nThese are some of the trending products to sell in 2023, but there are so many more to choose from when deciding what to sell on Shopify as a new dropshipper or established store owner. Finding high-quality products is only one part of the equation. The real secret is figuring out how to market them.
\nIf youâre interested in hands-on training that walks you through the process of starting an ecommerce business around a profitable niche and finding the right products, watch our free dropshipping business webinar series. One ecommerce entrepreneur will share how they grew an online business ideas to more than 8,000 unit sales per year, along with the marketing tactics that worked (and ones that flopped).
\nLet us know in the comments what products you plan on selling on your store. Happy selling!
\n"}]},"page_header":{"background":null,"backgroundOpacity":100,"color":null,"fieldGroupName":"page_header","title":"Trending Products 2023","opacity":100,"position":"on","size":{"desktop":64,"tablet":null,"mobile":null},"spaces":{"top":null,"bottom":null,"leftright":null,"units":"em"}},"link":"/blog/17-trending-products-and-things-to-sell-online-2023"},{"id":"cG9zdDo1MjM0","title":"How Sustainability Is Giving Allbirds a Way Forward","date":"23.05.2023","slug":"how-sustainability-is-giving-allbirds-a-way-forward","categories":{"nodes":[{"id":"dGVybTox","name":"General Articles"}]},"levels":{"nodes":[]},"acfPost":{"fieldGroupName":"acfPost","excerpt":"Allbirds co-founders Joey Zwillinger and Tim Brown decided to leap into the shoe business while on a walk together in Marin Hills. They were surrounded by nature and sweeping views of the Pacific, just across the bridge from San Francisco, a city known for innovation. Combining natural materials and tech was their ticket to building a sustainable shoe company.\r\n\r\nAllbirds exploded onto the scene in 2016 with a novel wool sneaker that sold more than a million pairs in its first two years. From its soles to its new resale platform, Allbirds has pushed sustainability forward on every front. ","squaredImage":{"altText":"How Sustainability Is Giving Allbirds a Way Forward","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","backgroundColor":"#f8f8e8","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/static/15d9798428bbb1246754d19e339e7878/98549/Masters_AllBirds_02.webp","srcSet":"/static/15d9798428bbb1246754d19e339e7878/2b35b/Masters_AllBirds_02.webp 750w,\n/static/15d9798428bbb1246754d19e339e7878/98549/Masters_AllBirds_02.webp 1024w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[]},"width":1,"height":0.423828125}}}},"metaData":{"title":null,"description":"Shopify On Location: Discover Allbirds' Sustainable Journey | Learn how Allbirds co-founders embraced innovation and sustainability to build a successful shoe company. Join us for valuable insights and lessons on sustainability in business. Listen to the Shopify On Location podcast in San Francisco now"},"banner":{"title":"How Sustainability Is Giving Allbirds a Way Forward","showTitle":true,"image":{"altText":"How Sustainability Is Giving Allbirds a Way Forward","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","backgroundColor":"#f8f8e8","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/static/15d9798428bbb1246754d19e339e7878/98549/Masters_AllBirds_02.webp","srcSet":"/static/15d9798428bbb1246754d19e339e7878/2b35b/Masters_AllBirds_02.webp 750w,\n/static/15d9798428bbb1246754d19e339e7878/98549/Masters_AllBirds_02.webp 1024w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[]},"width":1,"height":0.423828125}}}}},"timeToRead":null,"sections":[{"fieldGroupName":"post_Acfpost_Sections_ArticleRichTextContent","content":"Join us each Thursday for Shopify On Location in San Francisco, a special miniseries from the podcast team. For the new few months, tune in for invaluable lessons about how to innovate and when to take risks. Listen to Shopify On Location here:
\n\nAllbirds co-founders Joey Zwillinger and Tim Brown decided to leap into the shoe business while on a walk together in Marin Hills. They were surrounded by nature and sweeping views of the Pacific, just across the bridge from San Francisco, a city known for innovation. Combining natural materials and tech was their ticket to building a sustainable shoe company.
