Being the biggest omnichannel retailer in America, Walmart Ads provides an exceptional platform for e-commerce companies to increase their revenue. With over 100 Million unique monthly visitors, advertising on Walmart can significantly improve your product visibility and, consequently, your revenue.
In this blog, we’ll dive into the world of Walmart Ads, trying to understand what they are, how they function, how powerful they can be for your business, as well as how you can utilize them to their maximum potential and achieve your sales goals every quarter.
TL;DR – Do’s and Don’ts of Walmart Advertising
Read the whole article for an in-depth overview of how to scale your business through Walmart ads.
But if you can’t, the table below summarizes the best practices and mistakes to avoid when running Walmart advertising campaigns:
| Do’s | Don’ts |
|---|---|
| Conduct extensive keyword research. | Use unoptimized product listings. |
| Combine automatic and manual campaigns. | Set unrealistic budgets. |
| Optimize your product listings. | Overlook performance analytics. |
| Set an advertising budget. | Use unresponsive Walmart ads. |
| Track performance metrics. | |
| Outsource to a Walmart PPC agency. |
Walmart advertising can be hectic for a first-time seller and time-consuming if you run multiple stores.
For this reason, we recommend outsourcing to a Walmart advertising PPC agency to streamline your campaigns.
At IG PPC, we have 10+ years of experience helping Walmart sellers optimize their ad spend to increase their ROI. Our track record speaks for itself: we have a 95% retention rate, and our clients gross over $1.5 billion yearly.
Ready to take the first steps towards optimizing your Walmart Ad campaigns with precision? Get a free audit from us, and let us set you up for success!
What is Walmart Sponsored Search?
Walmart Sponsored Search Ads enable e-commerce businesses to reach their target consumers who are actively browsing Walmart’s website or app for the exact product they sell.
If you want to focus on direct purchases, placing your ads within the retail giant’s online marketplace can turn the tables for you (in a good way). Walmart is not a mere social media ad campaign where you’re not really able to target active buyers.
Rather, you target people who are interested in similar products compared to what you sell, and based on that, you run a hit-or-miss game. At Walmart, things work differently.
For instance, if you sell reusable water bottles, you could bid on exact keywords like “reusable water bottle” so that your Walmart sponsored product listing shows up prominently when Walmart shoppers actively search for those items. And since these are high-intent keywords that shoppers use when they want to make a purchase, these ads drive a lot more qualified traffic and conversions.
How Effective Are Walmart Ads for Driving Sales?
Walmart’s global ad revenue increased by an impressive 28% last year, totaling $3.4 billion. Brands’ investment levels surged as a result of Walmart-sponsored ads’ effectiveness in driving sales growth for e-commerce businesses.
- With a net 24% of brands ramping up their investment, businesses are reaping the benefits of advertising on Walmart’s platform.
- Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon forecasted that global advertising and membership will represent 20% of annual operating income by the next financial year. It showcases how well Walmart is leveraging its Marketplace as a growth engine to increase its revenue by attracting and seamlessly bridging the gap between millions of buyers and sellers every single month.
Walmart shopping ads can be a valuable tool for driving sales; however, they are not magic bullets. You need to have a well-rounded Walmart advertising strategy and expertise to get your desired results since the competition is higher than ever.
IG PPC offers strategic bidding techniques that can place you ahead of your competitors without breaking the bank. Schedule a free audit with us to step up your Walmart Ads game today!
Benefits of Running Walmart Ads
Beyond increasing your revenue, which is an obvious and the most important reason you’re reading this, here are some other benefits of Walmart Ads that should convince you to include them as a part of your marketing strategy:
- Increased Visibility: Walmart Ads helps you display your products in front of a massive audience and consequently increases the chance of clicks and conversions.
- Targeted Marketing: Walmart’s ad platform allows you to target specific demographics and shopper interests. This means your ads are reaching people likely to be interested in what you’re selling, which can lead to a higher return on investment (ROI).
- Brand Awareness: Even if someone doesn’t click on your ad right away, seeing it can plant a seed and build brand recognition. This can influence future purchases.
- Data-Driven Optimization: Walmart’s platform provides detailed analytics to help you track your ad performance and see what’s working. This allows you to optimize your campaigns for better results over time.
