upriseFor clothing drops · timeline
Paid ads for clothing drops: the campaign timeline
Ads around a drop work best on a schedule. Here's what to run and when, from three weeks out to the week after.
3 to 2 weeks out: ads to the waitlist. Drop week: retarget waitlist visitors and engagers with teasers. Drop day: text and email the list first, then ads to warm audiences. After: ads on the fastest sellers with fresh proof.
3 to 2 weeks out: grow the waitlist
- Ads sending people to a waitlist page with a clear reason to join
- Sneak peeks, fit tests and behind-the-scenes as creative
Drop week: warm them up
- Retarget waitlist page visitors and people who engaged with your posts
- Countdown and detail shots. Remind them what's coming and when.
Drop day
- SMS first, then email to the list
- Ads to warm audiences: site visitors, engagers, past buyers
- Abandoned checkout texts and emails turned on
After the drop
- Run ads on the pieces that sold fastest, while demand is fresh
- Use customer photos and reactions as new creative
- Restart the waitlist for the next drop
More detail on the organic side: how to sell out a clothing drop.
Questions
When should I start ads before a clothing drop?
Two to three weeks out is a good window to grow a waitlist, then retarget that audience in drop week.
What should I spend on a drop?
Split it: a share before the drop to grow the list, a share on drop day and right after for warm audiences and best sellers. Set the total from your margins.
Do ads after the drop still work?
Yes. You have fresh proof and real demand. Post-drop ads on best sellers often sell to people who missed the launch.
Keep going
Waitlist, pre-drop ads, drop day, and after.
Demand, margin math, page readiness, then a $3,000 test.
The formats that sell clothes on Meta.
Want your next drop run?
Pick a time. I'll look at your store and map out the ads for your next drop.
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