\nAllbirds exploded onto the scene in 2016 with a novel wool sneaker that sold more than a million pairs in its first two years. From its soles to its new resale platform, Allbirds has pushed sustainability forward on every front.
\nDespite volatile economic times, Joey remains optimistic about the companyâs mission to combat climate change and make products that consumers love. Here are some of the learnings he shared about building a business truly focused on sustainability.
\n\nTim is a former professional soccer player for New Zealand. Joey worked in biotech. Neither were deeply embedded in the shoe industry when they started Allbirds, and Joey says they used their outsider perspective to their advantage.
\nâWe were two outsiders wanting to do things really different,â Joey says. âTim and I thought we could come together and systematically offer products off the back of natural material innovation in a way that was incredibly compelling and differentiated for consumers.â
\nThe industry at the time was still reliant on leather and plastic to make shoes, but Allbirds engineered new materials: a performance-ready wool, soles made from sugar cane, and leather-like textiles made from natural oils.
\n![\"Person](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/Allbirds_SP23_Lookbook_PR_12_01_23_1900_1024x1024.jpg?v=1684372904\")
Joey says the key to success was looking for sustainability opportunities at every step of the process and going down roads their competitors would never consider. âWe constrain our R&D process to be both better for the consumer from a performance perspective, but also better for the earth,â he says.
\nFor example, the company recently announced the worldâs first carbon neutral shoe, which seemed unthinkable considering a normal sneaker typically has a carbon footprint of 14 kg CO2e.
\nSustainability doesnât necessarily drive sales. Above all, consumers want well-designed products. In terms of shoes, they want sneakers that are comfortable, durable, and look good.
\nBut sustainability and good design can certainly co-exist. In fact, they have to. âIf we can’t make a big sustainable business from a financial perspective, we’re not going to achieve our mission on the environmental side either,â Joey says. â We are offering a beacon of hope for how you can have everything that you want from a consumption perspective, but not leave such a dent on the earth.â
\nA big part of the sustainable fashion movement is to buy used. Allbirds launched an online resale platform called ReRun to facilitate just that.
\nJoey has talked to several business owners about building similar platforms, but he says theyâre often hesitant. âTheir biggest fear is that it’s gonna cannibalize their core business and it’s going to take away sales from their full-price business,â Joey says. âAnd we have found that that’s not the case at all.â
\nIn fact, he says ReRun has been a good way to attract new customers at a lower price point. These same customers often later convert to purchasing the new, full-price Allbirds.
\n![\"Allbirds](\"https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0070/7032/files/Allbirds_SP23_Lookbook_PR_12_01_23_1328_1024x1024.jpg?v=1684389607\")
Like many public companies, Allbirds is now under a microscope. Joey say his company plans to double down on its digital business and look for new partnerships to reach scale in international markets.
\nStill, Joey says heâs energized by the companyâs mission and opportunity to bring customers even more sustainable options. âWithout that purpose, it wouldn’t be successful no matter how much money was made.â
\nTo hear more about Allbirds sustainability practices and its San Francisco connections, listen to Joeyâs full interview on Shopify Masters.
