Welcome to Basilio Inc. Launching Your Brand in Amazon. If you’re thinking about starting up your own business as an Amazon seller, stick around, because you’ve come to the right place.
In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn a clear path to navigate the initial stages and guides you through the intricate workings of the Amazon’s marketplace. Strategic selection for success is crucial for established brands, with the advantage of choosing products based on past performance. Some opt to add top-selling and evergreen items to ensure a strong start, while others diversify with end-of-season products, exclusive online bundles, or unique variations. Whether you’re pioneering the Amazon channel or expanding your brand’s reach, this guide equips you with the strategies to ensure a successful launch.
Chapter 7 – Product Launchpad Marketing
When embarking on your Amazon journey, it’s essential to audit your existing assets if you already have a direct site. Leverage this advantage to reduce your workload and build a portfolio that includes copy, photos, videos, and keywords that will serve as the foundation for your Amazon listing(s). However, before proceeding, confirm that your existing assets meet Amazon’s product detail page requirements for copy and images, ensuring a seamless transition to the platform.
For those without existing assets or with limited imagery, creating high-quality visual assets is paramount. Recognize that consumers predominantly shop with their eyes, and a compelling “hero” image can be the difference between capturing their attention or losing their interest. Focus on crafting an excellent hero image, showcasing your product on a clean, white background, captivating shoppers as they peruse the search results page.
Once shoppers delve into your product listing, they seek further insight through images and videos. Studio images, akin to the hero image, provide multiple angles and may include informative text about product features. Additionally, lifestyle images immerse shoppers in the product experience, depicting the item in natural settings or being used by customers. For example, a lifestyle image of a dog toy featuring a happy dog playing with it in a living room or park creates an emotional connection, driving a positive response and fostering a sense of trust.
Product Launchpad Marketing
Lifestyle FTW
To optimize your product listings for maximum visibility and conversion, it’s essential to strike the right balance between studio and lifestyle images. For most products, we recommend featuring 2-3 high-quality studio images that highlight the product’s key features and 3-4 lifestyle images that showcase the product in real-life scenarios. These images not only inform potential customers about your product but also create a connection and emotional appeal, increasing the likelihood of purchase. Additionally, consider creating a product video, especially for complex items that benefit from demonstration. A well-crafted video can significantly enhance the media gallery and further engage your audience. The best part is that these visual assets can be reused across your social media platforms and website, extending their impact beyond Amazon.
Set the Date
A strategic product launch is crucial for gaining momentum on Amazon. Set a launch date in Amazon several weeks after your expected launch to account for any unforeseen delays. This approach ensures that you have ample time to prepare inventory and make necessary adjustments. By setting a launch date, you inform Amazon’s algorithm about your product’s upcoming presence, triggering what some call the “honeymoon period.” During this two-week window, Amazon closely scrutinizes your listing’s performance to determine its rank. Make the most of this period by ensuring your listing is optimized for relevant keywords, backed by compelling images and informative content. A strong start during the honeymoon period can positively impact your product’s visibility and organic ranking in search results, setting the stage for long-term success.
Optimize Keywords
Amazon’s search algorithm relies on keywords to index and rank products. To improve your listing’s visibility and ranking, it’s crucial to identify and strategically incorporate the most relevant keywords for your product. Start by placing these keywords in specific sections of your product detail page, following a structured hierarchy. The optimal order for keyword placement is the product title, bullet points, product description, and image alt text.
In the product title, aim to include the primary keywords that best describe your product and its main features. This section carries significant weight in Amazon’s algorithm and can have a considerable impact on your ranking. Next, utilize the bullet points to showcase the key benefits and features of your product, using relevant keywords to enhance its visibility to potential customers.
The product description is an excellent place to provide more detailed information about your product and its unique selling points. Incorporate additional keywords naturally and avoid keyword stuffing, as this can negatively impact your listing’s credibility and performance. Remember, the goal is to create compelling and informative content that appeals to both customers and Amazon’s search algorithm.
Additionally, take advantage of backend fields specifically designated for indexing purposes. In this section, you can include supplementary keywords that didn’t fit in the frontend areas. Avoid using duplicates or commas in the backend keywords; instead, utilize every character available to include additional keywords, common misspellings, and variations in other languages.
To identify relevant keywords, use a combination of your own brainstorming and data-driven methods. Leverage keyword research tools to explore trending and high-converting keywords related to your product. Analyze your competitors’ listings to identify relevant keywords they are using, and consider customer feedback and reviews to discover valuable keyword insights.
- Competitor Research: Analyzing what terms your competitors are using to describe similar products is a goldmine of valuable keyword insights. By understanding which keywords your competitors are targeting, you can identify gaps in your own keyword strategy and uncover untapped opportunities to differentiate your product.