Walmart Connect Ad Types
Walmart Connect is Walmart’s advertising platform that allows you to reach your customers via multiple channels such as online ads, in-store ads, as well as sponsored media across the web.
Below are the different types of Walmart Connect Ads for your understanding:
Sponsored Products Ads
These advertisements are displayed within a relevant search result. For instance, if you sell reusable water bottles, you can bid on keywords like “reusable water bottle” or “best reusable water bottles” to show your product to the right customer.
When a consumer clicks the ads for Sponsored Products, it takes them directly to the product page. This increases the chances of buying your product.
Some common types of sponsored product ads are:
Search In-Grid Results
Search in-grid sponsored products are cost-per-click (CPC) advertising that appears on Walmart’s search results pages.
Advertisers have complete control over their spending, including budgeting and bidding, and are only charged when users click on the adverts.
Carousels Ads
Carousel Ads can appear in search results, category pages, browse pages, product detail pages (PDPs), and the Featured Items section on the homepage.
These ads let shoppers compare multiple products side-by-side, which increases clarity and, therefore, conversions.
Walmart Buy Box Banner
Sponsored Buy Box Banner appears right below an Organic Buy Box Banner, showcasing an alternative or low-priced product when a customer lands on a product detail page.
This leads them down the conversion funnel with an “Add to Cart” CTA. Without this, no one would have a clue about how to buy from you.
Sponsored Brands
Sponsored Brands is a premium ad option on Walmart Marketplace that puts your brand logo and featured products right at the top of relevant search results. It’s the most visible ad placement on Walmart’s search pages, grabbing shopper’s attention and boosting your brand awareness.
Sponsored Videos
This innovative ad option lets you showcase your products with short, keyword-targeted video ads that appear directly within relevant search results. It’s a premium way to boost your product’s visibility and grab attention as consumers browse Walmart Marketplace.
This new Sponsored Search solution is designed to help you stand out and get your products discovered by more potential customers.
Walmart Offsite Display Advertising
Walmart’s advertising extends beyond its platform, reaching potential customers on various websites, including social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.
Through offsite display advertising, Walmart promotes your business’s products to a broader and more diverse audience beyond its website and app.
Most Effective Walmart Advertising Strategy for Sellers
Here are some of the most effective Walmart Advertising strategies for you to launch and run a successful campaign:
Pricing Your Products Competitively
It is advisable to price your products competitively to enhance the effectiveness of your ads and drive more clicks and sales. Walmart strongly emphasizes offering products at the lowest prices, making it essential to ensure your products are priced competitively to attract customers.
Competitive pricing increases the likelihood of customers choosing your ad over competitors’ listings.
Moreover, setting competitive prices is key to winning the buy box on Walmart. When multiple sellers offer the same product, Walmart consolidates them into one listing and grants the buy box, which is the “add to cart” button, to one seller – typically the one with the best price.
Winning the buy box enhances the chances of making a sale and boosting revenue for your business.
Earning Reviews
Great reviews are like silent salespeople for your Walmart Ads. Although they don’t directly affect ad placement, positive reviews can significantly increase clicks.
People trust reviews to decide if a product is worth buying. So, focus on getting more reviews to attract more qualified leads from your ads and ultimately boost sales.
Focusing on Your Best-performing Platform
When advertising your products, your ads are visible across desktop, mobile, and tablet devices. Walmart offers the flexibility to tailor your strategy according to device performance.
If, after a few months of running ads, you discover that mobile users generate the highest sales, you can refine your approach and allocate more budget towards mobile campaigns. This approach allows you to concentrate your advertising efforts on the platforms most conducive to conversions.
Focusing on Secondary Products
An effective tactic in Walmart advertising is highlighting secondary products. Typically, businesses prioritize promoting their top-selling items to maximize sales.
However, it’s also advantageous to showcase secondary products—those that may not perform as strongly but are still part of your Walmart inventory. Promoting these secondary products can boost overall sales and expand revenue streams. Additionally, it aids in raising awareness for these less prominent items, contributing to brand diversification.
Best Tools and Resources for Walmart Advertisers
With the growing importance of Walmart Marketplace to drive sales and increase brand visibility, you need reliable tools and resources to launch and run successful campaigns.