\nhttps://www.shopify.com/blog/allbirds-sustainability
\n"}]},"page_header":{"background":null,"backgroundOpacity":100,"color":null,"fieldGroupName":"page_header","title":"Sustainability Drives Allbirds","opacity":100,"position":"on","size":{"desktop":64,"tablet":null,"mobile":null},"spaces":{"top":null,"bottom":null,"leftright":null,"units":"em"}},"link":"/blog/how-sustainability-is-giving-allbirds-a-way-forward"},{"id":"cG9zdDo1MjA1","title":"How To Start Dropshipping: A 9 Step Guide (2023)","date":"23.05.2023","slug":"how-to-start-dropshipping-a-9-step-guide-2023","categories":{"nodes":[{"id":"dGVybTox","name":"General Articles"}]},"levels":{"nodes":[]},"acfPost":{"fieldGroupName":"acfPost","excerpt":"Learning how to start a dropshipping business, like any type of venture, isnât easy. Nevertheless, itâs a great first step into the world of entrepreneurship. \r\n\r\nYou can sell to customers without holding any inventory. You donât need to pay for products upfront. And if youâre serious about your new venture, you can build a sustainable source of income in the long run. \r\n\r\n","squaredImage":{"altText":"How To Start Dropshipping: A 9 Step Guide (2023)","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","backgroundColor":"#f8f8e8","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/static/4c45a5031f44d44d7567c1b6a158bc35/94493/shopify_dropshipping_chapter_5.webp","srcSet":"/static/4c45a5031f44d44d7567c1b6a158bc35/8c326/shopify_dropshipping_chapter_5.webp 750w,\n/static/4c45a5031f44d44d7567c1b6a158bc35/94493/shopify_dropshipping_chapter_5.webp 1024w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[]},"width":1,"height":0.5263671875}}}},"metaData":{"title":null,"description":"Complete Dropshipping Tutorial: Learn how to start a profitable dropshipping business with these 9 steps. Commit to your venture, choose a business idea, conduct competitive research, select a reliable supplier, build your ecommerce store, establish a business structure, get your finances in order, market your store, and continuously improve. Start your entrepreneurial journey now!"},"banner":{"title":"How To Start Dropshipping: A 9 Step Guide (2023)","showTitle":true,"image":{"altText":"How To Start Dropshipping: A 9 Step Guide (2023)","localFile":{"childImageSharp":{"gatsbyImageData":{"layout":"fullWidth","backgroundColor":"#f8f8e8","images":{"fallback":{"src":"/static/4c45a5031f44d44d7567c1b6a158bc35/94493/shopify_dropshipping_chapter_5.webp","srcSet":"/static/4c45a5031f44d44d7567c1b6a158bc35/8c326/shopify_dropshipping_chapter_5.webp 750w,\n/static/4c45a5031f44d44d7567c1b6a158bc35/94493/shopify_dropshipping_chapter_5.webp 1024w","sizes":"100vw"},"sources":[]},"width":1,"height":0.5263671875}}}}},"timeToRead":null,"sections":[{"fieldGroupName":"post_Acfpost_Sections_ArticleRichTextContent","content":"Learning how to start a dropshipping business, like any type of venture, isnât easy. Nevertheless, itâs a great first step into the world of entrepreneurship.
\nYou can sell to customers without holding any inventory. You donât need to pay for products upfront. And if youâre serious about your new venture, you can build a sustainable source of income in the long run.
\nIf youâre contemplating dropshipping, consider taking the following business and financial steps in this complete dropshipping tutorial.
\nSome are mandatory from the outset, while others are just a good idea. But dealing with them upfront will save you time and headaches down the road.
\nAs with any other business, dropshipping takes significant commitment and a long-term perspective. If youâre hoping for a six-figure income from six weeks of part-time work, youâre going to be sadly disappointed.
\nBy approaching your business with realistic expectations about the investment required and your potential for profit, youâll be much less likely to get discouraged and quit.
\nWhen starting an ecommerce business as a beginner, youâll need to invest heavily using one of the following two currencies: time or money.
\nThe second step in learning how to start a dropshipping business is performing the necessary market research. Just as if you were opening up a retail store and looking into the different locations, competitors, and trends, you want to investigate a niche youâre interested in and make decisions based on how profitable it can be.
\nBut the truth is, coming up with validated product ideas to sell is tricky.
\n![\"How](\"/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/dropshipping-products_c621d387-1cfa-474c-8a6f-05889c56d31a-300x195.webp\")
To help inspire your next dropshipping business idea, Shopify curates a list of trending products based on the top-selling product categories on the platform. By focusing on more niche and trending products, you can help get the attention of shoppers and gain traction without competing with larger, established businesses.
\nNiche products often have a more passionate customer base, which can make selling to specific crowds easier by raising awareness for your products.
\nFitness, fashion, beauty products, electronics, phone accessories, and yoga-related items may be a good entry point to start dropshipping with no money.
