Solved: Too Many Facebook Messages, Few Decor Sales

Hi there,

Thanks for reaching out! It's a really common problem you're describing, and honestly, one of the most frustrating. Getting loads of messages feels like you're doing something right, but when it doesn't translate into sales, it's just a massive time drain. I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance on why this is happening and how to fix it. The short answer is you're probably telling Facebook to find the wrong type of person.

Why "Messages" Campaigns Are a Trap for eCommerce...

Right, let's get straight to the heart of the issue. You asked if your interests are wrong or if the post isn't engaging. While those things can always be improved, they aren't the root cause. The real problem is almost certainly your campaign objective.

When you set up a campaign in Facebook Ads Manager and choose the 'Engagement' objective with the goal of getting 'Messages', you give the algorithm a very simple command: "Find me the people inside my target audience who are most likely to send a message, for the lowest possible cost."

And the algorithm is incredibly good at its job. It goes out and finds all the people who have a history of clicking the 'Send Message' button. The problem is, these people are often not the same people who have a history of clicking 'Add to Cart' and entering their credit card details. You've accidentally told the world's most powerful advertising machine to find you tyre-kickers, bargain hunters, and people who are just curious, because their attention is cheap. You are, in effect, paying Facebook to find you non-customers.

A real buyer, someone ready to make a purchase, is a much more valuable user. Other advertisers are competing for their attention, which makes them more expensive to reach. By optimising for messages, you've sidestepped that competition and gone straight to the bargain bin of user attention. It feels busy, but it rarely leads to growth. We see this all the time; it's a very common mistake to make because it feels intuitive to want to talk to customers. But for an online store, it's a huge strategic error.

I'd say you need to switch to a 'Sales' objective immediately...

So, the fix is to completely change your approach. You need to stop running 'Messages' campaigns and start running 'Sales' campaigns (this used to be called 'Conversions'). This tells Facebook you're not interested in chats; you're interested in cold, hard cash.

When you optimise for 'Purchases', the algorithm does something amazing. It looks at the thousands of data points it has on all its users, finds the ones who have recently bought things from other online stores (maybe even other decor stores), and shows your ads to them first. Then, as people start to buy from your site, it analyses their characteristics—their age, their other interests, their online behaviours—and goes out to find *more people exactly like them*. This is how you scale an eCommerce business. You let the machine learn who your best customers are and then pay it to find more of them.

This does mean your cost per result will look higher initially. A purchase might cost you £10-£25, whereas a message might cost £1. But a hundred messages that result in one £50 sale is a disaster. Two purchases at a cost of £20 each for two £50 sales is a profitable business. You have to shift your mindset from chasing cheap interactions to investing in profitable outcomes.

To put this in perspective, let's look at the potential. A typical eCommerce store might see a conversion rate of 2-5% from ad traffic. If you can get your cost per click (CPC) down to around £0.50-£1.50, the maths starts to look very promising. I've built a small calculator for you to see how different metrics can impact your revenue and Return On Ad Spend (ROAS).

You'll need a website that closes the deal...

Once you make this strategic shift, your website is no longer just a gallery; it's your full-time, number one salesperson. It has to do all the work that you were previously trying to do in Messenger, but better and more efficiently. Cold traffic from an ad is deeply sceptical. They're looking for any reason not to trust you. Your job is to give them none.

Here's a quick audit of what you need to have in place:

• Professional Photography: This is huge for decor. Your product images must be impeccable. They should be high-resolution, well-lit, and show the product from multiple angles. Even better, show them in a real-life setting (lifestyle shots). Let people imagine what your decor will look like in their own home. A video of you showing the product can also work wonders.
• Compelling Product Descriptions: Don't just list the dimensions and materials. Sell the feeling. How does this piece transform a room? What story does it tell? Use persuasive language that connects with your ideal customer's aspirations for their home. Answer all their questions before they have to ask them.
• Unmistakable Trust Signals: This is absolutly critical. Plaster your site with reasons to trust you.
  • -> Customer reviews and testimonials are the most powerful tool you have. If you have them, make them prominent.
  • -> Display secure payment logos (Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, etc.) clearly.
  • -> Have an easy-to-find and clearly written returns policy and shipping information page.
  • -> An 'About Us' page telling your story can build a personal connection and make you seem more real and trustworthy.
• A Seamless User Experience: Your site needs to be fast to load. If a page takes more than a few seconds, people will leave. The navigation should be intuitive, and the checkout process must be as simple as possible. Remove any unnecessary steps or fields. Make it incredibly easy for someone to give you their money.

