Shopify brands that are scaling fast often have one thing in common: they’ve figured out how to make Meta ads work for them. With precise targeting, flexible creative formats, and access to shoppers who are ready to buy, Meta is helping turn casual browsers into loyal customers across Facebook, Instagram, and beyond.

But it’s not as simple as turning on a few campaigns. Without the right strategy, even the best products can get totally lost in the scroll.

Here at StoreLab, we’ve seen up close how a smart, data-driven approach to Meta ads can unlock some seriously impressive growth. So in this article, we’re breaking down the top 3 ways Shopify brands are winning with Meta ads - from gaining new customers, to boosting brand awareness, and driving higher ROAS.

For each, we share real client examples and expert insight from our Account Managers, who are on the front line, optimising campaigns every day. Let’s get started…

1 - Gaining new customers 

What makes Meta ads so powerful is their unmatched ability to put your brand in front of the right people at the right time. For Shopify stores looking to scale, customer acquisition is often the biggest hurdle - but also the biggest opportunity. 

At StoreLab, our Account Managers focus on using data-led strategies to not only reach broader audiences, but to convert them into loyal customers. One standout example is Smoke N’ Sanity - a Shopify store offering specialised Low FODMAP-certified seasonings and condiments. 

“Smoke ‘N Sanity partnered with StoreLab to solve their customer acquisition challenges. By leveraging our data-led, customer-focused, and targeted Meta ads strategies, they achieved a 102% increase in new customer acquisition within just 6 months of our partnership.”, says Harrison, Performance Marketing Specialist at StoreLab.

This kind of growth around your customer base is possible when ad strategies and decisions are based on real insights, not assumptions.

When brands zero in on their ideal customer profile, tweak creative around performance, and keep fine-tuning the campaigns, it’s easier to break through the noise and get discovered by audiences who are ready to buy.

2 - Building brand awareness 

Brand awareness is more than reach - it’s also about recognition, recall, and relevance. For SMEs, especially those in competitive or saturated markets, building awareness is often the first real step toward long-term Shopify revenue growth.

Meta ads make that totally doable, with smart targeting that gets you in front of a relevant audience, even if they’ve never heard of your brand before. Whether you’re launching a new product, entering into a new market, or trying to reposition your brand, awareness campaigns on Meta can really make an impact.

Lea, an Account Manager at StoreLab, worked closely with our client GNM Jewellery to put this strategy into action. 

“We worked with GNM Jewellery to run an awareness campaign focused on their engagement ring offering - something many people weren't aware of before,” says Lea. “Within 30 days, the video ads reached over 84,000 people, generated 116,000+ impressions, and delivered an ad recall list of 1,860.”

This is a strong example of how Shopify stores can build local awareness fast using an effective Meta ad strategy. 

Here’s the real takeaway: when you show up in your ideal customers’ feed consistently - but with purpose - you start to feel familiar. And that familiarity? It’s what builds trust, the foundation behind every successful purchase. 

Remember too, awareness plays the long game. It keeps your brand front and centre so when the moment’s right, customers already know who to turn to. For growing Shopify SMEs, this kind of steady visibility is where real momentum begins.

3 - Growing ROAS & revenue 

If you’re a Shopify brand investing in paid advertising, the ultimate goal is clear: bring in more revenue efficiently, without wasting budget.

While reach and engagement are important, it’s ROAS (return on ad spend) and bottom-line impact that truly measure success. And Meta ads, when excited well, consistently come through on both.

What sets Meta apart from other platforms is how dialled-in it is - you get super precise targeting, optimisation, and dynamic ad formats that feel personal to each shopper. This means your budget works harder, turning casual scrolls into clicks, and clicks into conversions.

Our client DirDirect is a prime example of what’s possible with the right approach. As Jeanne, Head of Account Management at StoreLab, explains:

“DirDirect, a trusted UK diving equipment retailer, was initially hesitant to move beyond their successful Google Ads strategy,” she says.

But once they launched Meta campaigns with StoreLab, the shift was immediate.

“Our Meta advertising approach delivered exceptional results - achieving a ROAS 5x higher than their Google campaigns in the first month alone. Revenue grew 50% in the second month and nearly doubled the first month’s performance by the third month of partnering with StoreLab.”

So this isn’t theory - it’s what happens when strategy meets execution. When campaigns are built around data, not guesswork, and you’re speaking to the right audience with the right message, returns follow.

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Final thoughts 

Meta ads are still one of the best ways to get your brand in front of the right people and drive real, long-term growth on Shopify. The brands seeing the strongest results? They’re not treating Meta like a magic button, they’re using it as part of a bigger, smarter strategy. With sharper targeting and creatives that actually speaks to what converts, it’s all about working the platform to your advantage.

We’ve found a standout strategy as part of our Shopify Growth Service at StoreLab is pairing Meta ads with a Shopify mobile app. Getting a mobile app for your Shopify store will help your brand to convert better, engage deeper, and have more control over user experience - so while Meta ads bring in the right audience, the app does the heavy lifting.

Discover 3 Ways Shopify Brands are Winning with Mobile Apps.

If you’d like to learn more about our Shopify Growth Service at StoreLab, get in touch with one of our friendly experts today!