\nSome examples of a niche dropshipping store could be:
\nYou can also use the following tools to test out your dropshipping business ideas:
\nGoogle Trends. Google Trends can help you determine if a product is trending upward or downward, as well as the seasons they tend to trend in. Note that Google Trends doesnât show search volume. So if you use it, be sure to cross reference your data with a keyword tool like Keywords Everywhere to determine the productâs popularity in search.
\n![\"How](\"/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/google-trends_80482cda-928b-440e-a51c-20dfede24ed7-300x136.webp\")
Keywords Everywhere. This keyword research tool shows you the monthly search volume for your product and how competitive it is. You can use this information to gauge the popularity of your dropshipping business idea and inspire new product ideas for the future.
\n![\"How](\"/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/keywords-everywhere_221739e1-d5d4-4ba2-855c-f6230cd3ac90-300x233.webp\")
DSers order volume. In DSers, you can search for products based on order volume to determine the potential of your business idea.
\n![\"How](\"/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/dser-300x291.webp\")
Although the growth in ecommerce is a great benefit for those looking to start a dropshipping business, it also creates a lot of competition. That means youâll want to do competitor research when putting together your dropshipping business plan to find success selling your products.
\nNow that you know what youâre going to sell in your store, you want to look at who your competitors are and understand the way they work. Your competitors may hold great clues to success and can help you build a stronger marketing plan for your dropshipping business.
\nIf your market has a lot of competitors (which is a good thing in dropshipping), limit your research to about five other dropshipping companies, including one or two big players like Walmart, eBay, or Amazon. Itâll help you keep focused and plan your next steps.
\nSome ways to go about your competitor research are:
\nLearn everything you can about your top competitors: their website, prices, marketing methods, product descriptions, reputation, etc. Keep your research organized in a spreadsheet so you can easily refer to it when making decisions for your store.
\nFor example, if you want to use an email list to promote your business, you can look at your spreadsheet to see if competitors are already doing it and the tactics theyâre using, all in one place.
\nChoosing a dropshipping supplier is a critical step toward creating a successful dropshipping business. Without reliable suppliers, a dropshipping business wouldnât have any products to ship to customers and, therefore, cease to exist.
\nAt this point, youâve vetted what dropshipping products you want to sell and know they can be profitableânow you want to make sure you find a dropshipping supplier that gives you the high-quality service you need to grow. Ecommerce platforms like Shopify offer a plug-and-play style option for finding potential suppliers by connecting DSers to your online store.
\nDSers is a marketplace that makes it easy to find products to sell online. Whether itâs electronics, fashion, toys, or other trending items, you can find products with good profit potential from dropshipping suppliers around the world and add them to your store with one click.
\nThe app manages forwarding the customer orders to your dropshipping supplier, so you never need to worry about packaging, shipping, or managing inventory. It costs nothing to get started.
\nThe DSers app uses AliExpress to help you find and add products to your store. If you want to read more about product quality or shipping times, or further vet a supplier, you can do so from the DSers product page.
\n![\"How](\"/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/dsers_1b03750e-071c-4c31-b87c-0712379c118f-300x204.webp\")
When you click a supplierâs link, you end up on its AliExpress page, where you can find reviews, top selling products, and more.
\n![\"How](\"/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/dsers-suppliers-page-300x195.webp\")
One thing to keep in mind: Aim to sell quality products from DSers that provide ePacket shipping if your supplier is from China.
\nePacket is an affordable and fast option for shipping items from China to countries like the US, the UK, and Canada. Rather than wait months for a package to arrive from China, your customers will only have to wait up to two weeks, for a cost of only a few dollars.
\nThe next thing you need to start a dropshipping business is an ecommerce platform like Shopify. This will be the home where you send traffic, sell products, and process payments.
\nShopify makes it easy to build and launch your ecommerce website, from finding a domain name to adding marketing and sales plug-ins. Itâs a complete commerce platform that allows you to sell in multiple places (including online), sell in multiple currencies, and easily manage products and accept payments.
