I Taught Myself How To Run Facebook Ads And Grew My Side Hustle To $10K/Month [Update]
This is a follow up story for ZZZ Bears. If you're interested in reading how they got started, published almost 7 years ago, check it out here.
Hello again! Remind us who you are and what business you started.
Hey, my name is Justin and I’m the ZZZEO of ZZZ Bears (pronounced ZEE Bears). We make personalized teddy bears that celebrate and honor our nation’s heroes - military, first responders, and healthcare - and give back to the children of fallen heroes.
Our best-selling bear is Sgt Sleeptight, a bear dressed like a soldier that protects kids as they sleep. He comes with a military-grade sleep system that includes a storybook, door hang, oath, and stickers shaped like military commendation medals awarded to kids who sleep through the night.
We sell primarily to military families but also the families of first responders and healthcare workers. Since we began in 2015, we’ve sold our bears online, on military bases, at Target (for a short time), and in museum gift shops like the 9/11 Memorial Museum and the White House!
As a reminder, this is a side hustle for me as I hold a demanding full-time job!
Tell us about what you’ve been up to. Has the business been growing?
During the pandemic, much of our wholesale business disappeared. However, our online sales increased exponentially! We also took the opportunity to pursue unconventional paths. As devastating as the pandemic was, it also enabled new heroes to emerge.
So, we partnered with FedEx to make a bear that honors the men and women who kept our packages moving even when most of the world was shut down. And when the world reopened, we looked for wholesale partners that also honored heroes. So, we reached out to the 9/11 Memorial Museum and the White House gift shops and quickly made a deal.
Think differently. No matter if it’s content or partnerships, don’t follow the trends. Create them.
One of the best decisions we made this past year was to learn how to run Facebook ads ourselves. We had tried hiring agencies but all were expensive and none performed as well as the ads we created ourselves.
Then the Apple privacy updates came along and we were no longer able to target the audiences that made us so successful. So, this year, we’ve opened a Tik Tok account and will begin running ads there during the holiday season. Learning Tik Tok has been fun but also a tremendous time suck. Creating content daily is one of the most time-consuming things that I do for the business.
One interesting change we made this year was changing our website pop-ups to collect data on potential customers. Instead of just asking for an email in exchange for a 10% discount, we started asking which bear customers were interested in. That way, we could more effectively market to them via targeted paid ad campaigns and email flows. Email marketing continues to be a profitable channel for us.
What have been your biggest challenges in the last year?
Before the Apply privacy update, Facebook was the main driver of web traffic and sales for our site. It accounted for more than 75% of our online sales. Now that Facebook ads no longer work as effectively as they did before, our biggest challenge is finding the next effective paid media channel.
We think Tik Tok might be it but we won’t know until we start running ads later next month. However, early signs are promising. Just by posting regularly and growing the account organically, we’ve already seen sales coming from that channel.
What have been your biggest lessons learned in the last year?
Lesson #1: Don’t over-rely on any one paid media channel
Lesson #2: Learn to do things yourself - placing ads, writing and creating emails, etc.
Lesson #3: Hustle. Nothing happens if you don’t make it happen. Cold call and email. No mercy.
Lesson #4: Think differently. No matter if it’s content or partnerships, don’t follow the trends. Create them.
Lesson #5: Keep creating. To be successful on social media, you’ve got to keep creating new content. If it’s right for your brand, don’t be afraid to step in front of the camera. For some platforms like Tik Tok, it’s a requirement.
Lesson #6: Test new product ideas before you dedicate a huge amount of money and time to bring them to market only to find out no one wants them.
What’s in the plans for the upcoming year, and the next 5 years?
I plan to continue to grow the business by finding more partners like FedEx, more wholesale accounts, and mastering Tik Tok - both organic and paid. I’ve also been testing some new product ideas like the Bearborne Ranger - a smaller size bear with a parachute that can fly!
I’ve created some videos for it on Tik Tok that is gaining a lot of attention which is always a good sign. If you have Tik Tok, you can see one of those here:
What’s the best thing you read in the last year?
10% happier by Dan Harris
Advice for other entrepreneurs who might be struggling to grow their business?
The biggest mistake I see other entrepreneurs make is not connecting with other entrepreneurs. My advice is to start by joining a private group on Facebook and becoming an active participant.
My favorite is the Unofficial Shopify Podcast but there are many others. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and money by learning from people who have already made mistakes. And if you don’t want to join a FB group, reach out to entrepreneurs whose companies you admire. You’d be surprised how receptive most people are.
Are you looking to hire for certain positions right now?
Not right now, but if you’re a young, hungry killer content creator for Tik Tok, reach out!
Where can we go to learn more?
If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!
