TLDR;
This video provides a step-by-step guide on how to use "surf scaling" to rapidly scale TikTok ads for a dropshipping store. Surf scaling involves doubling the budget on profitable campaigns mid-day to maximise ad spend on what's already working. The method is presented as a fast way to scale from zero, requiring a winning product and a built-out Shopify store. The video covers setting up campaigns the night before, monitoring performance, and adjusting budgets throughout the day based on profitability, aiming to optimise ad spend and increase revenue.
- Disable all of your campaigns that have been running for the current day and schedule three duplicates to go live for the next morning.
- Check your ads around 11 a.m. in the morning and calculate your break even point.
- Every two hours if you have profits we're doubling the budget. If it's losing money we're going to disable it.
Introduction to Surf Scaling [0:00]
The video introduces surf scaling as a method to quickly scale TikTok ads by doubling the budget on profitable campaigns mid-day. Within five days, a new store using this method generated £8.3K in revenue and nearly £2.5K in net profit. The strategy requires a winning product and a functional Shopify store, which were detailed in a previous video. The focus of this video is exclusively on the ad strategy itself.
Initial Setup: Preparing Campaigns the Night Before [1:09]
The surf scaling process begins the night before, assuming you already have a profitable campaign running for one to two days. Close to midnight, disable all active campaigns for the current day and schedule three duplicates to launch the following morning. This involves exporting your winning ad creative, modifying the Excel file (deleting campaign ID, ad group ID, and ad ID), setting the launch time for midnight, duplicating the campaigns three times with unique names, and setting initial budgets (£50 for beginners, £100 for more experienced users). The updated Excel file is then imported back into TikTok.
Morning Check-In: 11 a.m. Campaign Review [3:30]
The first campaign check-in occurs around 11 a.m., focusing on data to assess performance. Metrics like CPM, CPC, and CTR are less important at this stage, as the product has already been validated. The primary concern is ensuring the cost per purchase is below the break-even point. The break-even point is calculated as the selling price minus the cost of goods. For example, with a selling price of £29.90 and a cost of goods of £7.75, the break-even point is £22.15. Campaigns with a cost per purchase below this are considered profitable.
Midday Adjustments: 12 p.m. Budget Bumps and Cuts [5:43]
Around 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m., another ad check is performed. Profitable campaigns receive a budget increase (e.g., from £100 to £125, or £50 to £65 for smaller budgets). Unprofitable campaigns are disabled. The video emphasises the time-sensitive nature of surf scaling, requiring constant monitoring. For example, a campaign with £59 spend and only two sales (cost per purchase of £29) is disabled due to poor performance.
Afternoon Scaling: Doubling Down on Success [7:20]
By 2:30 p.m., campaigns that continue to perform well have their budgets doubled (e.g., from £125 to £250, or £65 to £100 for smaller budgets). This process is repeated every two hours, increasing budgets on profitable campaigns and disabling those that are losing money. By 4:30 p.m., budgets may be increased significantly (e.g., to £1,000) if campaigns are highly profitable, while acknowledging that it's okay not to increase budget if campaign is just breaking even.
Evening Optimisation: Hourly Checks and Final Budget Adjustments [9:04]
After 6 p.m., ad checks are recommended every hour due to a surge in order volume. The strategy remains consistent: double the budget for profitable campaigns and disable underperforming ones. The video notes that not all three initial campaigns will be equally successful; one may fail, one may perform adequately, and one may be highly scalable. By 7:30 p.m., a successful campaign might have £681 in ad spend and 35 purchases, justifying a further budget increase (e.g., from £2,000 to £4,000).
Final Steps: Nightly Shutdown and Profit Breakdown [13:16]
After the 8:00 p.m. budget increase, no further adjustments are typically made. However, continued monitoring is necessary to prevent overspending. At the end of the day, all active campaigns are disabled to avoid starting the next day with high budgets. The process is then repeated. The video shares that one day of surf scaling resulted in 99 orders, £3.7K in revenue, and £1,053 in net profit after £1.6K in ad spend and other expenses. Despite the margins being around 25%, the creator is happy with the results, considering the store was only five days old.