Looking at a store, if I see pixelated images, no product descriptions, and no reviews, my immediate thought is that it's not a legitimate business, and I won't risk my card details. You need to present yourself as a professional, established brand, even if you're just starting out.

You probably should rethink your ads and targeting for sales...

Now we can finally talk about your ads and interests. With a 'Sales' objective, their job changes. The goal of the ad is no longer to start a conversation; it's to get a click from a highly qualified person who is likely to buy.

Your Ad Creative: The copy and creative should be geared towards a direct sale. The call-to-action (CTA) button should always be 'Shop Now' or something similar. Your headline and primary text should clearly state what the product is and what benefit it provides. A simple but effective formula is Before-After-Bridge.

"Before: Staring at blank, boring walls? After: Imagine a living room filled with warmth and personality. Bridge: Our handcrafted artisan decor is the bridge to get you there. Tap 'Shop Now' to explore the collection."

This is a much stronger approach than just showing a product and saying "DM for details". You're selling the outcome, not just the object.

Your Targeting Strategy: This is where we can get a bit more methodical. Instead of just picking a few interests, I'd suggest structuring your campaigns around the marketing funnel. For a new store, you'll start at the top and work your way down as you gather data.

Here’s a simple structure I’d recommend testing:

1. Top-of-Funnel (ToFu) - Finding New People: This is your prospecting campaign. Here, you use detailed targeting. Don't go too broad. Think specifically about your ideal customer.
   • -> What magazines do they read? (e.g., Apartment Therapy, Elle Decor)
   • -> What brands do they already buy from? (e.g., West Elm, Crate & Barrel, MADE.com)
   • -> What specific interests do they have? (e.g., 'Interior design', 'Scandinavian design', 'Minimalism', 'Home decor')

   Test these interest groups in separate ad sets to see which performs best. Once your account has enough purchase data (500-1000 purchases), you can start testing lookalike audiences of your past buyers, which are incredibly powerful.

2. Middle-of-Funnel (MoFu) - Re-engaging Visitors: These are people who have visited your website but didn't buy. They're warm leads. You can create a custom audience of 'All Website Visitors - Last 30 Days' (and exclude purchasers). Show them a different ad, maybe a carousel of your best-selling products or a customer testimonial video. Remind them why they were interested in the first place.
3. Bottom-of-Funnel (BoFu) - Closing the Deal: This is your hottest audience. These are people who have added an item to their cart or started the checkout process but didn't finish. Create a custom audience for 'Added to Cart - Last 7 Days' (excluding purchasers). These people are on the verge of buying. Sometimes all they need is a little nudge. You could show them an ad with a reminder or even a small discount code like 'COMEBACK10' to seal the deal. This is often the most profitable part of any ad account. I remember one campaign we worked on for an apparel store, where this kind of retargeting helped drive a 691% return.

By splitting your audiences like this, you can tailor your message to how familiar someone is with your brand, which makes your advertising far more effective adn personal.

This is the main advice I have for you:

I know this is a lot of information to take in, but it's a proven framework. Moving from a message-based strategy to a proper conversion-focused eCommerce strategy is the difference between a hobby that costs you time and money, and a scalable, profitable business. I've detailed the main recommendations for you in a table below to make it easier to digest.

Implementing all of this correctly—setting up the pixel tracking, structuring the campaigns, writing the ad copy, and analysing the data—can be a steep learning curve. It's not just about pushing buttons; it's about understanding the underlying strategy and being able to adapt as the data comes in.

This is where working with an expert can make a huge difference. An experienced paid advertising consultant can get this entire system built for you far more quickly and avoid costly mistakes along the way. We could help you not just implement this framework but also optimise it week after week to drive down your costs and scale your revenue.

If you'd like to discuss this in more detail, we offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation where we can take a closer look at your page and ad account and map out a more specific growth plan for you.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Team @ Lukas Holschuh