Summary

‍Running ads, working with influencers, sending emails. None of it will bring steady sales if it’s all disconnected. This post explains why these three things work best when they work together.

Intro

A lot of people start an e-commerce store without any real plan or strategy. They just want to get their product out there. Maybe they've heard of running ads. Maybe they’ve worked with an influencer or set up email. Maybe they haven’t done any of that yet.

At Startline Strategies, we work with brands that are either just starting or trying to make sense of the chaos. And through Startline Blog, we share the same kind of practical advice we give our clients, especially the ones launching for the first time.

What you're about to read isn't theory. It's exactly what we recommend when someone asks us: "What do I really need to get this off the ground?" This post breaks down the three essential pieces every ecommerce store should have - ads, influencers, email, and shows how they work best when they work together.

If you’re just getting started, or if your results feel random, this is the foundation to build on.

Performance Marketing

Most people start here. You launch a few ads, pick some interests, put in your budget, and hit “publish.” Then you wait. The problem? Running ads without a bigger plan is like shouting into the void. Honestly, it’s better not to run them at all than to waste money showing the wrong message to the wrong people at the wrong time.

You need to think about how your ads are set up.

‍Who are you showing them to? At what point in their journey? And what exactly are you saying? Is your format the right one?

If someone has never seen you before, the ad should be simple and welcoming. If you’re talking to someone who already visited your site, your message should help them decide. Different people, different timing, different content. That’s how you avoid wasting money.

The truth is, ads can get the right people to your store. But what happens after that? If they leave without buying, and they usually do, how do you get them back? That’s where the system kicks in. Ads shouldn’t just bring in traffic, they should also bring in leads. Add people to your email list, feed your retargeting. Learn what works and what doesn’t.

And in the early stages, especially before a product launch, or the upcoming sale, the goal isn’t only to sell right away. It’s to build a list. Bring people into your world so you can keep the conversation going over email. That’s what turns traffic into trust, and trust into sales.

If you're already bringing people to your site, here's a practical guide on how to improve conversions once they get there: > How to Improve Your Ecommerce Website <

Influencer Marketing

Influencers aren't just for vanity. You don’t pay them just to “get the word out”, even that's the number one reason. But you can get more from them, here's how:

You pay them so you don’t have to create every piece of content yourself.

Let’s say you send your product to someone who knows how to speak to your audience.They post a video, show how it works, tell people why they like it. That’s great exposure, but the extra value starts after the post goes live.

You now have content you can reuse. In your ads, in your emails, on your site. That video becomes an ad, that photo becomes a story., that quote becomes a subject line and so on. Instead of spending time and money making new content every week, you’re repurposing what already works, and building consistency across every channel.

Good influencer content becomes the voice of your brand. And while this method has been around for a while, it’s still working, and it's working really well, which means it should be used as much as possible while it still performs. Don’t let good content go to waste, max it out across everything you can.

If you're wondering how influencer content fits into the bigger picture of growing a brand from scratch, we broke that down here: > Branding vs Marketing: What You Actually Need When Starting <

Email Marketing

Brands we worked with see up to 60% of their revenue come from email. That’s not a typo. It’s what happens when email is treated like the heart of your business, not just a side channel.

As soon as someone lands on your site, they should get a clear offer to join your email list, and a reason to do it. A gift, a discount, a freebie, whatever makes sense. That gift might look like a loss, but it’s actually a win. You’re trading a small cost for a real chance at a future customer who could buy once, twice, or ten times.

If someone tries to leave without buying, or leaves items in their cart, email is how you bring them back. Not by yelling, but by helping. Maybe they had doubts so your email clears them up. Maybe they needed a little push, again, your email gives them one. So simple and full of logic, right? And once they’re in, your job isn’t done. Good emails remind people who you are, they show off what’s new, they deliver value to the customer through content. They make sure your brand is always top of mind.

For someone shops often, make them a VIP. Let them see new stuff first, give them something extra. Make them feel like they matter, because they do. That kind of treatment turns a customer into a fan.

Email marketing is how you build loyalty. That’s how you build a brand. If ads bring people to the door, email is what makes them feel at home, and keeps them coming back.

If you're looking to write emails that actually convert, we broke down how timeless sales psychology still works today, even in your inbox: > Ancient Sales Techniques You Can Use in Your Sales Emails <

Make a System

Nothing works by itself. Your ads feed your email list, your influencer content fuels your ads, your emails convert the people your ads brought in. And the people who bought now become your next case study, your next testimonial, next story you can share.

That’s how a system runs. Not in pieces, but in sync.

I hope this article helps. But if you want a marketing setup that actually brings results, this is what we do.

Explore our > Services Here. <

> Let’s talk! <


Cheers,

Miloš Milenković,
Founder of Startline Strategies.