\nYou donât need to be a designer or developer to use Shopify either. And you can easily change the look and feel of your store template with the store builder and Shopify themes.
\n![\"How](\"/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/shopify-website-theme-240x300.webp\")
Need help building your online store? Sign up for a free trial of Shopify and read How to Start a Shopify Store: A Step-By-Step Guide.
\nIf youâre serious about your venture, youâll want to set up a legitimate business entity. Weâre not lawyers and canât offer legal advice, but we can give you a rundown of three commonly used business structures.
\nThis is the simplest business structure to implement but also offers no personal liability protection. So if your business is sued, your personal assets also may be in jeopardy. Filing requirements are minimal and you simply report your businessâs earnings on your personal taxes. No other state or federal business filings are required.
\nAn LLC offers increased protection of your personal assets by establishing your business as a separate legal entity. While the liability protection isnât foolproof, it does offer more protection than a sole proprietorship. You may need to comply with additional filing requirements and will need to pay both incorporation and ongoing fees.
\nMost major corporations are set up as C corporations, which, when done properly, offer the most liability protection. They are likely to be more expensive to incorporate and are subject to double taxation, as income doesnât pass directly to the shareholders.
\nSo which structure to choose? Itâs best to consult with a lawyer before making any incorporation decisions. Most small entrepreneurs tend to go with either a sole proprietorship or an LLC.
\nNote:Â The business structure and EIN (employer identification number) information discussed below is applicable for entrepreneurs in the United States and wonât apply to other countries. For information on incorporating a US-based business from outside the US, please see the notes at the end of this article.
\nThe IRS requires all businesses to have an employer identification number, which acts as a Social Security number for your business. Youâll need this number to file your taxes, apply for wholesale dropshipping accounts, open a bank account, and do pretty much anything related to your business.
\nFortunately, getting an EIN number is easy and free. You can apply for an EIN number online.
\nOne common mistake entrepreneurs make when starting a business is blending their personal and business finances. This causes confusion, makes accounting more difficult, can lead to personal assumption of business liabilities, and is a big red flag for the IRS if youâre ever audited.
\nYouâll want to keep your business and personal finances separate as much as possible. The best way to do that is by opening up new accounts in your businessâs name. Youâll want to open the following:
\nYou should run all of your business finances through one primary checking account. All business revenue should be deposited into it and all expenses should be withdrawn from it. This will make accounting much easier and cleaner.
\nYou should have a business credit card that is used for business expenses and dropshipping inventory purchases only. Because youâll be buying a lot of merchandise from suppliers, you can rack up some serious rewards with the right rewards travel cards.
\nYouâll need to collect sales tax only if both the following are true:
\nFor all orders placed by residents of other states, even if those states charge their own sales tax, you wonât need to collect any tax. Thereâs a good chance weâll see changes to these laws in the coming years, but for now, the tax laws for small online merchants are very advantageous.
\nIf your state does charge sales tax, be prepared to collect it on the limited number of orders from customers in your home state. Youâll want to contact your stateâs department of commerce to register as an online retailer and find out how frequently you need to submit the tax you collect.
\nLearn more about how to pay sales tax and liability by reading Drop Shipping and Sales Tax: A Simple Guide by Bench.
\nMost cities and towns require businesses to get a business license that needs to be renewed on a regular basis. However, this requirement may differ for dropshipping ecommerce businesses, many of which likely will be operated from home offices. Youâll want to look into your local laws and regulations to see what, if anything, is required.
\nIt can be complex, but itâs possible for international merchants to incorporate a business in the United States, giving them access to US-based dropshippers and customers. The merchant will need to come to the US to complete the necessary paperwork, have a trusted business partner in the US who can act on his behalf, or hire an agency to set everything up.
\nThe following resources can help get you started with understanding this process:
\nRead More:Â Amazon Dropshipping Guide: How To Dropship on Amazon (2023)
\nNow that you know how to start a dropshipping business store, itâs time to talk about marketing your new store. To stand out in your market, you may want to put extra effort into your marketing and advertising efforts when building your dropshipping business plan.
