If you're trying to grow your ecommerce brand, you're going to burn through a lot of cash on marketing. And everyone's got an opinion on how you should spend it.
The internet is packed with "marketing gurus" claiming they've got the secret sauce to skyrocket your revenue.
But have you ever noticed how biased these opinions usually are?
Think about it:
- Agency owners swear their channel is the holy grail for all brands
- Successful founders preach about what worked for them (conveniently forgetting about their failed experiments)
- And don't even get me started on course sellers...
But what if we looked at this from a different angle?
I'm a CFO working with ecommerce brands, which means I get to peek behind the curtain of some pretty successful operations.
I see what actually works, what bombs, and most importantly - what it all means for the bottom line.
I've also run my own brand and still do media buying on the side to keep my finger on the pulse.
So instead of another marketing hot take, let's break down the main ecommerce marketing channels from a financial perspective.
No fluff, no agenda - just real numbers and practical insights from someone who's seen the bank statements.
Prefer to watch? Check out the full video breakdown here:
Now let's dive into each channel, starting with the OG of digital marketing...
1. SEO: The Long Game
The OG of digital marketing: Search Engine Optimization.
Everyone's heard of it, but let's cut through the BS and see what it really means for your bottom line.
The Good
Think of SEO like real estate - once you own that top spot on Google, you're basically collecting rent (free traffic) every month. Sweet, right?
The best part is that maintenance costs are usually pretty low, unless your competitors are really coming for your throat.
Here's where it gets interesting with Amazon SEO:
On Amazon, ranking high is like having the best storefront in a mall where everyone's ready to buy.
More eyeballs = more sales = more reviews = even more sales.
It's a beautiful cycle when it works.
Think about this: if you're looking at two products on Amazon, one with 10,000 reviews and another with 200, which one are you clicking? Exactly.
That's why once you're on top, it's damn hard for competitors to dethrone you.
The Bad
SEO is like watching paint dry when it comes to ROI.
Moving from position 50 to 15? Barely a blip on your revenue radar.
But suddenly jumping into the top 3? Now we're talking.
The cash flow reality check:
- You're burning money on content
- Throwing cash at technical SEO
- Paying for backlinks
And seeing almost nothing in return... for months
For most bootstrapped ecommerce brands, this is a tough pill to swallow. You need that marketing dollar to come back with friends - and fast.
Plus, tracking progress feels like reading tea leaves. One day you're ranking 43rd, next day 22nd, then back to 51st.
Good luck explaining that to your investors.
The Verdict
Google SEO? Meh.
Unless you've got deep pockets and patience, I'd stick to basic technical SEO and maybe some content that serves multiple purposes.
Amazon SEO? Now that's a different story.
It's very easy to invest in Amazon SEO because the work that you do for that usually overlaps very heavily with your Amazon ad strategies and conversion rate optimization, and your organic rank on Amazon feeds from the success of your ad strategies.
So it's basically an additional way to capitalize on getting more traffic and more revenue beyond just the ad strategies working well themselves.
Think of it as a bonus multiplier for your existing marketing efforts.
Overall Rating: 💰💰 out of 💰💰💰💰💰
Want to dive deeper into SEO? I've got a detailed video breaking down exactly how to optimize your Shopify store for search engines. Check it out here:
2. Google Ads: The Reliable Workhorse
Remember that cousin who always had their shit together in high school?
That's Google Ads compared to SEO. Less sexy, but gets results.
The Good
Let's talk immediate gratification:
- High-intent traffic = quick ROI
- Can start small (literally $10/day if you're tight)
- Lower agency fees than most channels
- No fancy photoshoots needed (at least for search and shopping)
Here's what makes CFOs happy:
You get predictable volume, reliable profitability control with smart bidding, and click-based conversion tracking that actually makes sense.
Plus, you can actually tell which clicks are new customers versus your existing fans just window shopping again.
