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Walmart Ads 101: Learn the Basics of Advertising on Walmart

One of the largest omnichannel retailers globally, Walmart has built a significant digital presence to complement its vast physical store network. As Walmart expands its online marketplace, sellers have increasingly leveraged Walmart advertising tools to boost sales, promote products, and enhance visibility. This guide will walk you through how Walmart’s ads work, the available ad types, and strategies for creating successful campaigns.


Why Should You Advertise on Walmart?

  • Advertising on Walmart gives sellers access to over 100 million unique visitors each month through an omnichannel approach that allows advertisers to reach online and offline customers—a unique advantage of combining in-store and digital data. Moreover, Walmart’s audience includes high-intent shoppers, making it easier for sellers to turn clicks into conversions.

  • Massive Reach and High Intent: Walmart.com attracts over 100 million unique visitors monthly, allowing advertisers to connect with a large, high-intent audience.

  • Omnichannel Advantage: Integration of online and in-store shopping enhances brand visibility and encourages higher spending among omnichannel shoppers.

  • Lower Competition: Compared to platforms like Amazon, Walmart offers a less saturated advertising landscape, making it easier for brands to stand out.

  • Data-Driven Targeting: Walmart leverages extensive customer data for precise targeting, allowing personalized ad experiences.

  • Cost-Effective Advertising: The Pay-Per-Click (PPC) model ensures that advertisers only pay for actual engagement, maximizing ad budget efficiency.


How Walmart Advertising Works

Walmart ads are primarily driven by data on shopper behavior, both online and in-store. Walmart Media Group allows sellers to target potential buyers through strategic ad placements across Walmart.com and other digital platforms. Sellers can choose from different ad formats like Sponsored Products, display ads, and native banners to promote their items. Campaigns are built around keyword targeting, which connects relevant ads with search results, product pages, and category listings. The ads use Walmart’s CPC model, where sellers pay only when a potential customer clicks on the ad.


How Much Does Advertising on Walmart Cost?

The cost of advertising on Walmart is based on a cost-per-click (CPC) model, so you pay only when a shopper clicks your ad. The exact cost per click varies depending on factors such as competition for the keyword, product category, and bidding strategy. Walmart ads are typically more cost-effective than Amazon’s due to less competition, but this could change as more sellers join the platform.


Does Walmart Have PPC Advertising?

Yes, Walmart offers a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising model for sellers on its platform. Known as Walmart Sponsored Products, this PPC model allows advertisers to pay only when a user clicks on their ad, making it an efficient way to drive traffic and increase sales without upfront costs.


Advertising on Walmart vs Amazon: What’s right for your business?

While both platforms offer robust advertising opportunities, they serve different market niches. Walmart's strength lies in its physical stores and the ability to link in-store and online sales data for better ad targeting. Amazon dominates the e-commerce market with more advanced advertising tools and a larger digital footprint. However, Walmart offers a competitive advantage with its omnichannel strategy and physical store integration, making it an appealing choice for brands looking to reach both online and brick-and-mortar shoppers.


Eligibility Requirements for Walmart Advertising

To advertise on Walmart, sellers must meet certain criteria, such as being an approved Walmart Marketplace seller or supplier, having products in stock, and maintaining a positive seller rating. Additionally, the products must be listed within certain categories approved by Walmart for advertising.


Types of Walmart Ads

Walmart offers several ad formats tailored to different goals:


Sponsored Products

These keyword-targeted ads appear in search results and on product pages. These ads are ideal for driving visibility for specific items and increasing sales by placing products prominently in front of potential buyers.


Walmart Sponsored Brands

Sponsored Brand ads are banner-style ads that showcase a brand’s collection of products. These ads can appear on Walmart’s homepage or category pages, increasing brand visibility and leading to higher engagement.


Walmart Display Advertising

Display ads (DSS) allows you to target with shopper behavior, contextual behavior, key term and Run of Site. Run of site is a ‘tile takeover’ that allows you to target categories outside of your specific item category.


Onsite

Onsite ads appear on Walmart.com, giving sellers access to Walmart’s massive online traffic. Onsite ads can appear on product detail pages, search results, and category pages, providing multiple touchpoints for customers.


Offsite

Walmart’s offsite display ads allow sellers to target shoppers across the internet. These ads use Walmart’s extensive data on shopping behavior to retarget users on third-party websites, increasing brand exposure beyond the Walmart platform.


How To Set up Walmart Ad Campaigns


Manual Campaigns

In manual campaigns, sellers select specific keywords to bid on, based on what they believe shoppers are most likely to search for. This gives sellers more control over their ad targeting but requires thorough keyword research to be effective.


1. Log into Walmart Seller Center: Access your account and navigate to the advertising dashboard.

2. Select Campaign Type: Choose "Manual Campaign" from the options available.

3. Set Campaign Details: Enter the campaign name, budget, and duration.

4. Choose Targeting Options: Select specific keywords or product categories to target.

5. Select Products: Add the products you want to advertise in the campaign.

6. Set Bids: Determine the maximum bid amount for each keyword or product.

7. Review and Launch: Check all settings for accuracy, then submit the campaign for review and launch.


Automatic Campaigns

Automatic campaigns use Walmart’s algorithms to place ads based on product listings and customer data. While this method is less time-intensive, it relies on Walmart’s systems to optimize the best keywords and placements for your products.


1. Log into Walmart Seller Center: Access your account and navigate to the advertising dashboard.

2. Select Campaign Type: Choose "Automatic Campaign" from the options available.

3. Set Campaign Details: Enter the campaign name, budget, and duration.

4. Choose Products: Select the products you want to advertise.

5. Set Budget and Bids: Determine the overall budget and set a default bid for all products.

6. Review Automatic Targeting: Walmart will automatically target relevant search terms and products based on your inventory.

7. Review and Launch: Check all settings for accuracy, then submit the campaign for review and launch.


Optimize Your Walmart Ad Campaigns

Optimizing campaigns involves testing different bidding strategies, refining keyword selections, and continuously analyzing performance data. Start with automatic campaigns to gather data, then switch to manual campaigns for more targeted bidding. Additionally, adjust bids for high-performing keywords and monitor inventory levels to ensure products are available when ads are clicked.


Measuring Success

Success can be measured through performance metrics like Return on Ad Spend (ROAS), click-through rate (CTR), and conversion rate. Walmart provides detailed reports that track customer behavior from the moment they see an ad to when they complete a purchase. Comparing performance across different ad types and placements can also help identify the most effective strategies for your brand.


Conclusion

Walmart’s advertising platform offers a powerful toolset for sellers to boost visibility, sales, and customer engagement by linking online and in-store data, reaching millions of potential buyers. By understanding the different ad types and strategically setting up campaigns, sellers can effectively leverage Walmart’s ecosystem for growth. Consider partnering with an experienced e-commerce agency like Nile to maximize these efforts. Our dedicated team has the expertise to optimize your Walmart Ads for maximum impact. Ready to elevate your advertising strategy? Contact Nile today for a no-risk, no-cost consultation, and let us help you achieve your goals!