\nWith so many things about dropshipping being automated, you can spend time focusing on marketing and promoting your business in the following ways:
\nAs with any successful online business, keep an eye on which channels are working and which arenâtâespecially if youâre investing money in them via paid ads. As you continue to grow and improve your business, you can always adjust your marketing strategy to lower costs and maximize revenue.
\nAfter youâve been marketing and managing your dropshipping business for some time, you can start looking at the results of your hard work. Shopify analytics can help you answer some important questions about your online store, such as:
\nYou can also use tools like Google Analytics and Search Console to measure search traffic over time and improve your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Plus, if youâre using a third-party app for your social media or Messenger marketing, check the reports monthly to make sure your overall strategy is working for your business.
\nWhen creating a dropshipping ecommerce store, you want to create a data-informed analytics system. Remain consistent with what you analyze over time and measure your storeâs performance against clear KPIs. This will help you make smarter decisions for your store and take your small business to the next level over time.
\nDropshipping is an order-fulfillment method that lets store owners sell directly to consumers without stocking any inventory. When a customer purchases a product from a dropshipping store, a third-party supplier ships it directly to them.
\nThe customer pays the retail price you set, you pay the suppliersâ wholesale price, and the rest is profit. You never have to handle products or invest in inventory.
\nIn order to sell products, you just need to register an account with a supplier.
\n![\"How](\"/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/how-dropshipping-works_67984d7e-b2e8-4f4a-bef5-fc0fae100864-300x200.webp\")
Three common ways to find a supplier for your dropshipping store are:
\nThe easiest dropshipping process for Shopify store owners is through DSers. You can source millions of products from the DSers marketplace through AliExpress and import them directly to your store with the click of a button.
\nIn the dropshipping business model, you are responsible for building your website and your own brand, as well as for choosing and marketing the products you want to sell. Your business is also responsible for shipping costs and establishing prices that result in a good profit margin.
\nYes, dropshipping can be a profitable business model for merchants because you are not responsible for shipping or manufacturing. Itâs a low-risk business model that doesnât incur huge costs like a wholesaler would normally have and you can earn a good profit margin with the right suppliers.
\nBUSINESS TIP: If you are unsure how to discover the profitability of a product, use Shopify’s free profit margin calculator to work it out for you.
\nThere are many dropshippers who make up to $100,000 per year as a side hustle. So, if your idea of being a successful dropshipper is to make $100,000 per year, youâll need to choose the right suppliers and build a brand.
\nStarting a dropshipping business can be highly competitive. Because you can start a dropshipping business for free, you may face a lot of companies who are selling a specific product at similar prices.
\nWhether youâre a new entrepreneur or a veteran business owner, a dropshipping business is a great low-risk, low-cost way to start selling online.
\nGetting started with Shopify is easy. Sign up for a Shopify account today, choose a plan that suits your budgets and needs. Then, install the DSers app from the Shopify App Store.
\nUse Dsers’s marketplace to find suppliers and products that match your niche. Import products to your store. Then, customize your product titles, descriptions, and images to make them more appealing and informative.
\nAnd just like that, youâre ready to start selling!
\nHopefully this dropshipping guide inspires you to create a pathway to success and financial freedom, so you can live the life youâve always dreamed of, like so many other ecommerce entrepreneurs.
\nhttps://www.shopify.com/blog/how-to-start-dropshipping
\n"}]},"page_header":{"background":null,"backgroundOpacity":100,"color":null,"fieldGroupName":"page_header","title":"2023 Dropshipping Step-by-Step","opacity":100,"position":"on","size":{"desktop":64,"tablet":null,"mobile":null},"spaces":{"top":null,"bottom":null,"leftright":null,"units":"em"}},"link":"/blog/how-to-start-dropshipping-a-9-step-guide-2023"}],"totalCount":131,"currentCategorySlug":"general-articles","pageTitle":"General Articles"}}, "staticQueryHashes": ["1083880928","2115852241","2249625599","2590265254","3117944600","3394409019","3777654359","589588126","842661457"]}