The Bad
But hold up - before you go all in, there's some fine print:
Search and shopping? Golden.
But once you venture into YouTube, display, or performance max territory, things get messier:
- Creative costs start piling up
- Targeting gets fuzzy
- Attribution becomes a guessing game
- Google gets stingy with the data
And let's talk about that annoying "Google tax" - spending money on branded keywords feels like paying protection money to Tony Soprano.
Your customers were probably going to find you anyway, right?
The Verdict
Despite the gripes, Google Ads is solid. Think of it as your dependable sales rep:
- Profitable campaigns? Check
- Low volatility? Check
- Quick ROI? Check
- Good forecasting data? Check
It might not make you the next DTC unicorn, but it'll keep the lights on and the cash flowing.
Overall Rating: 💰💰💰💰 out of 💰💰💰💰💰
Speaking of tracking what's working... Worried about your ad spend actually driving growth? I break down the truth about ads attribution in this video:
3. Organic Social: The Time Vampire
Ah, organic social - where dreams of going viral meet the harsh reality of talking to an empty room.
The Good
Let's start with the good news (because it's a short list):
- No ad spend required (technically)
- Great for keeping existing customers in your orbit
- TikTok might throw you a bone with random viral moments
If you're scrappy and can create content yourself, it might be worth a shot. Emphasis on might.
The Reality Check
Here's where it gets painful:
- Building a following is slower than watching a sloth run a marathon
- You need constant content (like a hungry teenager raiding the fridge)
- Each post costs the same whether 5 or 500,000 people see it
- Early days? Prepare to be your own biggest fan
Think about this: You're investing the same effort into content that might reach 10 people as your competitor's post that reached 100,000. Fun times.
The CFO's Nightmare
Want to know what keeps finance people awake at night?
- High ongoing costs
- Inconsistent results
- Attribution tracking so messy it makes your junk drawer look organized
- The constant pressure to "stay relevant"
Most brands aren't getting real ROI from organic social - they're just doing it because everyone else is.
It's like going to high school parties you hate just to avoid FOMO.
The Verdict
Let's be brutally honest: for most brands, organic social is more of a necessary evil than a viable growth strategy.
It's the digital equivalent of having a business card - you need one, but it's not paying the bills.
Overall Rating: 💰 out of 💰💰💰💰💰
4. Influencer Marketing: The High-Stakes Game
Meet organic social's cooler cousin who actually knows how to make money.
The Good
- Can start lean (sometimes just the cost of inventory)
- One solid partnership could send your brand to the moon
- Creates content you can milk across all your other channels
Think of it like this: instead of building trust from scratch, you're borrowing it from people who already have it.
And when it works, it really works.
The Reality Check
Let's not sugar-coat it - it's more art than science.
Most partnerships will flop, and pricing is wild west territory (3k followers asking for $4k? Make it make sense).
The Hidden Costs Nobody Talks About
The stuff that doesn't show up in your marketing budget:
- Hours spent sliding into DMs and managing relationships
- Shipping products into the void
- Tracking inventory that's technically marketing expense
The Plot Twist
Here's what makes influencer marketing different: it doesn't suffer from diminishing returns like other channels.
Actually, the opposite happens.
When someone sees one person talking about your product, they might notice.
When they see ten people talking about it? Now you're living rent-free in their head.
The Verdict
It's unpredictable and messy, but when it works, it's like hitting the marketing jackpot.
Plus, unlike paid ads where costs usually go up as you scale, good influencer marketing can actually get more efficient with size.
Overall Rating: 💰💰💰💰 out of 💰💰💰💰💰
5. Facebook/Meta Ads: The Necessary Evil
Let's talk about the 800-pound gorilla in the room.
Almost every seven and eight-figure brand I've worked with built their empire on Facebook Ads, whether they like to admit it or not.
The Good
When Facebook Ads work, they really work.
Strong creative + dialed-in targeting = printing money (until it doesn't).
