Social media advertising for eCommerce: Meta, Google and TikTok

Paid advertising is the accelerator for any online shop. But without a clear strategy, it's also the fastest way to burn through your budget. The most common mistake: treating every channel the same. Each platform has its own logic, its own audience and its own place in the funnel — understanding that is what separates a profitable campaign from spend with no return.

Meta Ads: discovery and retargeting

Facebook and Instagram are still the kings of product discovery. Their interest-based targeting and lookalike audiences let you reach people who don't know you yet but match your ideal customer. For retargeting — reaching people who have already visited your shop — Meta is unbeatable: cost per conversion drops by up to 60% compared with cold traffic.

Google Shopping: capture existing demand

When someone searches Google for 'running trainers size 42', they already intend to buy. Google Shopping puts your product, your photo and your price right in front of that search. You don't have to convince anyone they need the product — only that they should buy it from your shop. The average ROAS for Shopping is usually between 4x and 8x for well-optimised shops.

TikTok Ads: volume and virality

TikTok is the cheapest channel for generating reach today. CPMs are up to 50% lower than on Meta, and the short-form video format works exceptionally well for visual and impulse-buy products. The key: create content that doesn't look like an ad. 'Creative-first ads' — UGC, unboxings, comparisons — convert up to 3 times more than a traditional banner.

You don't need to be on every channel at once. Start with one, master it, then scale to the next. What matters is measuring real ROAS (not vanity metrics) and reinvesting wherever the margin is positive. Well-managed advertising isn't a cost: it's the most scalable investment an online shop has.