Some of the best tools that can help you achieve your goals are:
1. IG PPC
IG PPC is a one-stop solution for e-commerce brands facing the challenges of advertising on Walmart. Our hands-on PPC management services are tailored to drive remarkable growth and profitability.
By blending profound expertise in Walmart PPC advertising with a targeted strategy, we ensure that your campaigns not only meet but go above and beyond expectations.
Our comprehensive approach to e-commerce advertising is proven by our track record, which demonstrates significant growth and ROI for our clients. We dig deep into your target audience’s pain points and desires to understand their needs well and then create a tailored game plan to ensure you get a bang for every buck you’re spending.
We also analyze your ads and create a plan to lower your ad costs (ACoS) and get more results (ROI). Get a free audit today!
2. Helium 10
Helium 10 offers multiple highly acclaimed tools that can help you gain access to a wealth of data. This empowers you to make well-informed choices regarding product sourcing, enhancing listings with relevant keywords, optimizing ad campaigns, and beyond.
The platform serves as a robust tool for managing Walmart Ads campaigns, offering a comprehensive suite of features tailored to optimize advertising performance on the platform.
Moreover, sellers can conduct in-depth product research to identify profitable opportunities within Walmart’s marketplace, leveraging insights such as sales estimates, competition analysis, and market trends to inform their advertising strategy.
Helium 10 also provides powerful keyword optimization tools, allowing sellers to identify high-ranking keywords and optimize their product content to maximize visibility and drive traffic to their listings.
3. Informed Repricer
Informed Repricer is a valuable tool for managing advertising campaigns on Walmart. By leveraging its advanced algorithms and data-driven insights, you can optimize your ad strategies to enhance visibility and drive more sales.
With features such as dynamic pricing adjustments, competitor analysis, and performance tracking, Informed Repricer will enable you to make informed decisions and maximize the effectiveness of your campaigns.
4. CommerceIQ
CommerceIQ is an integrated tool for conducting market analysis, strategy building, campaign automation, and performance tracking. You can track your customers’ shopping behavior to gain insights on how to advertise on Walmart effectively and generate more clicks.
Also, this tool offers round-the-clock keyword optimization, helping you win bid placements even outside your operating hours.
5. Teikametrics
Teikametrics uses predictive analysis to help you stay ahead of your competition.
It offers an easy-to-use tool for automating your Walmart campaigns, including bidding in the auction system and optimizing your ads to generate more clicks.
Additionally, you can access advanced reports on your organic rankings and inventory performance for actionable insights on refining your Walmart advertising strategy.
6. IntentWise
IntentWise offers an easy-to-use tool for sellers with limited knowledge of Walmart Connect. It provides a central dashboard for managing your Walmart campaigns, including tracking ad performance.
Additionally, IntentWise leverages data analytics to recommend keyword optimization opportunities, which can help your ads win more placements and appear in relevant searches.
Lastly, it also has a vast resource section, which comprises blogs, case studies, and a learning hub to help you hone your Walmart advertising skills.
Tips to Optimize Walmart Advertising Campaigns
Looking to scale your Walmart sales through ads? Here’s how you can do that:
- Extensive Keyword Research: Identify common search phrases that shoppers use and include them in your Walmart campaigns. Further, combine broad and exact-match keywords to ensure your Walmart performance ads appear in diverse searches.
- Combine Automated and Manual Campaigns: Each campaign mode has incentives, so combining them offers more benefits for your Walmart business. For example, automated campaigns follow a rule-based system to adjust bids, reducing your intervention. On the other hand, manual campaigns give you autonomy over the targeted keywords.
- Refine Your Product Listings: Use dynamic visuals and detailed product listings to capture shoppers’ attention.
- Work with a Budget: Set your daily and campaign budget to avoid overspending. We recommend allocating a certain percentage of your revenue, say 2%, for Walmart advertising.
- Track Performance Metrics: Monitor impressions, clicks, ACoS, and realized ROI to measure campaign performance. You can derive actionable insights from the performance reports to refine your Walmart advertising strategy and scale your business.
- Get Expert Help: Outsource Walmart advertising to a PPC agency to get the most out of your ad spend. Usually, Walmart PPC agencies use various types of advertisements, such as sponsored products and sponsored brands, to attract high-intent buyers.
