Why Shopify Store Owners Are Losing Sales Without Video (And How to Fix It)

Want more consistent sales from your Shopify store? The secret isn’t just running conversion ads—it's using the power of video throughout your entire campaign.

Today, we're breaking down the biggest mistakes we see with eCommerce ad campaigns. And we're showing how to use video to strategically grow your Shopify store.

The Mistake: Ignoring Video as a Full-Funnel Tool

Over the last five years, many Shopify store owners have over-relied on conversion ads, hoping for immediate sales. But these ads aren’t enough on their own.

Why? They don’t build trust. They don’t create brand recognition. And they don’t warm up your audience.

The biggest mistake store owners make is thinking about video as just a "nice-to-have" for product ads. But video isn't just for conversions—it’s essential at every stage of your campaign.

Let’s look at a real-world scenario to see how this mistake plays out—and what a better strategy looks like.

Example: A Comic Art Storefront

Let's say you run a comic art store online, and you want to get more sales. Here's what we usually see:

You decide to buy some Meta ads promoting specific products. You make some sales, but they're coming in slowly with a fairly high cost per sale.

You're cutting it close to your margin and not sure how you would realistically scale up your ads.

So, you conclude that Meta advertising is probably not worth the effort.

Why doesn't it work? What's missing?

  • No consideration for the customer’s journey

  • No seasonal or event-based targeting

  • No warm-up phase—only direct conversion ads

This is not a true campaign, it's just an ad buy.

A Smarter Approach: Full-Funnel Video

If you want steady, profitable sales, you need a structured ad campaign that aligns with customer behavior and cultural moments.

It starts with a calendar of campaigns or programs, ramping up and deploying each campaign at the optimal time of year.

In the case of our comic art example, you can tie in campaigns with film releases and comic conventions throughout the year.

Let's say you're running a campaign to tie in with the new Superman movie in summer 2025.

Instead of just running product ads, imagine using video throughout your entire campaign:

  • Awareness Phase: Short-form videos about Superman’s history and famous comic artists (run as organic + paid content).

  • List-Building: A giveaway video where the artist sketches a Superman character live, encouraging signups.

  • Pre-Sale & Waitlists: A behind-the-scenes video of how Superman art prints are made, directing traffic to pre-order pages.

  • Campaign Launch: High-quality product videos featuring unboxings, close-ups, and customer testimonials.

By launch day, you’re not just running ads. You’re selling to an audience that already knows, likes, and trusts your brand.

Using Video for Awareness & Conversion

One of the biggest mistakes we see? Shopify store owners overlooking video in their ad campaigns.

Without video, you're fighting an uphill battle for attention. But with video, you have the opportunity to build awareness. And right now we are in the era of short form video.

Why Video Matters

  • Higher engagement than static ads

  • Builds familiarity & trust with customers

  • Supports both organic and paid campaigns

When it comes to video for our Superman campaign, you're probably thinking of the obvious: showing the product, unboxing the product, showing the product being signed

And for sure, these product videos are critical when it comes to the giveaway and campaign launch. But if you only show product videos, there's a serious missed opportunity to build awareness.

What Types of Video Content Work Best?

Based on our experience running video ad campaigns, here are some of the most effective video types for Shopify store owners:

  • Story-Driven Ads: Short videos that tell a brand story, introducing your product through a compelling narrative.

  • Behind-the-Scenes Videos: Show how your products are made, how artists design them, or even a day in the life of your brand.

  • Unboxings & Reviews: People want to see the product in action. Short-form unboxings drive higher engagement and conversions.

  • Explainer Videos: Educate your audience about the history, culture, or inspiration behind your products.

  • User-Generated Content (UGC) & Testimonials: Showcase real customers using and talking about your product.

By integrating these videos throughout your campaign, you're warming up your audience before they even see a product ad.

Putting It All Together

Now you've come a long way from turning on some meta ads and hoping for evergreen conversions on autopilot.

Instead of hoping your Shopify ads will convert, you now have a structured, strategic campaign that uses video at every step.

As you're building awareness, you're scoring small, measurable wins: more views, more traffic, more email signups.

These early signals tell us what’s working, so we can fine-tune the campaign and make it as successful as possible.

When you use the right videos at the right time, you're not just running ads. You're building an engaged audience, increasing brand trust, and setting yourself up for predictable, scalable growth.

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Want help crafting high-converting video ads for your Shopify store? Click here to learn more about our eCommerce Video Marketing Services.

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