- Product Reviews: Customer reviews can provide powerful language and keywords that buyers use to describe similar products. These natural, organic keywords straight from the customers themselves can be incorporated into your listing to increase relevance and appeal to potential buyers.
- Index and Rank Checkers: Keeping a close eye on your listing’s ranking and search engine results page (SERP) placements for specific keywords is vital. Utilizing index and rank checkers allows you to track the performance of your chosen keywords over time, enabling you to fine-tune your strategy and make data-driven optimizations.
- Search Volume Tools: Leveraging software applications that identify keywords with high search volumes and low competition is a game-changer. These tools help you identify popular keywords that have the potential to drive significant traffic to your listing without facing overly fierce competition.
Building External Traffic
Establishing your brand on Amazon can be challenging, especially when competing with established sellers. However, by tapping into your brand’s social media audience, you can bypass their Amazon ads and connect directly with potential customers. To begin, create an active social media account that engages shoppers through questions, answers, relevant content, brand storytelling, product promotions, and even light-hearted memes. Building a strong relationship with your audience will set the foundation for your Amazon success.
Extending your reach is essential, and running paid social media ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, and TikTok can significantly help in this regard. Utilize these ads to promote your brand and products and direct users to your Amazon product detail pages or Amazon Store, if you have one. This way, you can drive more traffic to your Amazon listings from a broader audience base.
Partnering with influencers is another powerful strategy to boost your reach. Influencers act as a bridge between organic and paid advertising on social media. Their established trust with their audience allows you to access highly relevant and engaged followers. Additionally, influencers can provide fresh images and videos that you can repurpose for your Amazon listings, ads, and social media.
To measure the impact of influencer marketing, leverage Amazon’s Attribution Program, creating unique trackable links for each influencer. This will help you analyze the traffic and sales generated by each influencer’s efforts accurately.
For maximum impact, frontload your off-Amazon marketing efforts during the first two weeks, investing heavily to boost traffic and sales. This surge in activity will signal Amazon’s algorithm, leading to higher ranking for your listing after the initial period. While you can reduce your budget after the first two weeks, it’s essential to continue off-Amazon marketing and influencer collaborations for at least the first six months and during peak seasons to maintain steady growth and market share for your products.
To illustrate a possible off-Amazon marketing budget, consider allocating $2,000 per week for the first two weeks, $2,000 per month for the first six months, and $1,000 per month for ongoing marketing efforts.
Amazon PPC / Paid Ads
Launching a new product on Amazon requires strategic planning and an effective advertising budget to maximize its visibility and sales potential. During the initial two weeks after product launch, it’s crucial to run Sponsored Product Ads, as they have proven to be the highest converting ad type on the platform. Prioritizing your Amazon marketing budget towards Sponsored Product Ads during this critical period can significantly boost your product’s rank and exposure.
For sellers with an established presence on Amazon, Sponsored Brand Ads can be a valuable addition to your advertising strategy. These ads display as eye-catching banners at the top of the search results page and can promote up to three products. If you already have successful products on Amazon, including them in the Sponsored Brand Ad alongside your new product can leverage their popularity to give your new item a competitive advantage until it gains traction on its own.
Innovative advertising options are continually emerging on Amazon, and video ads are proving to be highly effective at converting shoppers. If feasible, creating a compelling video before product launch can be a powerful tactic to engage potential customers and increase sales.
Crafting a well-structured Amazon advertising budget is essential for managing costs effectively while driving results.
As an example, For the first Two Months
Consider allocating $2,500 per month to advertising efforts per sku.
- Within this budget, dedicate $1,500 per month to Sponsored Product Ads,
- $500 per month to Sponsored Brand Ads,
- Another $500 per month to Sponsored Display Ads.
After the initial launch phase, you can adjust the budget to a more sustainable level of $2,000 per month per sku
- with $1,000 per month for Sponsored Product Ads
- $500 per month for Sponsored Brand Ads
- $500 per month for Sponsored Display Ads
Use Amazon Coupons
Amazon Coupons are a highly effective and budget-friendly marketing tool that can significantly boost product visibility and drive sales. Products enrolled in the coupon program display a coupon badge on the search results page and product listings, making them more eye-catching to potential buyers. Additionally, these products are featured on Amazon’s dedicated coupons page, providing an additional avenue for exposure. Whether you’re launching a new product or looking to increase traction for existing ones, utilizing Amazon Coupons can be a reliable way to attract more traffic and boost sales.
Understanding the costs associated with Amazon Coupons is essential for effective budgeting. The coupon cost includes the coupon amount offered to customers, as well as a $0.60 redemption fee charged by Amazon for each coupon used. Despite the small fee, the return on investment can be substantial, especially when combined with an optimized marketing strategy. By carefully choosing coupon amounts and running targeted campaigns, sellers can maximize the impact of their coupons and achieve impressive results.