At IG PPC, we have helped clients optimize their ad spend for at least the last decade. We provide hands-on PPC management services to help our clients scale their operations and hit their ROI goals faster.
Book a free audit today and let our Walmart Connect experts help you generate more sales from your ads!
How to Measure Your Walmart Ad Performance
Tracking your Walmart ads helps you evaluate their performance and refine your strategies to generate more sales.
Monitor the following Walmart ads performance metrics:
- Impressions: This refers to the number of times your ads appear on shoppers’ screens. A shopper could account for multiple impressions, which could help you analyze buyer behavior and refine your ads to meet their information needs.
- Click-Through Rates (CTR): The metric measures the number of clicks on your ads as shoppers look to learn more about your products.
- Conversion Rate: This measures the percentage of shoppers who ordered your products after clicking on your ads.
- Return on Investment (ROI): Determines the ROI on your Walmart campaign budget by calculating the return on advertising spend (ROAS). It helps you evaluate how much revenue you generate for every dollar spent on Walmart ads.
- Cost Efficiency Metrics: Advertising cost of sales (ACoS) and cost per click (CPC) help you monitor how well you spend your Walmart campaigns budget.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Walmart Advertising
Avoid these common Walmart advertising mistakes and see your sales soar:
- Vague Listings: Low-quality or blank images and generic product descriptions discourage shoppers from clicking on your ads or ordering your items. Use dynamic images, especially for Walmart banner ads, and highlight your products’ unique selling points to attract clicks.
- Unreasonable Budget: Underfunding your Walmart ads campaigns limits how many clicks you receive, causing you to miss out on high-intent shoppers. In contrast, a high budget lowers your ROAS. Set a budget that aligns with your Walmart advertising goals and sales forecasts.
- Overdependence on Automatic or Manual Campaigns: Overrelying on either campaign mode causes you to miss out on the benefits of the other. As such, automate some functions like bid optimization and handle some manually, like keyword selection.
- Using Static Ads: Unresponsive Walmart ads will likely cost your business traffic and sales from mobile users. Use a mobile-first design to ensure your ads respond to different screen sizes.
- Ignoring Analytics: This causes you to miss out on opportunities to refine your Walmart advertising strategy. Track your Walmart ads performance metrics to see what resonates with your target audience and implement the changes to attract more prospects.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Before we wrap up, here are some of your most frequently asked questions about Walmart Ads:
What Are the Costs Associated with Walmart Digital Ads for Sellers?
The costs associated with Walmart’s digital advertisements can vary depending on factors such as ad format, targeting options, and bidding strategies.
You, as a seller, will typically pay for your ads on a cost-per-click (CPC) or cost-per-impression (CPM) basis, with additional fees possible for enhanced targeting or premium placement.
How Can Sellers Track the Performance of Their Ads on Walmart?
To track the performance of your ad campaigns on Walmart, you can utilize the platform’s comprehensive analytics and reporting tools.
These tools offer insights into key metrics like impressions, clicks, conversions, and return on ad spend (ROAS), which will help you monitor performance in real time and make informed decisions to optimize your campaigns for better results.
How Long Does It Take for Walmart Ads to Show Results?
There isn’t a definitive answer as to how soon to expect results from your Walmart ads. Factors like the type of ad and niche competition influence the timeline.
For example, Sponsored Products often show results faster (in a few weeks) than Sponsored Brands (up to several months).
Can I Use Walmart Ads for Seasonal Campaigns?
Yes. You can use Walmart ads for seasonal campaigns. However, the ads must be well-timed to coincide with the season.
For example, you could start with Sponsored Brands several months before the season and then prioritize Sponsored Products when the peak period sets in.
Conclusion – Walmart PPC
Walmart Marketplace is a significant platform for e-commerce businesses like yours. It gives you access to a huge pool of potential customers ready to buy from you. All you need to do is show your products in front of the right people at the right time.
However, there’s a catch. It’s a simple process, but it’s not an easy one. You can’t just start running ads without having proper knowledge, expertise, or strategy.
Therefore, at IG PPC, we take care of everything for you – from creating a targeted campaign strategy to conducting keyword research, analyzing, and constantly improving performance. All you need to do is book a free audit and let our team of experts help you skyrocket your sales with Walmart Ads!
