You need these 4 skills to be a successful dropshipper

Sharp business sense and four specific marketing skills are needed to be a successful dropshipper. Master these skills instead of randomly testing products and wasting money on ads. You'll see better results in less time.

Dropshipping is largely dependent on great marketing techniques. Without these, your ecommerce business will continually flop and you will be frustrated with poor profits.

These are the four key marketing skills you need to succeed with dropshipping:

1. Copywriting

2. Video editing

3. Website design

4. Managing ads

Copywriting is the text included in adverts and publicity. It is also the text used on websites, email newsletters, social media posts, and similar marketing materials online.

Why is it important for dropshipping?

Great copywriting sells. It catches the attention of the reader and compels them to make a purchase. The aim of your copywriting is to highlight the main features and benefits of your dropshipping product to convince online shoppers that they need it in their life.

Simple tips for copywriting:

• Make sure you have perfect grammar and spelling
• Be persuasive and engaging
• Use short, punchy sentences
• Sometimes, less is more
• Be mindful of using emojis - are they relevant to your brand?
• Customise your copywriting for your target audience

Know your customer persona

This is the biggest pro tip. Make sure you are writing with the correct tone and language to appeal to the customer persona you want to target.

For example, if you are selling a lunchbox, think first about who your buyers are. How old are they? Is the lunchbox for eating at university or the office? Is it for men, women, or both? Is it a luxury item or budget-friendly?

Once you have a clear idea of who you want to sell to, you can decide how to write advertising to suit their needs and desires.

Trial and error

As with all marketing, copywriting is perfected through trial and error. That's why the best marketing professionals will perform testing to see which version of their sales copy is the most effective.

When you create your adverts, try testing a few different ideas for your copywriting. You might be surprised at the results, sometimes the smallest changes make the biggest impact.

Video advertising is becoming increasingly common on social media platforms. As users spend more time on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, advertisers are tapping into our craving for video entertainment.

Social media revolves around video

According to Data Reportal's global survey in 2022, we spend 23.7 hours on YouTube, 19.6 hours on Facebook, 11.2 hours on Instagram, and 19.6 hours on TikTok per month. And that's only counting Android users.

Scrolling through Instagram and Facebook, they are becoming jammed-packed with video content. Instagram adopted a TikTok feel by adding Reels in 2020 for users to find amusing videos under 90 seconds long.

Video reaches further

A 2021 experiment by Biteable found that Facebook video ads generated three times as many leads as a static ad (an ad with just an image). Both their video and static ad had the same budget of $225 and targeted the same audience.

What's more, the video ad received 480% more clicks than the image ad, suggesting that the animated and moving nature of a video instantly draws more attention. This has been named "stopping the scroll" - users pause their aimless scrolling to watch an eye-catching piece of content.

Not to say that dropshippers should only focus on video ads. Testing a mix of video and static image adverts on each social media platform is a smart strategy.

The bar for website design is high. Consumers expect high-resolution images, easy functionality, seamless user experience, and excellent quality layout when using ecommerce sites.

The reason for these expectations is that as technology continues to improve and ecommerce becomes bigger, the big brands can offer consumers the bests online shopping experience.

To compete with such high standards, you don't need to have millions to invest in quality websites and apps.

The key is to have these features for your dropshipping website:

• Quality images - no blurry or overused stock photos
• Intuitive user experience - make it easy to check out
• Always provide contact details for customer service
• Provide multiple payment options
• Mobile responsive - it must work on an iPhone or Android!

With so many websites out there, how can you compete? The good news is that you don't need to reinvent the wheel. Study a website that is doing well and make it your own. How can you improve it?

A skill of its own: managing ads. For beginners, online paid advertising platforms can be terrifying. Google Ads alone seems like a labyrinth of confusion. So many options, jargon, and technical settings.

Thankfully, it's not as bad as it first appears. With a little bit of research and learning, you'll be on your way to advertising success.

Create an account for Google Ads and Meta Ads, then decide if Pinterest and TikTok are relevant to your audience. For each platform, feel your way around and see how it works. There are tutorials on YouTube as well as free and paid courses to better your skills.

Tips for running dropshipping paid ads:

• Research the best keywords for each campaign
• Have a goal for each of your paid ads
• Use high resolution, engaging visual content
• Test your ads - use different copy, images, and keywords
• Compare ad results with previous success

These four marketing skills require patience, practice, and continuous learning. The methods that Google, Meta, and other social media platforms use for SEO and advertising change frequently. If you can keep up with these changes and learn to market, you will see incredible dropshipping results.