Every new client gives me the same goal - more net new customers…at a higher ROAS.
No problem.
Some notes from the last 2 clients we’ve worked on below.
Getting incremental new customers at the top of the funnel (TOFU) takes a bit of strategy and some targeted spend. Here’s how to make sure you’re using your Meta and Google dollars to bring in net-new customers—plus how to track it all.
Meta: Build Targeted Ad Segments for Net-New Users
To reach fresh eyes on Meta, start by setting up audience segments that focus strictly on new users. Negative out previous buyers from your ad sets to avoid wasting budget on those who’ve already converted. Here’s the approach:
- Define your customer segments: Meta finally gave advertisers the ability to break out their reporting by new vs returning customer. You need to define these segments though. You can do so at the account settings.
- Defining past customer: Set up clear audience segments that represent past purchasers. Easy to do if you’re importing all purchasers into the account from your Klaviyo or some other CRM data source.
- ASC existing customer % allocation: You can specify how much of your budget you want to allocate to prior purchasers in advantage+ shopping campaigns (ASC). Set this to a very low number, like 5% - to focus dollars on new users
This way, you keep the focus on new users without burning the budget on past customers.
Google: Set Up PMax with Brand Negatives
Performance Max (PMax) on Google can be powerful for acquiring new customers, but it needs to be configured to avoid overlaps with existing buyers.
- Domain as Brand Negative: Make sure to negative out your domain, which works like brand-negative keywords to prevent ads from appearing in searches by existing customers. This lives at campaign level.
- Import Prior Customers: Upload your Klaviyo customer list into Google as a way to exclude prior purchasers, so you’re strictly targeting net-new potential buyers. Toggle “new customers only” in Pmax settings to exclude.
Track New Customer CAC with Shopify Data
To understand your customer acquisition costs (CAC) for new users, you’ll need to go beyond platform reports.
Stitch your new customer data (ie. Shopify) with ad-spend data (ie. platforms) and calculate CAC for new customers specifically on a time series. This data lets you fine-tune your budget based on what’s actually working and dial up (or down) spend in real-time.
With these three steps, you’re setting up a TOFU strategy that not only brings in fresh customers but also measures what it’s costing you to grow your base—enabling smarter, incremental growth.
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Need help with marketing or know someone who does? Drop me a message at alvin@adsbyalvin.com to see how I can help. I’ve grown brands like Airbnb, Upwork, Vital Proteins, and Spotify.
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