Customer reviews play a critical role in influencing online shoppers’ purchasing decisions. Products with a significant number of reviews tend to gain momentum and trust from potential buyers. To generate reviews compliantly, Amazon offers two options. The Early Reviewer Program allows sellers to offer buyers a small Amazon credit in exchange for honest product reviews. This program is available for ASINs with fewer than five reviews and runs for one year or until five new reviews are obtained.
In addition to the Early Reviewer Program, sellers can send Feedback Request emails through Seller Central to encourage additional customer reviews. As of November 3, 2020, Amazon’s communication policies explicitly permit sellers to request honest reviews from buyers, emphasizing the importance of maintaining transparency and not seeking only positive reviews. Utilizing Buyer-Seller emails can be a valuable tactic to encourage more reviews and improve the overall reputation and credibility of your products.
Additional Free Marketing Tactics
In addition to the strategies mentioned earlier, there are several other Amazon tools that can significantly accelerate the rise to fame of your new products and boost your overall success on the platform. These tools are designed to enhance your product visibility, engage potential customers, and highlight your brand’s unique offerings.
Amazon Store: The Amazon Store provides you with a customizable digital storefront right on the Amazon marketplace. It offers a centralized location where you can showcase all your products in one place, making it convenient for shoppers to explore your entire product range. The Store is accessible from each product listing and may even appear in recommended searches, increasing its reach. Combining Amazon Stores with social media marketing and Sponsored Brand Ads can create a powerful synergy that drives more traffic and conversions.
A+ Content: A+ Content is a valuable section that resides below your primary listing. This feature allows you to add more detailed information, highlight unique product features, and share your brand’s compelling story with potential customers. By leveraging A+ Content, you can create a richer product experience that builds trust and credibility, ultimately driving more sales.
Amazon Live: Engaging with your audience is essential for building brand loyalty and driving sales. Amazon Live enables you to livestream videos, discussing or demonstrating your products to thousands of Amazon shoppers in real-time. You can entice viewers by offering exclusive discounts and deals during the livestream, increasing their incentive to participate. Furthermore, promoting the Amazon Live event on social media beforehand can generate excitement and attract a larger audience to your livestream.
Bite the Bullet & Pay Your Dues
Gaining momentum and visibility for your brand on Amazon requires a well-structured monthly advertising budget. It’s essential to recognize that successfully launching a new product on Amazon demands robust marketing efforts. In this pay-to-play marketplace, investing in marketing is not just a necessary evil but a strategic investment for greater profitability. With a comprehensive marketing strategy, the returns can start pouring in within a few months of the product launch.
Considering both off-Amazon marketing and Amazon Advertising, a realistic marketing budget for the initial two months could be around up to $5,000 per month per sku. While this may seem significant, it’s vital to recognize the value it brings to your brand’s success. However, if your budget is more constrained, you can optimize costs by focusing on Sponsored Product Ads and social media promotions. Engaging your audience through organic social media channels and collaborating with product exchange influencers can also be cost-effective alternatives to paid influencers.
For new products, we recommend a minimum marketing budget of $2,500 per month. However, remember that a higher initial investment in marketing can expedite your product’s acceptance and profitability. Seasonality should also influence your marketing budget, with adjustments made during peak seasons and Q4, while maintaining some level of investment during slower periods.
Navigating Amazon’s Fee Structure for Profitability
Selling on Amazon involves navigating a complex fee system that significantly impacts your product’s final price. While competitor pricing insights are valuable, your ultimate goal is to ensure a profitable bottom line. Understanding how referral and fulfillment fees vary across categories is crucial for conducting an accurate margin analysis.
Visit “https://sell.amazon.com/pricing” to see Amazon’s Fee Structure in Detail. As Amazon’s fee structure may change over time, it’s essential to stay updated on the latest changes and adjust your pricing strategy accordingly.
Referral fees are a percentage of the item’s sale price, varying by product category. These fees are paid to Amazon for each product sold through their platform. As a seller, it’s essential to consider these fees when setting your product prices, as they directly impact your profitability.
Fulfillment fees cover the cost of storing, picking, packing, and shipping your products through Amazon’s FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) service. Like referral fees, fulfillment fees also differ depending on the product category and can significantly affect your net earnings.
Other potential fees to consider include long-term storage fees for items stored in Amazon’s warehouses for an extended period and removal fees if you decide to remove inventory from FBA.
To maximize your profitability on Amazon, you must carefully analyze these fee structures and factor them into your pricing strategy. A thorough understanding of the costs associated with each category will help you make informed decisions and maintain a healthy balance between competitive pricing and maintaining healthy profit margins.
Meet the Author