Almost every major DTC success story of the past decade has Facebook Ads DNA in its growth.
The Painful Truth
But damn, it's got baggage:
- Expensive learning curve (your first few thousand might as well be tuition)
- Need at least $100-200 daily to feed the algorithm beast
- Creative costs that never end (the algorithm's always hungry)
- Revenue becomes addicted to ad spend
It's like having a high-maintenance relationship.
Stop feeding it money for a few days? Watch your revenue fall off a cliff.
Get your ad account banned? Hope you've got a backup plan.
The Attribution Mess
Remember when tracking was easy? Yeah, me neither. Now we're dealing with:
- View-through conversions taking credit for breathing
- iOS updates giving everyone headaches
- Remarketing to people who would've bought anyway
But Here's Why We Can't Quit It
Despite all the drama, Facebook Ads have this weird "halo effect" - when they're running well, everything else performs better:
- More Google searches
- Better Amazon sales
- Higher in-store purchases
The Verdict
It's expensive, temperamental, and sometimes feels like throwing money into a black hole. But it's still the most reliable way to scale an ecommerce brand from zero to hero.
Overall Rating: 💰💰💰💰💰 out of 💰💰💰💰💰
Noticed how I mentioned that "halo effect" where Facebook Ads boost performance across all channels?
I dig deeper into this relationship between ads and sustainable growth here:
6. Retention Marketing: The Money Lying on the Floor
Last but not least - email and SMS marketing. Not the sexiest channel, but ignore it at your own risk.
The Free(ish) Money
Think about it:
- List builds itself as you acquire customers
- Automations do the heavy lifting
- Almost zero cost to hit 'send'
Your welcome flow alone should be making bank while you sleep. If it's not, we need to talk.
The Annoying Parts
Nothing's perfect:
- Software costs can make you choke (looking at you, Klaviyo)
- Campaigns cost the same to create whether you're sending to 10 or 10,000 people
- Attribution is like watching your dog take credit for dinner - cute but wrong
Klaviyo's out here acting like it invented sliced bread:
"Oh, that customer who clicked a Facebook ad, saw three TikToks, then used an email discount code? Yeah, that was all us."
The CFO's Take
As a marketer, it's kind of boring.
Can't scale it independently, lives or dies by your acquisition channels...
But as a CFO? I love this stuff!
It's like finding money in your coat pocket - not life-changing, but you'd be stupid not to pick it up.
The Verdict
No, it won't make you the next big thing. But it's probably the highest ROI channel you're not paying enough attention to.
Overall Rating: 💰💰💰💰 out of 💰💰💰💰💰
So What’s the Best eCommerce Marketing Channel?
Look, here's the deal - there's no one-size-fits-all solution in this game.
Some brands crush it with SEO while barely making a dent on social.
Others build empires on influencer marketing alone.
Quick Scorecard:
- Facebook/Meta Ads: 💰💰💰💰💰 (The necessary evil)
- Google Ads: 💰💰💰💰 (The reliable workhorse)
- Influencer Marketing: 💰💰💰💰 (The high-stakes game)
- Retention Marketing: 💰💰💰💰 (The money on the floor)
- SEO: 💰💰 (The long game)
- Organic Social: 💰 (The time vampire)
What Really Matters
As a CFO, here's what I'm actually looking at:
- How confident are we in the ROI numbers?
- Can we predict and forecast this reliably?
- How much cash do we need to burn before seeing results?
Every brand's journey is different, but here's what I've learned watching millions flow through these channels:
The best strategy isn't about picking the perfect eCommerce channel - it's about understanding how each one fits into your cash flow reality.
Don't let anyone sell you on a single "best" channel.
Instead, think about building a portfolio that matches your:
- Cash position
- Risk tolerance
- Growth goals
- Product margins
Remember, at the end of the day, it's not about what worked for someone else - it's about what works for your numbers.
Now go make some money.
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